The Mad Ball

[pathfinder505]

I watched an old movie this morning called "The Mad Ball". It was being shown on Turner Classics. It was great. I had never seen this movie. It was a combination of MASH, McHale's Navy and Sgt. Bilko. It may be where the idea of MASH came from. It was just full of old TV and movie stars. The setting was in Europe during the closing days of WWII at a Field hospital.

[ehrentitle]

My Wife is an old movie buff and TiVo'ed it. I saw her watching it and got sucked in. Quite interesting. I remember seeing bits a pieced of it many, many years ago, but never the entire movie.

[ehrentitle]

The setting was in Europe during the closing days of WWII at a Field hospital.

 

In a nutshell it's a film about how a private who has avoid promotion uses his considerable influence and contacts to arrange a ball in a local establishment where the enlisted men can fraternize with the nurses. In the film I believe the war in Europe had ended. It's set in a US Hospital unit in France.

[pathfinder505]

I missed the first part but want to see complete movie. I believe the officer who wanted to be a politician had prevented the corporal (Darrin II from the show Bewitched - I think he was Dick Sergent) from getting a promotion and he got EVEN!

[36-tex]

FUNNY! I was watching that as well this morning. Neat movie!

[pathfinder505]

I was wrong previously in saying Dick Sergent, it was Dick York. Here is the info from wikipedia. It was released as Operation Mad Ball

 

 

Operation Mad Ball

Directed by Richard Quine

Produced by Jed Harris

Written by Arthur Carter

Starring Jack Lemmon

Kathryn Grant

Ernie Kovacs

Mickey Rooney

Dick York

Arthur O'Connell

Music by George Duning

Cinematography Charles Lawton Jr.

Editing by Charles Nelson

Distributed by Columbia Pictures

Release date(s) August 17, 1957

Running time 105 min.

Country United States

Language English

Operation Mad Ball is a madcap 1957 military comedy starring Jack Lemmon, Kathryn Grant, Ernie Kovacs, Dick York, Arthur O'Connell, and Mickey Rooney and directed by Richard Quine.

Plot

Private Hogan (Jack Lemmon) does not believe that such a blue-stocking can be good-looking, but the first sight of lovely dietetic nurse lieutenant Betty Bixby (Kathryn Grant) sets him right. When he picks her cigarette-lighter up and puts his weapon aside he is surprísed by security officer Paul Locke (Ernie Kovacs) who sees instantly red and threatens him with court-martial, execution and anything else that came to mind. Locke is sadistic, choleric, malicious and pompous, but, much to Hogan's relief, not as smart as himself. Soon, Hogan plans to organise a ball with all the prettiest nurses and his fellow soldiers. Hogan and Cpl. Bohun (Dick York) go to through all sorts of mishap to make sure that the secret mad ball goes ahead.

 

Hogan uses a general's X-ray and pretends that the X-ray belongs to him. The X-ray shows several problems and Hogan wins the sympathy of the beautiful lieutenant Betty Bixby, whom he wants to take to the ball. Hogan claims to be suffering from heartburn and an ulcer in his X-ray. Betty thinks that this would be the cause of alcohol and tobacco. Every time Betty sees Hogan, she clearly shows that she is smitten with the handsome soldier. But when Betty finds out that the X-ray doesn't belong to Hogan, she falls out with him, leaving both Betty and Hogan secretly sad to have lost each other.

 

On the night of the ball, each soldier has been paired with their pretty nurse, except Hogan. He waits for her, hoping that she has forgiven him. But he ends up going to the ball on his own. But when he arrives, he sees Betty with the Colonel (Arthur O'Connell). She takes off her long coat to reveal a pretty dress and her lieutenant's hat to reveal her real woman, as throughout the movie, she resists Hogan's strong advances and convinces herself that she's a lieutenant and has no time for boys. But at the end, she shares the last dance with Hogan.

 

Memorable Quotes

Private Hogan: Just imagine a pretty nurse, lying in your arms and the music is playing. And you've got to work nights.

 

(Lt. Betty Bixbee is feeling Hogan's chest after he claims to be ill.)

Betty Bixbee: And where's the pathway to your symptoms?

Private Hogan: Ooh, it's like a chestnut tree!

 

Betty Bixbee: Have you had any other symptoms since I saw you this morning?

Private Hogan: A few, around the heart.

 

(Betty Bixbee is explaining to Hogan what he must do to "feel better".)

Betty Bixbee: No running, no tobacco, no liquor, no emotional excitement...

 

Cast

Jack Lemmon as Private Hogan

Kathryn Grant as Lt. Betty Bixbee

Ernie Kovacs as Captain Locke

Dick York as Cpl. Bohun

Arthur O'Connell as Col. Rousch

Mickey Rooney as Sergeant Yancy Skibo

Jeanne Manet as Madame LaFour

James Darren as Private Widowskas

Roger Smith as Corporal Berryman

William Leslie as Private Grimes

Sheridan Comerate as Sergeant Wilson

Marilyn Hanold as Lieutenant Tweedy

Betsy Jones-Moreland as Lt. Bushey (uncredited)

[fortworthgal]

We turned this on the other night after seeing it listed on the guide, and I was hoping to catch glimpses of some women's uniforms. Not much luck! I saw a few minutes of one female in a uniform, and then quite a few of ladies in civilian attire. Hmm. I couldn't really figure out the plot - it was just kind of a 60s madcap thing going on. Maybe if I saw the entire movie I'd have a better opinion.

[kjones5452]

We turned this on the other night after seeing it listed on the guide, and I was hoping to catch glimpses of some women's uniforms. Not much luck! I saw a few minutes of one female in a uniform, and then quite a few of ladies in civilian attire. Hmm. I couldn't really figure out the plot - it was just kind of a 60s madcap thing going on. Maybe if I saw the entire movie I'd have a better opinion.

I've always liked Jack Lemmon but this was one I couldn't get into.