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Outside a movie theater that has been converted
into a U.S. Army Recruiting Headquarters, confidence men Slicker "Smithy"
Smith and Herbie Brown sell their ten cent "silk" ties. Inside,
playboy Randolph Parker III tells Captain Johnson that his being drafted is
a mistake, as he has made plans to work for his industrialist father in
Washington. His chauffeur, Bob Martin, is the first man selected in
the draft, and he gladly accepts his new role, especially as it means
getting away from Randolph. After being chased inside the building by
the police, Slicker and Herbie mistakenly volunteer themselves for the
draft. Herbie thinks he can get out of the army because he is
overweight, but Slicker turns on a heater beneath Herbie, causing him to
lose enough weight to pass the physical by a few ounces.
After their induction into the Army, Bob and
Randolph have words, and Bob punches the playboy. The new soldiers are
later met at a railway station by a group of USO hostesses, and both
Randolph and Bob take immediate fancies to hostess Judy Gray, but she has
little use for either of them. Meanwhile, Slicker and Herbie set up a
dice game, with Slicker winning everyone's money, including Herbie's.
Arriving at boot camp, Randolph, Bob, Slicker
and Herbie are assigned to "K" Company, which is supervised by Sergeant
Michael Collins, an ex-policeman who had earlier chased Slicker and Herbie.
Randolph's father arrives at the camp as training begins, but rather than
remove Randolph, he fully supports his son's new occupation, hoping the Army
can make a man out of the playboy. While Herbie is a complete flop as
a soldier, Randolph shows great dexterity, especially on the rifle range.
Sergeant Collins arranges a shooting contest, and the entire company, except
Randolph, bets their money on the outcome. Learning that Bob is the
team alternate, Randolph pretends to be injured, so that he can spend that
time alone with Judy. The company loses the contest, and Randolph is
ostracized by all, including Judy. The company manages to get their
money back, however, when Herbie wins a wild boxing match.
During army test maneuvers, Randolph, Bob,
Slicker and Herbie are sent on patrol to blow up a block house.
Randolph then saves Bob's life when he loses his footing while climbing a
mountain. Once over the mountain, Randolph and Bob discover that they
are outnumbered by a Blue army patrol. Randolph then acts as a
diversion as Bob sneaks around the patrol and blows up the target.
That night, Randolph is informed that he is
being sent to officers' training school, not based on influence, but on
merit. Later, at the "victory" dance, Randolph is congratulated by
all, as Bob has told everyone of his bravery. He and Judy make up, and
he proudly tells her of his new appointment. Randolph then learns that
Bob has been accepted into officers' training school as well. While
the two young officers continue their pursuit of Judy, Herbie gets Sergeant
Collins into a dice game. In the end, Herbie winds up in a barrel
instead of his pants.
Notes
While actors
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello receive above-the-title listings in the
opening credits, they were billed third and fourth respectively in the
closing credits. Radio announcer Mike Frankovich's name was misspelled
in the credits as "Frankovitch." According to Universal publicity
materials, this was the first film to deal with the new peace-time military
draft, signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on September
16, 1940. In October 1940, HR reported that Universal had
assigned writer Harold Shumate to write an untitled "military conscription
comedy," similar to one planned at Columbia. Then, in November 1940,
HR reported that Universal contract players
Richard Arlen and Andy Devine had been cast in Buck Privates, a
"story dealing with life in the present day army camps," which was to be
written by Maxwell Shane and produced by Ben Pivar. It has not been
determined if any material from these writers was used in this film.
The Andrews Sisters were signed by Universal to appear in the film in
mid-November 1940, based on an eight-week commitment. According to
HR,
Abbott and Costello, along with
The Andrews Sisters and Universal contract player Hugh Herbert,
performed in a USO show at Camp Elliott, the U.S. Marine Corps Base in San
Diego, California, just prior to beginning work on this film. In
November 1940, director Arthur Lubin signed a seven-year contract with
Universal. HR news items indicate that dance director Nick
Castle was borrowed from Twentieth Century-Fox for work on this film, while
actor Lee Bowman was borrowed from MGM. HR production charts
indicate that actress
Nell O'Day was cast in the picture, but her appearance in the released
film has not been confirmed. Actress
Maria Montez also appeared in HR production charts for the
picture in early January 1941, but she did not appear in the released film.
New items also state that Lou Levy, the head of Leeds Music Publishing and
the manager of
The Andrews Sisters, was allowed to select the music for this film,
though he was not credited in any official capacity by Universal.
HR also stated that a sneak preview of the film was held in late January
1941 for soldiers stationed at Fort MacArthur, California.
Buck Privates was the first film produced
by Alex Gottlieb, who had previously worked at Universal as a screenwriter.
HR reported in January 1941 that Gottlieb had been permanently
promoted to associate producer by the studio based on a rough cut of this
film. Then, based on outstanding preview cards and reviews, Gottlieb
was assigned to a second
Abbott and Costello film. According to modern sources, seventeen
other writers had turned down this job before it was offered to Gottlieb.
In late February 1941,
Abbott and Costello themselves were rewarded for their work in the film
with a four-picture deal by Universal. HR stated in mid-April
1941 that the film was so popular in some portions of the country that there
was a shortage of prints, so Universal was forced to "bicycle" prints
between theaters in the same town.
Because of the tremendous success of this film,
Universal delayed the release of
Abbott and Costello's next film, Hold That Ghost, in order to
upgrade the production values of that film and to capitalize on the military
comedy elements of their third film of 1941,
In the Navy.
Abbott and Costello's fourth released film of 1941 was also a military
comedy, entitled Keep 'Em Flying. According to modern sources,
after the failure of
Abbott and Costello's first film, One Night in the Tropics,
Buck Privates was given a "B-film" budget of $180,000, with a twenty-day
shooting schedule on standing sets. These sources also state that
Abbott and Costello ad-libbed much of their dialogue, including the
drill routine, which ran only two and a half minutes in the script, but was
allotted five minutes of screen time. Modern sources also indicate
that director Lubin shot the
Abbott and Costello sequences using two or three cameras simultaneously
to capture their spontaneity. Pat Costello worked as a stunt double
for his brother in the film's boxing sequence, according to modern sources.
Modern sources report that, by March 1941, the
film had grossed $1,000,000 domestically, with final grosses over
$4,000,000. Charles Previn received an Academy Award nomination for
his musical scoring of the picture, and Hugh Prince and Don Raye's song
"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" was also nominated for an Oscar.
Abbott and Costello starred in an
October 13, 1941
Lux Radio Theater broadcast of the story. In
1947, Universal made a sequel to this film, entitled Buck Privates Come
Home.
Songs include: "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,"
"Bounce Me Brother With a Solid Four"
and "When Private Brown Becomes a Captain," words by Don Raye, music
by Hugh Prince; "You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith," words by Don Raye,
music by Hugh Prince and Sonny Burke; "I Wish You Were Here," words
by Don Raye, music by Hugh Prince and Vic Schoen; "I'll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time,"
words by Neville Fleeson, music by Albert Von Tilzer. |
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