Private's Progress (1956)

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The Boulting Brothers enjoyed one of their biggest box-office successes of the 1950s with the wry service comedy Private's Progress. Though billed fourth, Ian Carmichael plays the central character, feckless British soldier Stanley Windrush. Interrupting his college education to serve his country,… More The Boulting Brothers enjoyed one of their biggest box-office successes of the 1950s with the wry service comedy Private's Progress. Though billed fourth, Ian Carmichael plays the central character, feckless British soldier Stanley Windrush. Interrupting his college education to serve his country, Windrush flunks out of officer's candidate school and is demoted to private. Much of the humor arises from the bookish hero's confrontation with the ruder and cruder side of army life, as represented by rough-hewn fellow private Cox (Richard Attenborough). As Major Hitchcock, Terry-Thomas offers a brilliant parody of the "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" school of military service, while Dennis Price is equally amusing as a nonplussed commanding officer named Tracepurcel (!) Also worth watching is future "Dr. Who" star William Hartnell as a loudmouthed sergeant. Halfway through the film, the plot rears its ugly head as the protagonists become involved with the covert reclamation of art treasures confiscated by the Nazis during WW2. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 39 min.
Directed By: John Boulting
Written By: Frank Harvey, John Boulting
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 23, 1956 Wide
On DVD: Dec 22, 1998

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Eric B

This light, military comedy is an early hit from the Boulting brothers ("Brighton Rock," "Twisted Nerve," "The Family Way," "There's a Girl in My Soup," "Heavens Above!"). It may remind contemporary audiences of both "The… More
This light, military comedy is an early hit from the Boulting brothers ("Brighton Rock," "Twisted Nerve," "The Family Way," "There's a Girl in My Soup," "Heavens Above!"). It may remind contemporary audiences of both "The Phil Silvers Show" (contraband deals and get-rich scheming) and "Stripes" (a misfit stumbles through basic training, then joins a mettle-testing mission involving a quick sneak over enemy lines). And of course, it overlaps with its more famous sequel, "I'm All Right Jack." Peter Sellers is absent from "Private's Progress," but the film does star Ian Carmichael as the same privileged, clumsily apologetic twit seen in "Jack." Multiple other actors also play repeat roles, including Terry-Thomas, Dennis Price, Kenneth Griffith and Richard Attenborough (such a sharp presence, and always so hard to connect with his later persona as a prestigious director). Oddly, the cast also includes an uncredited Christopher Lee in a small part as a German officer. The film could use a better villain -- the camp's ineffectual commanders are so wishy-washy that their dealings with the soldiers are short on comic sparks. The script also has less of the punchy social satire that distinguishes "Heavens Above!" and "I'm All Right Jack," which is unfortunate. It's mostly about gentle laughs and good fun, though a deadpan prologue about military bureaucracy scores some direct hits.

Cast

            Richard Attenborough as Pvt. Cox

            Dennis Price as Brigadier Bertram Tracepurcel

            Terry-Thomas as Maj. Hitchcock

            Ian Carmichael as Stanley Windrush

            Peter Jones as Egan

            William Hartnell as Sgt. Sutton

            Thorley Walters as Capt. Bootle

            Jill Adams as Prudence Greenslade

            Ian Bannen as Pvt. Horrocks

            Victor Maddern as Pvt. George Blake

            Kenneth Griffith as Pvt. Dai Jones

            John Warren as Sgt.-Maj. Gradwick

            George Coulouris as Padre

            Derrick De Marney as Pat

            David King-Wood as Gerald

            Miles Malleson as Mr. Windrush

            Ronald Adam
            
            Nicholas Bruce
            
            Robert Bruce
            
            Basil Dignam
            
            Eynon Evans
            
            Glyn Houston
            
            Lloyd Lamble
            
            Ludwig Lawinski
            
            John Le Mesurier as Psychiatrist

            Christopher Lee
            
            David Lodge
            
            Jack McNaughton
            
            Henry Oscar
            
            Brian Oulton
            
            Marianne Stone as Miss Sugden

            Michael Trubshawe as Col. Panshawe

            Michael Ward
            
            Lockwood West
            
            Frank Hawkins
            
            Theodore Zichy
            
            Henry Longhurst
            
See full cast