User Reviews

Copyright 31 December 1963 by Ted Richmond Productions. Released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. New York opening as the top half of a double bill with "Mail Order Bride": 10 June 1964. U.S. release: 15 April 1964. U.K. release: 11 January 1965. 97 minutes. U.K. release title: COMPANY OF COWARDS (cut to 86 minutes).

SYNOPSIS: During the Civil War a Union Army general officer has a comfortable encampment and a pleasant "agreement" with the enemy: every morning his company fires at them, they fire back, and no one gets hurt. When finally he is ordered to attack, his horse bolts and charges to the rear with the infantry following. As punishment for his apparent cowardice he is put in charge of a company of misfits and sent west to Indian Territory. Through an error, the fact that his unit is replacing one that is protecting Union gold has been overlooked. The men journey westward by riverboat and are joined by a group of camp followers led by Easy Jenny and including Martha Lou Williams, a Confederate spy. A romance develops between Martha Lou and Captain Jared Heath, though he perceives her devious purpose. Her efforts to obtain information while retaining her virtue result in the misfits' losing their horses, their pants, and the Union gold to a group of renegades.

NOTES: Jack Schaefer expanded Chamberlain's short story into a novel, "Company of Cowards" which was published in 1957. The property was acquired by producer Charles Schnee as a vehicle for Hugh O'Brian. M-G-M inherited the package and announced on 11 April 1957 that Rod Serling would write the screenplay.

COMMENT: Good entertainment! The cast was appealing — who could resist Stella Stevens and Melvyn Douglas? Glenn Ford was at his most amiable and the support cast including Michael Pate (was his voice dubbed?) as a villainous Red Indian, was delightful (did you spot Eddie Quillan in an uncredited though sizable bit as a Confederate corporal?); we also liked Alan Hale's easy-going impression of a conscience-stricken sergeant and James Griffith's glumly philosophical man-who-has-his-price. However, Joan Blondell's admirers will be disappointed by the smallness of her part. The script is amusing enough — it has some lively situations and witty dialogue. George Marshall's direction is capable and there is a jocund music score which cleverly adds to the humor of almost every scene.

I don't know how much I might have enjoyed this movie if I had seen it when it first came out. At the time, I was just finishing a tour in the U.S. Army in Europe. I only mention this to account for my not having seen many movies for a five-year period of college and Army service during the Cold War. I have always enjoyed humor, and especially liked "Dr. Strangelove," which I saw in a theater after its German release in early 1964.

Now, these many years later, I find very little in "Advance to the Rear," to tickle the funny bone. And, I'm not sure why, because I think a couple of performances are excellent. Glenn Ford plays Captain (then Lieutenant) Jared Heath. He is good, as he is in all of his films. Melvyn Douglas is hilarious in his role as Colonel (then Captain) Brackenbury. And I think Stella Stevens gives a very good performance as Martha Lou. Among all the antics, I think only one scene was very funny. The Union troops skiing downhill on barrel staves was very ingenious as well. I suspect that came right out of the novel the movie was based on – "The Company of Cowards" by William Chamberlain.

But for those few items, the film just isn't that funny. It seemed like an attempt by the filmmakers to create something like the Marx Brothers would have done. Or, possibly the Three Stooges. But the scenes that were obviously intended to be funny just weren't so. The script just doesn't support the antics we see. It also suffers from lapses between scenes and from weak direction. George Marshall had directed some fine comedies before, but I think the poor script for "Advance to the Rear" doomed this film.

Still, it is worth seeing just for the performances by Ford, Douglas and Stevens. Had there been more witty lines in the script, the movie surely would have been and done better. This dialog between the Ford (Capt. Heath) and Douglas (Col. Brackenbury) characters in an early scene is one of the few gems of the entire film. Capt. Heath, "Well, I've been out on patrol, sir. And, as a matter of fact, we brought you back some prisoners." Col. Brackenbury, "Prisoners?" Heath, "Yes sir." Brackenbury, "Who told you to go out after prisoners?" Heath, "Well, nobody told me, sir." Brackenbury, "Well … well …. Take 'em back." Heath, "Take 'em back?" Brackenbury, "You heard me. Taken 'em back."

