CAUGHT IN THE DRAFT
US, 1941, 81 minutes, Black and white.
Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Lynn Overman, Eddie Bracken, Clarence Kolb.
Directed by David Butler.
Caught in the Draft has the atmosphere World War II about it, but it was made prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Later it would have served as a comic contribution to morale boosting, life in the Army, service.
As it is, it is a star vehicle for Bob Hope at the beginning of his screen career, making several of the Road to films of the time, this one preceding Nothing but the Truth.
The plotline is obvious enough for Bob Hope comedy, his vanity, the cowardly streak, the lecherous touches and innuendo (at a PG rating level). He appears as a popular film star, encounters the daughter of a colonel, Dorothy Lamour, rather the opposite of her typical characters. He is attracted to her and, when the draft is announced, tries to avoid it by getting flat feet but decides to propose to her and marry her and so avoid the draft.
There are various complications, satire about the vain film star, his cowardly attitudes, his interaction with his loyal agent, Lynn Overman, and Bert, Eddie Bracken as his chauffeur.
In trying to organise avoiding the draft, he actually is drafted and there follows the expected army camp comedy routines, accidents with tanks, peeling hundred of potatoes, defying The colonel, wooing Tony. Usually Dorothy Lamour finishes up with Bing Crosby, especially in the Road films, but here, as in They Got Me Covered, she finishes up with Hope!
1. The film in the context of World War II? The war in Europe by 1941? But released four months before Pearl Harbor? American morale boosting?
2. Bob Hope comedy in his early years of screen comedies? His persona, vanity, cowardly, the touch of the PG lecherous? The reality of Bob Hope’s career in entertaining the troops in so many wars?
3. The war film, Bob Hope for half a minute as heroic? Then his collapse, hating gunfire, interrupting the filming? Don and his status as a movie star, popularity? His constant working with his agent, their repartee, loyalty, fixing things? His working with Bert, friendship, loyalty, driving, repartee?
4. Antoinette, coming to the studio, with her colonel father, Don’s infatuation, coming on to Tony, the make up man and the colonel? Tony and the explosion, Don falling into the mud?
5. Don, popular, autographs, womaniser? The news of the draft, the age limit? Scheming how to get out of the draft, wanting flat feet and jumping to the floor? The decision about marrying, before the official Senate passing of the law, looking at all the photos, the rejections? Choosing Tony? The dates, the outings, the discussions? Her realising the truth?
6. The scheme to get the actor to impersonate the recruiting officer? The real officer not having time off? Don arriving, going through the motions, persuading Tony, her accompanying him? His signing himself away? Realisation of the truth?
7. Tony, ups and downs with the relationship, her seeing through him, yet liking him? The hostility of her father?
8. The Army camp comedy, Don and his presumptions, his agent and chauffeur with him, awkward with the guns, with the timetable, the drills, his being photographed and the newsreels, the colonel and his hostility? The job and driving the tank, the comedy and awkwardness, the chauffeur and his picking up the girl, crashing into the colonel’s car? The transition to them peeling potatoes? So many potatoes?
9. His going to the house, letting off the colonel’s adjutant, with Tony in the bedroom, the colonel’s arrival?
10. Don going on duty, without his clothes, the plan to put them on, Bert and Margie and their help, the room, the nurses coming in to change, the clothes taken to the laundry, Margie rescuing them, hiding in the infirmary, the jokes with castor oil, the threats of the colonel, Tony intervening, getting back on time?
11. The final battle, sent out of harm’s way, Bert changing the roadsigns, Tony arriving, the Army going into the firing line, her riding the horse, Don on the horse, desperation, stopping the advance?
12. And the promotion for all three, the congratulations of the colonel, the wedding – and not having two dollars?
