Product Details

• Actors: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Joan Collins, Jack Carson, Dwayne Hickman
• Directors: Leo McCarey
• Writers: Leo McCarey, Claude Binyon, George Axelrod, Max Shulman
• Producers: Leo McCarey
• Format: PAL
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00008T23H
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #553,560 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fox classics from the '50s and '60s, October 25, 2010

By 

notoriousEIC - See all my reviews

This review is from: Classic Quad: Set 15 (Move Over, Darling / O. Henry's Full House / On the Riviera / Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!) (DVD)

This is something of an odd set: three comedies about love triangles ... and O. Henry's Full House. The films do all share a connection to literature, however, and they all deliver in the entertainment department. Each film is pressed on a separate disc and includes many special features. Great set for anyone looking to build a classic film library.

Move Over, Darling (1963/Color/103 minutes/Widescreen)

Doris Day, James Garner and Polly Bergen star in this screwball comedy about a woman who comes back from the dead on the very day that her husband remarries. Special features include a featurette on the film's well-documented production ordeals, a featurette on the careers of Doris Day and Marilyn Monroe (who was originally cast in the film), an interview with Polly Bergen, the second (and only surviving) part of the silent film based on the poem that inspired the story, Enoch Arden, a restoration comparison, several original trailers, a photo gallery and trailers for other Doris Day films.

O. Henry's Full House (1952/B&W/118 minutes/Fullscreen)

This memorable movie features five short films based on the works of seminal American author O. Henry, each one introduced by the great John Steinbeck. The film is loaded with a cast of Fox's biggest contract stars, such as Marilyn Monroe, Charles Laughton, Jeanne Crain, Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, Anne Baxter, Fred Allen and more, while a different director from Fox's great stable helms each segment. Special features include two silent films based on other O. Henry works, a commentary track, a documentary on the life and writings of O. Henry, a featurette on the O. Henry museum, the original exhibitor's campaign book, a still gallery and a restoration comparison.

On The Riviera (1951/Color/90 minutes/Fullscreen)

Danny Kaye shines in two roles in this comedic musical, first as a famous nightclub impersonator and then as the famous aviator-industrialist he's paid to impersonate. Gene Tierney and Corinne Calvet co-star. Special features include a featurette on the history and making of the film, a documentary on the life and many works of Danny Kaye, a featurette on choreographer Jack Cole, a restoration comparison, the theatrical trailer and still galleries.

Rally 'Round The Flag, Boys! (1958/Color/107 minutes/Widescreen)

Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Joan Collins star in this comedy about sexually frustrated suburban couples dealing with family and community turmoil. Special features include a commentary track, an animated photo gallery, a restoration comparison, the original trailer, an interactive pressbook, an advertising gallery and a vintage press release.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Newmans are reduced to grimacing, exaggerated gestures and extreme over-reactions..., February 10, 2009

By 

Roberto Frangie "Robert" (Leon, Gto. Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (DVD)

Playing his first comedy in "Rally, 'Round the Flag, Boys!" Newman was in the expert hands of Leo McCarey, who had directed Laurel and Hardy, W.C. Fields and the Marx Brothers...

The Newmans are hard1y in that class, and the film is one of McCarey's lesser efforts, but it's often a refreshing reminder of thirties screwball farce as well as a frequently incisive satire on suburban life...

Newman is a typical Connecticut commuter with a good job in Manhattan, whose wife (Woodward) spends all her time in community affairs, leaving him frustrated, and whose two sons are so hypnotized by television they hard1y notice him--so he escapes with alcohol and daydreams...

When the Army schedules a top secret base for their town, the couple are on opposing sides: she heads the protest committee; he, a reserve officer, is "drafted" as public relations man to win over the town... Their marriage really goes downhill when she catches him in a compromising (but innocent) situation with a sexy neighbor (Joan Collins).

Newman is often charming, but generally, in a role Jack Lemmon would have walked through, he overacts outrageously, trying so hard to be funny...

Truly, some of the gags situations are forced, as when the drunken Newman and Collins dance the Cha Cha, swing on chandeliers, and fall down stairs; or when Newman is caught, literally with his pants down, turning away the predatory Collins and trying to explain to the outraged Woodward... But even Rock Hudson and Doris Day would have made something of these scenes... The Newmans are reduced to grimacing, exaggerated gestures and extreme over-reactions...