Then, a short time later: Brackenbury, "Which one of us graduated from West Point? Just answer me that." Heath, "You .. uh .. graduated from West Point, sir." Brackenbury, "You bet I did. And how many times have I warned you against showing any initiative?" Heath, "Oh, it must be up in the thousands, sir."

How ironic that the very day I watch this comedy was the day that costar Stella Stevens passed away, after some years suffering from Alzheimer's. Also ironic that Stella died just 2 days after the passing of her slightly younger sister Hollywood 'sexpot' of the '60s: Rachel Welsh.

Based upon the serialized novel "Company of Cowards". It was deemed advisable to think up an alternative title for the film. However, the catchy theme song played during the opening and closing credits was titled "Company of Cowards".

A ton of slapstick. Maybe too much for you? But, if you're OK with that type of humor, you'll probably like this film. Mixed in with the buffoonery is a difficult would-be romance between Stella's Confederate spy character and Glen Ford's Union Lt. Character. She's mostly reluctant, and he's understandably persistent. I've read that, off-stage, she was more willing. Neither was married at the time, both being divorcees, and Ford had a deserved reputation as a regular Casanova.

James Griffith plays his usual villainous role, as Hugo Zattig: the leader of a bunch of bandits on the Montana plains(presumably) who claim to be pro-Confederate, but are actually more pro-themselves, as things turn out, when it comes to stealing a wagon of gold from Union forces.

Melvyn Douglas plays the demoted captain and Ford plays the demoted Lt. Of their company of hand-picked misfits and screwups, denoted as Company Q. Well recognized character actor Alan Hale, Jr. Plays the sergeant of the company. Company Q is sent from the eastern war theater to the far western plains, where hopefully they won't cause mischief. Meanwhile, Stella's character: Martha, is sent by a Confederate General to find out what this company of hand-picked men is up to. They meet when Company Q boards a river steamer, presumably to ascent the Missouri River as far as it can take them: to Sioux Landing.(Historically, this would be Fort Benton, in mid-north Montana). She is pretending to be one of the gang of prostitutes led by 'Easy Jenny'(Joan Blondell), who also board the boat. But, eventually, Ford, as Lt. Heath, learns from Jenny that Martha isn't one of her girls, and rumor has it that she's actually a Confederate spy, which she initially denies, but eventually admits to. Nonetheless, Heath starts talking about marriage. Meanwhile, Martha has somehow learned about a big gold shipment from the west, and sends a messenger to tell her presumed allies farther west: Zattig, and Sioux chief Thin Elk, about the gold shipment. Historically, this gold is probably being sent from the gold fields around the boomtown of Virginia City(not to be confused with Virginia City, NV) near present Yellowstone National Park, which was experiencing it's bonanza days during the Civil War, and was infested by many southern draft dodgers and highwaymen. Eventually, Zattig's bunch, Company Q, and Martha would fight each other over the gold : the Confederacy be damned.

The film definitely gets more interesting as it goes along, although I have no idea of the meaning of the very last scene. .........Jesse Pearson stands out as the Cpl. Who apparently smells like a horse to horses, causing then to follow him. Andrew Pine could be called Pvt. Hiccup, as he has a permanent case .............. Chief Thin Elk recognizes the Captain as a fellow West Point graduate of 1837. Surprisingly, the first Native American to graduate from West Point happened in 1822. He was from the aristocratic Creek clan, and was also the first West Point graduate from Alabama.

Some think this film was the inspiration for the comical TV series F Troop, which suspiciously began the year after this was released.

This was the 2nd of 3 films costarring Stella and Ford.

The prior 1956 Anthony Mann Civil War Western "The Last Frontier" also featured a company of mostly misfit soldiers led by a commander sent, as punishment, to the western frontier to confront Native Americans, for his disastrous command during a Civil War battle. However, unlike the present film, this was not a comedy. Rather, partly meant, to remember a disastrous historical cavalry defeat, at the hands of Native Americans.

