THE LIEUTENANT WORE SKIRTS
US, 1956, 99 minutes, Colour.
Tom Ewell, Sheree North, Rita Moreno, Rick Jason.
Directed by Frank Tashlin.
The Lieutenant Wore Skirts is slight pleasant entertainment, a typical enough example of '50s comedy. Tom Ewell was an excellent, if underused, comedian. He was excellent in such films as Adam's Rib and The Seven Year Itch (with an 'in' joke during this film where a girl acts seductively with reference to the film - with Ewell's character saying offhandedly that he never saw that movie). Sheree North, who had a brief career as a dancer and comedienne but was later to be a very strong character actress in films and telemovies, is the leading lady.
Writing and direction is by former cartoonist Frank Tashlin who was to make his mark in Hollywood films with Martin and Lewis vehicles and, then, especially working with Jerry Lewis. His films are better appreciated if they are seen as cinema versions of his cartooning. The film has quite attractive production values including Cinemascope photography.
1. An entertaining comedy? With the musical touch? A live action cartoon? Topical comedy of the '50s? In retrospect?
2. The work of Frank Tashlin - his comic strip background, delineation of characters, caricatures? Comic situations? Verbal comedy? Farcical situations, misunderstandings?
3. Cinemascope photography, colour? American locations? Overseas locations? Hawaii? The American lifestyle, the military lifestyle? The comic touches? Musical themes?
4. The humour about the services? The aftermath of World War Two and its memories, especially for Gregory? His getting older? The next group of American soldiers and their experience of Korea? The younger men of the mid-50s and their attitudes towards the World War Two veterans? The women and their involvement in the war? Call-up, loyalty? Getting out of the call-up? Becoming enmeshed in the system? The basis for many service comedies?
5. Tom Ewell's style as Gregory? As seen through his wife's eyes? His skill in writing? His living in the past and his memories? Devotion to his wife? Clashes with his agent? His potential for jealousy? His being called up - and his physical disability, psychosomatic reaction? The interview with the younger men and his getting out of the call-up? His reaction to Kathy's enlisting? His loneliness without her, his advice from the agent, his observation of his girlfriends and their freedom of his apartment? Going to Hawaii? The embarrassment to his wife and the humorous focus on role reversal? His decision to do a 'Gaslight' on her and drive her mad? The psychiatrist seeing through it? His humiliation and reconciliation?
6. Kathy as the commentator on the action - attractiveness, explanation of her husband's affair, unhappy marriage? Her reaction to his being called up? The attentions of the younger officer? Gregory's behaviour at the party and her having to cope? Her decision to enlist and her not being able to get out of it? Farewells, going to Hawaii? Her taking on the man's role in the traditional sense? The jokes about husbands and wives and her reaction to Gregory's playing Bridge with the girls? Her not understanding him, her reaction to his blowing the bugle, waking her up during the night etc.? Her anger with him? Final reconciliation?
7. The portrait of the 'with it' agent, his bachelor apartment, philosophy of being a bachelor, the girls sharing his refrigerator etc.? His coming to Hawaii ? and his marrying? The girlfriends ? and the skit on Marilyn Monroe's style in The Seven Year Itch?
8. Role reversals and the 50s, women taking men's places, men accepting women's work? The jokes about cards with the girls, cooking and aprons etc.?
9. The device of trying to drive his wife mad and get her discharged and the traditional way of getting her discharged, her pregnancy?
10. A pleasant comedy, American comic styles of the '50s, traditional values and their gently being satirised?