The Newmans were still young, but they played such older-generation types that a teenaged couple (Dwayne Hickman and Tuesday Weld) were added for the younger audience...

Incredibly, Hickman, who does an inventive caricature of an American teenager, plays it as Marlon Brando! Imitating Brando's "Wild One" performance, he mumbles, stutters, and ambles about with the familiar anguished look...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A clever sexual comedy made during the tough Hollywood censorship years in America. Overall, a fun and entertaining film!, May 24, 2011

By 

Dennis A. Amith (kndy) (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (DVD)

Max Shulman was one of America's popular writers and humorists known for Dobie Gillis and when it came to novels, many of his work received film adaptations. One of them was "Rally Round the Flag, Boys!", film that would star Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Joan Collins and Jack Charson.

Directing the film would be the very popular Leo McCarey ("An Affair to Remember", "Going My Way", "Duck Soup", "Make Way For Tomorrow"), who co-wrote the screenplay with Claude Binyon ("Holiday Inn", "This is the Army", "Pepe").

The film would be one of the few to feature husband and wife Newman and Woodward and for the role of Angela Hoffa, Jane Mansfield was being considered for the role but the Newman's put their support behind actress Joan Collins who was eventually hired and made a big impression, showcasing her physical comedy and sexuality.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Rally `Round the Flag, Boys!", Twentieth Century Fox not only released a remastered version of the film on DVD but also released the "Joan Collins Collection" 5-DVD box set featuring the following films: "Rally `Round the Flag, Boys!"(1958), "The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing" (1955), "Sea Wife" (1957), "Seven Thieves" (1960) and "Stopover Tokyo" (1957).

"Rally Round the Flag, Boys!" is a sexual comedy which takes place in the fictional town of Putnam's Landing.

For PR specialist and constantly commuting, Harry Bannerman (played by Paul Newman), he just wants some alone time with his beautiful but busy and active wife Grace Bannerman (played by Joanne Woodward). He wants to block out any time that he can to relieve his sexual frustration but with two children and an activist wife, she is too busy to make the time for him.

While coming home one day, Harry gets a ride from his equally frustrated neighbor, Angela Hoffa (played by Joan Collins), who has a husband that works in the entertainment industry. But where most men are captured and hooked by Angela's beauty, her husband is too busy for her. So, Angela begins to fancy Harry and try to ask him hypothetical questions about their marriage and if he would go for someone like her. After a short while of flirting, Harry comes to his senses about wanting to be with his wife and children.

But while Harry tries to find an open date for his wife and get that alone time, as the two go to a city council meeting, the big topic in Putnam's Landing is how the military is planning a top secret mission to the area. The women of Putnam's Landing are against the military coming to their town and possibly corrupting the single daughters in town. So, as the town decides to put their support against the military, the council wants Grace to be in charge of the project.

This angers Harry because he wants alone time and now this latest project will take more time off the busy housewife as it is.

Once again very busy, Grace asks her neighbor Angela to give Harry a ride home. Angela knows now is a good time for her to put her sexuality out there and see if she can charm her way into getting closer to Harry. The two neighbors have a hilarious time and even moreso as Harry, frustrated about his wife, gets drunk. Even going so far to telling Angela how frustrated he is. Knowing the details of what Harry really needs, Angela wants to ease his sexual frustration.

As Harry travels on the job and goes to pitch his PR skills to General Thorwald (played by Gale Gordon), he quickly doesn't get along with the idiotic Captain Hoxie (played by Jack Carson). Harry was able to make his pitch to represent the military and so, his trip to visit Thorwald seems to be a positive meeting.

When Harry gets back to his hotel, he is told that Mrs. Bannerman is waiting for him inside their hotel room. Surprised and happy, Harry is excited that his wife has come all the way to see him and now they can have some quality alone time. But when he gets to his hotel room, waiting for him is Angela Hoffa.

Shocked to see Angela waiting for him, he knows that he must stop her before they go too far. But when Angela pulls out a bottle of the perfume (which drives Harry crazy...), she asks for Harry to open the bottle and in the process, spills the perfume on his jacket and on the front of his pants. Harry has no choice but to take off his pants and wait for the perfume to dry.

Meanwhile, Harry tries to tell Angela to get dressed and leave the hotel room and while Angela is getting dressed, surprising Harry is a visit by his wife Grace.