"I'm not a sergeant in the army. I'm a guard in a nut house!". So says sergeant Alan Hale Jr. under the command of Melvyn Douglas and Glenn Ford, who have taken on all the losers of all the Yankee troops at the suggestion of general Jim Backus in this sweet but innocuous farce. When a private who attracts horses causes the accidental abandonment of lead officer Douglas and the men following his lead, Backus ships to where they can do no harm, so he thinks. They end up heading to inactive duty on a steamship with madame Joan Blondell ans her girls, and a possible Southern spy, played with feistiness by no nonsense Stella Stevens.

This mid '60s farce with only the slightest bit of sex, is likable, inconsequential, but fun. It is beyond unrealistic, but there's a sense of harmlessness to it that ironically features two supporting characters from the then brand new "Gilligan's Island", sharing only one scene together, but instantly recognizable.

Color might have added a little spark to this silly film which easily could have been called, " It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". Everybody seems to be having a good time and in on the joke, so that makes it even more fun than acceptable by the audience. Under the helm of veteran comedy director George Marshall, this is a popcorn munching, knee slapping good old fashioned time, and as America headed towards another unwelcome war at this time, it made a bit of an ironic statement as well.

Ford might be simply the nicest actor from the era of his peak activity in movies; I know that daddy Brando and he mutually disliked—but that's perhaps the only negative thing that can be brought against Ford. He was a bright comedy and physical actor—sometimes intriguingly subtle and fanciful.

He could have been an American C. Grant.

'Advance to the Rear' seems a surprisingly timeless and genuinely funny comedy

It is a joy to see movies and to write about them—provided you're not bashed by disrespectful, less sympathetic persons and hate—mongers—and sometimes it's the greater joy to see them, others to write about them. I confess I'm an ancient person; not quite aged—but ancient, old—as my compatriot IL Caragiale said it—I'm an ancient fellow, or:--an old fellow—I'm old, he said. While it just might be useless to say that ADVANCE TO THE REAR is not a perfect movie, and not a perfect comedy, it has nonetheless things that suit me. The cast is ideal—and I mean, ideal—and the execution seems admirable—a military and war comedy, and a sex comedy, accurate fun, in a lighthearted and jolly flick. The score simply pleases the ear and the heart. In its core, a new and modern, a timeless comedy. William Chamberlain's THE COMPANY OF COWARDS (also mentioned in the initial credits' tune) furnished Jack Schaeffer's idea—and, subsequently, Peeples & Bowers' scenario; while Marshall, George Marshall, was the man behind the directorial lens.

Ford plays Heath; the legendary delicious babe Stella Stevens plays a Dixie agent; and daddy Melvyn Douglas gives us Brackenby. Stella Stevens will be again a witty prostitute in the revisionist Western classic CABLE HOGUE.

"Destry Rides Again" director George Marshall's hilarious, lightweight, comedy "Advance to the Rear" takes place during the American Civil War, but it exploits the war strictly as a backdrop. The issues of slavery and state's rights are never covered in the Samuel A. Peeples & William Bowers' screenplay based on William Chamberlain's novel "Company of Cowards." Furthermore, nobody talks about why they joined up to fight the war. Like most Civil War movies that occur on the frontier, Union and Confederates are fighting each other over a shipment of gold from the western mines that both sides desperately need. Basically, the story follows the misadventures of a bumbling West Point graduate and his company of misfits that ironically save the day. Think of it as a predecessor for "F-Troop." Peeples & Bowers do a commendable job of foreshadowing the action and furnishing the leading men with interesting dialogue. One conversation between superior officer Melvyn Douglas and subordinate officer Glenn Ford establishes the absurdity of war. Composer Randy Spark's provides a first-rate soundtrack bristling with jaunty music that reinforces the film's farcical qualities. The New Christy Minstrels do a splendid job of warbling the title tune "Company of Cowards." The cast is stocked with big names, including Glenn Ford and Melvyn Douglas and familiar faces galore like Alan Hale, Jr, Jim Backus, Whit Bissell, Michael Pate, and James Griffith. The production values for this MGM release are reasonably polished, despite the decision to make Oscar winning Technicolor lenser Milton Krasner shoot this widescreen comic epic in black & white. Krasner's pictorial compositions are a treat for the eye.

