NEVER WAVE AT A WAC
US, 1952, 82 minutes, Black and white.
Rosalind Russell, Paul Douglas, Marie Wilson, William Ching, Arleen Whelan, Leif Erickson, Hillary Brooke, Charles Dingle, Lurene Tuttle, Frieda Inescourt, Louise Beavers, General Omar N Bradley as himself.
Directed by Norman Z. Mc Leod.
Never Wave at a WAC is an entertaining film of the early 1950s – a screwball comedy with a touch of overt patriotism at the end. It also precedes Private Benjamin by thirty years – and one can see that Private Benjamin is just a variation on this theme.
Rosalind Russell enjoys herself as a Washington society divorcee who plans to marry again, defy her senator father, and decides also to join the WACs. Her father engineers that she get no privileges (not even from General Omar N. Bradley appearing as himself) and has to start from the bottom. She makes friends with Marie Wilson (who had been in the My Friend Irma films) who is also romancing Leif Erickson as the sergeant. Paul Douglas is her estranged husband who is still in love with her but finds her exasperating – and spoils her own chances by making her participate in equipment testing.
All very light – and directed by Norman Z. Mc Leod, a World War One pilot, who directed many films from the 20s, many of them small-budget and B-standard. However, from 1946 to 1954 he directed a number of successful films like Danny Kaye in The Kid From Brooklyn and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Bob Hope in Road to Rio, The Paleface and Casanova’s Big Night and My Favourite Spy as well as Fred Astaire and Betty Hutton in Let’s Dance.
1.Popular entertainment of the 1950s? The society girl who joins the armed forces and struggles? The patriotic touches?
2.Black and white photography, Washington and society, the military training centres? The musical score?
3.The title, the screwball comedy tone?
4.Jo Mc Bain, in the society whirl, knowing everyone, the hostess, charities, dinners? Her love for her father but his control over her? Her wanting to marry Sky? Andrew and his turning up at the party, causing a fuss? Her antagonism towards him? Divorce? Her wanting to go to Paris, the suggestion that she become a WAC?
5.The progress of Jo in the WACs, her arrival, stuck-up attitude, the car, wealth, expectations, General Bradley giving her privileges? The chain of command and finding that she was to have no privileges? With the other women, her friendship with Clara? The details of the training? Andrew and his selecting her to be part of the team to test the equipment, the clothing – especially for the Arctic? His thwarting her going out with Sky? Her exasperation, her attitude towards the officials? Her wanting to leave? Her leaving, finding that her heart was in the WACs, Clara, the return? Her staying in the WACs?
6.Andrew, genial, friendly with Jo, the divorce, her exasperation with him? His writing, reputation, testing equipment? The contracts, the tests, his finding Jo, including her? His meanness in preventing her seeing Sky? The ultimate reunion?
7.Clara, as Danger O’ Dowd, in the clubs? Her joining the WACs, being more intelligent than she sounded? Supporting Jo? The interactions with the sergeant? The happy ending for her?
8.The personnel, the chain of command, their dealing with Jo, exasperation with her, testing her?
9.The political background, the senator, his wanting to teach his daughter a lesson and make her a better woman? His supporting Andrew? The other members of the household, Lily Mae and Artamesa and their looking after Jo?
10.The humour in army and military service films, the training, the good fellowship, the patriotism?