Grace agrees that the two need some alone time together and as she is ready to put on her nighty, out of the bathroom comes Angela, dancing for Harry. Now Grace thinks her husband and Angela are having an affair.

Now Harry's marriage to Grace is in shambles and as much as Harry tries to explain to her that it was a mistake, Grace doesn't want to listen.

The following day, as the military is about to come to Putnam's Landing, Grace Bannerman leads the charge with other mothers to prevent the military from coming in to town. And each time the media focuses on Grace, she comes out looking better than the moronic Lt. Hoxie. Knowing that Lt. Hoxie is making the military look bad, General Thorwald had no choice but to hire Harry for the PR job and to fix the problem.

As Lt. Hoxie and his men try to think up a plan to defeat the picketing women who are blocking the entrance to town, Hoxie decides to take the truck and drive through the picketers. But it was all a setup and Lt. Hoxie ends up crashing his vehicle in the water.

With a big PR mes now on their shoulder, fortunately the military has Harry Bannerman, while Putman's Landing has Grace Bannerman. Thus setting a confrontation between the once happily in-love couple.

It's a battle of the sexes and a battle between husband and wife. With Grace so upset with Harry for having an alleged affair with Angela, she definitely wants to win against her husband.

But with Harry is wanting to be close to her and the kids and wanting to work with Grace in a compromise that will help both the military and the people of Putnam's Landing. Meanwhile, Angela Hoffa still wants Harry and she will do whatever it takes to get close to him.

Which side will end up winning?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Rally `Round the Flag, Boys!" is presented in widescreen (2:35:1). I have to admit that I was pretty happy to find out that 20th Century Fox put in the time to remaster the film and remove as many speckles as possible. For a film that is over 50-years-old, the film look absolutely great! In fact, because the colors are vibrant and the overall picture quality was cleaned up, I could only hope that this film is considered for a Blu-ray release.

I was doing a few tests, especially during the more motion-based scenes and was expecting to see some interlacing but fortunately, there are none. Overall, picture quality on DVD is very good but this film deserves a Blu-ray release!

As for audio, "Rally `Round the Flag, Boys!" is presented in English 4.0 Dolby Surround and Spanish and French mono. The film is pretty much a dialogue-driven film and I don't really recall hearing the surround channels fully utilized but the film is primarily center and front channel-driven and sounds very good. Dialogue is clear and even the music soundtrack is very good. I detected no hissing or crackle during my viewing of the film.

As for subtitles, the film is presented with English and Spanish subtitles and the film also has closed captions.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Rally `Round the Flag, Boys!" comes with the following special features:

- Commentary by Author and Film Historian Aubrey Solomon - An insightful audio commentary by film historian Aubrey Solomon who talks about the challenges of filming certain scenes during the years of censorship.
- Animated Photo Gallery - (3:55) Featuring a photo and video montage from behind-the-scenes of Joan Collins from "Rally `Round the Flag, Boys!".
- Restoration Comparison - (2:24) Featuring a comparison of video of the 1997 unprocessed HD remaster and the improved version that underwent a visual improvement processing pass to reduce smaller dirt and film blemishes.
- Original Theatrical Trailer- (3:28) The original theatrical trailer featuring an introduction by Bob Hope and Leo McCarey.
- Interactive Pressbook - Featuring a series of still images which can be viewed and selected via remote.
- Advertising Gallery - A series of advertising still images which people can navigate via remote.
- Vintage Press Release - A series of press release still images which people can navigate via remote.

EXTRAS:

"Rally `Round the Flag, Boys! (as part of the "Joan Collins Collection")" comes with four lobby cards featuring still images from the film.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Rally `Round the Flag, Boys!" is a sexual comedy which had a storyline that needed to be clever.

For director Leo McCarey, it was his job to maintain 1950's wholesomeness under the strict rules of the censorship group and of course, to dilute any references of sexual innuendo as much as possible. But while the film never gets blatantly sexual, Joan Collins knew how to bring sexiness to her role. May it be her in a bathtub with only her legs showing or her seductive flirtation, it may not seem so much today, but for many years, Hollywood studios in America had to abide by strict rules and to not showcase anything immoral or deviant.

We know that Harry is one heck of a horny husband who wants to have sex with his wife. Of course, the film... Read more ›