Glenn Ford maintains a straight face throughout this nonsense as Captain Jared Heath who is later demoted to lieutenant owing to an unfortunate circumstance over which he had no control but for which is culpable. Life is serene in the spring of 1862 for career officer Colonel Claude Brackenby (Melvyn Douglas of "Ninotchka") who has his troops fire a barrage from his thirty cannon at the Confederates. The Southerners retaliate with thirty rounds from their artillery. This stalemate of sorts concludes abruptly when the overzealous Heath, Sergeant Beauregard Davis, and a couple of other men abduct three Confederate soldiers and bring them back to their camp for interrogation. Colonel Brackenby is livid with indignation. "Who told you to go out after any prisoners," Brackenby demands. "Take them back." Brackenbury constantly reminds Heath that he graduated from West Point. "And how many times have I warned you about showing any initiative?" Heath is surprised at Brackenby's rebuke. "We've got a nice, quiet, well-regulated sector here," Brackenby explains. "Every morning at six o'clock, the Rebs fire thirty rounds of ammunition at us. Then at six thirty, we fire thirty rounds at them. Their generals are happy and it keeps our generals happy, and nobody much gets hurt. But now you have to go out and capture prisoners and upset the whole status quo. They're not going to like that. It's going to make them mad. Real mad." A confused Heath replies, "If you'll forgive me, Colonel, I thought the purpose of this war was to have both sides mad at each other." The Confederates launch an attack on Brackenby's men. Heath has to contend with some pretty hopeless soldiers like Private Owen Selous (Andrew Prime) who is afflicted with a perpetual case of hiccups, and Corporal Silas Geary (Jessie Pearson) who explains that something about him drives horses crazy. Heath orders Geary back to the rear to serve as Brackenby's courier. Later, after Geary receives orders from Brackenby, the corporal rides off, and Brackenby's horse follows Geary. Everybody is dumbfounded by Brackenby's tactics, and they believe that they must retreat and follow their commanding officer.

Predictably, the Union High Command isn't happy with this turn of events. Brackenby finds himself and his regiment the subject of a court-martial. "I damn well intend to get to the bottom of his miserable fiasco and determine what or who is responsible for an entire regiment turning tail and running before the first shot had even been fired," vows General Willoughby (Jim Backus of "Rebel Without a Cause") as he convenes a board of inquiry. "That damned horse ran away with me," Brackenby defends himself. Not even Corporal Geary can convince the fatuous Willoughby that he precipitated the retreat. "Now, my first warm and generous impulse was to have the whole bunch of them taken out and shot at dawn," Willoughby proclaims to his staff, "but President Lincoln has a phobia about mass executions." One of Willoughby's officers suggests they send Brackenby's men somewhere where the newspapers cannot contact them. Ultimately, they send them so far west that they hope they will never be heard from again. Another officer describes this as "a dirty trick on the Indians." Willoughby recites General Sherman's quote about "War is Hell." Brackenby takes command of Company Q and heads west by river boat to relieve a detachment of the 11th Cavalry. Company Q contains the worst misfits in the Union Army. These include a kleptomaniac, an arsonist, and a compulsive fist fighter. The same time that they are embarking on their journey, they are joined by prostitutes who are being run out of town by a crowd of wives. One of the women is a Confederate spy, Martha Lou Williams (Stella Stevens), dispatched to keep track of Brackenby's men because the Confederate High Command suspect that this handpicked force of specialists has something to do with guarding a long awaited shipment of gold. They also send in their own officer, Hugo Zattig (James Griffith) to steal the gold for the same, but they aren't entirely certain of his loyalty. The use of barrel spars to ski into the Confederate camp is imaginative. Griffith makes a sinister villain. This Civil War western is rather funny, and Marshall makes sure that nobody behaves as if they were in a comedy.

Be prepared for something that by almost any standard should not be even remotely good and find yourself laughing out loud in almost every place through it. Mad magazine run rampant, and far better than the likes of much overrated and obvious stuff like Blazing Saddles. Glenn Ford walks through it to superb effect. The entire thing looks like it was all done in one take and is all the better for it.

The James Bond movies were famous for their tongue in cheek humor, always stupidly it seemed to me: this one shows how tongue in cheek all the way back and down the throat works. Forget John Ford's sentimentality, Andre de Toth's subtleties, this is just flat out in your face fun. Never a western before or since like it. One of a kind always beats the rest.