THE HORIZONTAL LIEUTENANT
US, 1961, 90 minutes, Colour.
Jim Hutton, Paul Prentiss, Jack Carter, Jim Backus, Charles Mc Graw, Myoshi Umeki.
Directed by Richard Thorpe.
The Horizontal Lieutenant is a slight comedy, given the star treatment, colour and Cinemascope, by MGM at the beginning of the 1960s. The film was directed by Richard Thorpe who had been directing MGM films since the 1930s, a wide range of genre films, especially with Robert Taylor.
Jim Hutton was emerging as a pleasant on-screen comedian but died early at the end of the 1970s. He made several films with Paul Prentiss, a strong comedian over the decades. There are several veteran character actors in support including Jim Backus as the commander, Charles Mc Graw as the Colonel, and Oscar-winning Myoshi Umeki (Sayonara).
Jim Hutton is a romantic lead, tall and gangly, and prone to all kind of pratfalls. Not good at baseball, he is transferred to an island where nothing is happening, with a quest to find a local who is stealing some of the luxury goods from the Americans. This leads to comic situations and some slapstick comedy. Echoes of Teahouse of the August Moon and Sayonara.
1. 1960s comedy? Surface comedy? Memories of World War II? Becoming more distant?
2. Hawaiian locations, the islands in the Pacific? Musical score?
3. The title, the story of Merle Wye? His narration and his ambitions visualised – but not in reality? At the baseball game, his being hit, carried away horizontal, in the hospital, remembering Molly, coming to, with Molly? Her nicknames, his memories of her?
4. His role in Intelligence, as assistant? The commander wanting him to go to another island because he was not good at baseball? His making a great deal out of the transfer? His learning the truth about it as dead-end? The discussions with Molly, his final evening, going to the club, flirting? Her discovering the truth about where he was going, walking out?
5. Molly, the past, friendship with Merle, as a nurse, her popularity? Attracted to Merle? Later transferred to the island, encountering him again, the off and on again relationship? His boasting and pretending? The picnic on the cliff, returning later, the real Kobayashi? Merle fighting and losing? Molly throwing the net? Success?
6. Merle, the commander and his cigar on the plane, the determination to capture Kobayashi? Not driving, crashing into the colonel’s office? Merle’s predecessor staying on? The interrogations, the translations, the drinking? The Colonel and his severity, urging Merle on?
7. Merle, his replacement, forcing him to drive, crashing into the Colonel’s office? Their relaxed way, the interrogations and the search?
8. The local Japanese Americans, helping, the man sent to be undercover, his glasses, conspicuous, friendship with Akiko, knowing the truth, the relationship?
9. Kobayashi, the stealing of the luxury goods, irritation to the Americans? Their quest?
10. The acrobatic performance? Trying to indicate to Merle and his friend that this was Kobayashi? Their obtuseness this? Finally going to question him, his knocking them out, the various pursuits, Merle finding him, the fight and his losing every round?
11. Molly, the men attracted to her, especially the Colonel? Finishing up with Merle?
