Rally Round the Flag, Boys!
| Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Leo McCarey |
| Written by | Max Shulman (novel) Claude Binyon (screenplay) |
| Produced by | Leo McCarey |
| Starring | Paul Newman Joanne Woodward Joan Collins |
| Narrated by | David Hedison |
| Cinematography | Leon Shamroy |
| Edited by | Louis R. Loeffler |
| Music by | Cyril J. Mockridge |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date | December 23, 1958 |
Running time | 106 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! is a 1958 film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Max Shulman, directed by Leo McCarey, starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, and released by 20th Century Fox. The title comes from a line in the song "Battle Cry of Freedom".
Plot summary
Set in the fictional town of Putnam's Landing, Commuter Harry Bannerman (Newman) is slowly going insane because of his wife Grace (Woodward), who insists on attending every civic committee meeting. When the government selects their town for their new missile base, Grace joins a committee to stop it.
Harry is made the liaison for the military, and Grace's activities cause him no end of trouble. Added to the dilemma is Angela Hoffa (Collins) whose efforts to get Harry for herself lead to dizzying recriminations and misunderstandings.
Cast
- Paul Newman as Harry Bannerman
- Joanne Woodward as Grace Bannerman
- Joan Collins as Angela Hoffa
- Jack Carson as Captain Hoxie
- Tuesday Weld as Comfort Goodpasture
- Dwayne Hickman as Grady Metcalf, Comfort's suitor
- Gale Gordon as General Thorwald
- Tom Gilson as Corporal Opie
- O.Z. Whitehead as Isaac Goodpasture, Comfort's Father
Production
Production on Rally Round the Flag, Boys! started in mid-June 1958 and ended in mid-August. The role of Captain Hoxie was originally going to be portrayed by Paul Douglas, but was taken over by Jack Carson after Douglas ended up being ill, according to a July 1958 The Hollywood Reporter news item.
A March 1958 item noted that New York-born actor Mickey Shaughnessy was set for a featured role, however, he did not appear in the film. A Daily Variety news item says that in March 1958, Buddy Adler was set to produce the movie, and was considering the film to star Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr and William Holden.
Release
Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! first premiered in New York City theatres on December 23, 1958. The film was later released nationwide in February of 1959.
Awards
Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! was nominated for the Golden Laurel Awards held on September 23, 1959 and received 4th place for both Top Comedy Female Performance (Joanne Woodward) and Top Comedy. Director Leo McCarey was later nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award in 1960 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures for Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!.