When A Union Army outfit of misfits and rejects is sent to the Western territory, Southern spies try to figure out what they're doing there.When A Union Army outfit of misfits and rejects is sent to the Western territory, Southern spies try to figure out what they're doing there.When A Union Army outfit of misfits and rejects is sent to the Western territory, Southern spies try to figure out what they're doing there.
Alan Hale Jr.
- Sergeant Davis
- (as Alan Hale)
Richard Adams
- Courier
- (uncredited)
Leon Alton
- Waiter
- (uncredited)
Robert Anderson
- Steamboat Captain
- (uncredited)
Ann Blake
- Member of the Law & Order League
- (uncredited)
Danny Borzage
- Trooper
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe steamboat used in this movie was originally built and used as the Cotton Blossom, in MGM's Show Boat (1951). It was also used in Raintree County (1957) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960). In the 1970s, it was one of the props auctioned off by the studio.
- GoofsIn the scenes where the cannons fire 30 rounds, some of the cannons fire before their fuses are ignited.
- Quotes
Martha Lou: All right. Let's say, just for the moment, that I *am* a spy.
Heath: A very pretty one, too.
Martha Lou: That would make us enemies, Jared.
Heath: Yeah, of course it would. And, we'd be starting out at a point in marriage that takes some couples twenty or thirty years to achieve!
Featured review
Ford scores another deadpan triumph
Advance to the Rear is the last of a string of films that Glenn Ford made with director George Marshall. As an actor/director combination, they don't rate as high as John Wayne/John Ford or Robert DeNiro/Martin Scorsese, but they did turn out a succession of very funny films.
Back at the beginning of Ford's career, Marshall directed him in Texas along with another young star Bill Holden. Than it was almost a decade until they worked together again in one of Ford's best and probably funniest film, The Sheepman.
Ford had not done that much comedy up till then. Marshall took great advantage of Glenn Ford's really great gift for deadpanning some fabulous lines. They did five more films after that and Ford used him in his television series Cade's County. A good director/actor team turning out some great product.
I think George Marshall's not been given his due. He was best at comedy, but could also turn out good westerns. His most noted film, Destry Rides Again is a great blend of both.
Ford is a newly assigned lieutenant in a company that bears a striking resemblance to F Troop. Possibly this film was the inspiration for same. After a major snafu, they are assigned out in the west where it is hoped they cannot do too much damage to the Union cause.
And then it's discovered they are to be protecting a major gold shipment that Confederate guerrilla James Griffith is out to steal. Ford has an additional complication in that he's fallen for Confederate spy Stella Stevens.
You'll have a lot of laughs along the way in seeing if and how all these situations are dealt with. Another performance of note here is Melvyn Douglas as the commanding officer of the company. Douglas, two years past his Oscar for Hud, gets a real change of pace and he looks like he's having a ball playing the bumbling and pompous Colonel Brackenby.
Watch this one and you're in for good afternoon's share of laughs.
Back at the beginning of Ford's career, Marshall directed him in Texas along with another young star Bill Holden. Than it was almost a decade until they worked together again in one of Ford's best and probably funniest film, The Sheepman.
Ford had not done that much comedy up till then. Marshall took great advantage of Glenn Ford's really great gift for deadpanning some fabulous lines. They did five more films after that and Ford used him in his television series Cade's County. A good director/actor team turning out some great product.
I think George Marshall's not been given his due. He was best at comedy, but could also turn out good westerns. His most noted film, Destry Rides Again is a great blend of both.
Ford is a newly assigned lieutenant in a company that bears a striking resemblance to F Troop. Possibly this film was the inspiration for same. After a major snafu, they are assigned out in the west where it is hoped they cannot do too much damage to the Union cause.
And then it's discovered they are to be protecting a major gold shipment that Confederate guerrilla James Griffith is out to steal. Ford has an additional complication in that he's fallen for Confederate spy Stella Stevens.
You'll have a lot of laughs along the way in seeing if and how all these situations are dealt with. Another performance of note here is Melvyn Douglas as the commanding officer of the company. Douglas, two years past his Oscar for Hud, gets a real change of pace and he looks like he's having a ball playing the bumbling and pompous Colonel Brackenby.
Watch this one and you're in for good afternoon's share of laughs.
helpful•331
- bkoganbing
- Jun 24, 2005
- How long is Advance to the Rear?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 40 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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