In the decades following WWII, there came a new sort of war film...one without any fighting and aimed clearly as comedies. Glenn Ford made several (such as "Teahouse of the August Moon" and "The Imitation General") though he was far from the only one in such movies. Robert Walker Jr., Jim Hutton, Tony Curtis and many others made this sort of film as well. What sets "The Horizontal Lieutenant" apart from SOME is that it's much more a sex comedy than a comedy...though it's not like it's unique here. So, instead of focusing on bravery and sacrifice, these films are more about men trying to handle boredom....and sexual urges.
While some of these films ("Operation Petticoat", "Mr. Roberts" and a few others) are well worth seeing, some fall more in the category of 'nice time-passer'...such as "The Horizontal Lieutenant". In other words, it's not bad but is far from a must-see.
Jim Hutton stars as the Lieutenant in the film's title. He's referred to as 'horizontal' because the film begins with him getting knocked out...and because he seems to spend most of his time trying to bed a pretty nurse (Paula Prentiss). The plot also has to do with him trying to capture a minor annoyance on an occupied island in the Pacific...a guy known as Kobayashi.
So is this any good? Well, it's okay...enjoyable but not much more. The actors try, but the focus on sex becomes a bit boring after a while! Yep...a bit boring.
While some of these films ("Operation Petticoat", "Mr. Roberts" and a few others) are well worth seeing, some fall more in the category of 'nice time-passer'...such as "The Horizontal Lieutenant". In other words, it's not bad but is far from a must-see.
Jim Hutton stars as the Lieutenant in the film's title. He's referred to as 'horizontal' because the film begins with him getting knocked out...and because he seems to spend most of his time trying to bed a pretty nurse (Paula Prentiss). The plot also has to do with him trying to capture a minor annoyance on an occupied island in the Pacific...a guy known as Kobayashi.
So is this any good? Well, it's okay...enjoyable but not much more. The actors try, but the focus on sex becomes a bit boring after a while! Yep...a bit boring.