"Soldier In The Rain": A Review

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While this relatively plotless 1963 comedy-drama is nothing to brag
about in itself, what makes the film memorable (for me, at least) is
Jackie Gleason's superlative performance as Army MasterSgt Maxwell Slaughter.
It seems the role of an aging, overweight and fairly complacent career
NCOIC was tailor made for Gleason. OTOH, Steve McQueen overacts in his
role as a young supply Sgt, Eustis Clay, who idolizes Slaughter and attempts to get Slaughter to quit the service and go into a business venture
with him. It has been said that McQueen
instinctively realized that Gleason was stealing the show and over-reacted,
making himself look foolish in his comedic attempts.
Tuesday Weld also delivers a nice performance in another tailor made
role as pouty teenager, Bobby Jo Pepperdine, whom Gleason dates and inevitably forms a paternal attitude towards. Marvelous chemistry between
the two.
Tom Poston and pre-Batman, Adam West play small supporting roles as
Army superior officers.
Not much drama, but it is fascinating to watch Gleason actually bodyslam an adversary in a bar brawl! Besides the Gleason-Weld scenes,
the most memorable ones are the wistful monologues Gleason gives while
standing before a full-length mirror in his office, as they reveal poignant
insights into his character.
As I've said, the film meanders, not really going anywhere, so the
truncated ending doesn't surprise much. If you don't care much for
Gleason, you probably won't like "Soldier In The Rain" a lot. However,
if you are a Gleason fan, this film will be a delectable feast.
Directed by Ralph Gleason; script by Maurice Richlin and Blake Edwards;
based on a novel by William Goldman; muscial score by Henry Mancini; filmed
in B&W.
- AudioHead

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Topic - "Soldier In The Rain": A Review - AudioHead 13:34:06 09/21/99 (0)

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