THE PRIVATE WAR OF MAJOR BENSON
US, 1955, 105 minutes, Colour.
Charlton Heston, Julie Adams, Tim Hovey, William Demarest, Tim Considine, Sal Mineo, Mary Field.
Directed by Jerry Hopper.
The Private War of Major Benson was a popular sentimental comedy of the '50s. Charlton Heston appears as a military martinet who is in charge of a boys' military academy and has to bring the cadets into shape. Needless to say, his style clashes with that of the school which is run by nuns. Julie Adams is the sympathetic doctor at the school. William Demarest is entertaining as John, the school's assistant. Amongst the cadets are Tim Hovey (who was to appear in Toy Tiger) and a very young Sal Mineo.
The film offers the popular picture of American schools of the '50s, the Hollywood style presentation of nuns, the conventional melting of the heart of the stern Major. Direction is by Jerry Hopper with whom Charlton Heston worked in a number of features including Pony Express.
1. Entertaining comedy? Sentimental? Humorous? The ethos of America in the '50s?
2. Californian locations, the school? Colour photography? Musical score?
3. The title and its focus on Major Benson, his warlike attitudes? The clash with the Pentagon? His clash with the students?
4. The portrait of Barney Benson: Charlton Heston as a craggy Major, his attitudes towards his men, severity, his speeches which his men knew, the interview and its repercussions? His being chewed out by the authorities? His arrogance? His arrival at Sheridan Military Academy? Being shown round by the Superior? The humour at his expense from the nuns? The encounter with John, his room, suspicions of drinking etc.? Meeting with Kay? His attraction towards her? Her clashing with him about his style? The cadets, his trying to put them into shape? The reaction of Tiger Flaherty? Sylvester Dusik in charge? The reaction of the boys? Their petition against him? Kay and her exasperation? John and his advice? The nuns and their advice? Tiger's running away? Benson looking for him, having a drink with him, bringing him home? Covering up for him? His change of heart? Kay's shrewdness in preventing Barney from going back to Washington? The arrival of the military? The boys retracting their letter? Performing excellently? A happy victory for Major Benson?
5. Kay and her work at the school, the sympathetic doctor, voicing different opinions from Barney? The clash, her exasperation? In love with him? His change of heart with Tiger? Her pretence about the measles? The happy ending?
6. The portrait of the boys, their inability to do their cadet work well? Sylvester in charge? The small boys as cadets? Tiger, his loneliness, running away? Being rescued Major Benson? Getting back into the school? The boys and their parents? Benson's making a fool of himself with the parents? The boys and their hostility, changing their minds? Their final performance?
7. The portrait of the nuns, genial and shrewd Hollywood style nuns? The irony of the Superior being the sister of the General?
8. The military authorities ? with the serious style, comic style?
9. An amusing film with the atmosphere of the '50s?
