The Girl He Left Behind (1956)

I only watched because I adore Natalie Wood. It turns out she was the only bright spot in the movie. The Mom was very funny and uncomfortably overbearing. As for Tab Hunter he was so wooden it was hard to watch.

The title of this film was probably designed to draw in teens who might want to see another romance starring Natalie Wood and Tab Hunter. The film has two taglines. One of them is "A couple of teenagers and their kiss-and-run battle!" However, the other tagline is more appropriate: "It's the Big Happy Look at the New-Look Peace-Time Army!" In truth, this is another of those "recruiting ad" films that were made with the blessings of the U.S. military.The story does start with the relationship between Andy Shaeffer (Hunter) and Susan Daniels (Wood)--a strikingly good-looking college couple. He sponges off his mother and she holds down a job while attending school. He picks her up at her answering service job, then they go to the local burger drive-in and "inspiration point", where she berates him for his lack of ambition.All the while, a voice-over narrates the action. You can tell it's meant to be a comedy by his tone. In fact, the narrator is Daws Butler, the voice of Huckleberry Hound and countless other cartoon characters.Before you know it, Andy is drafted (in peacetime) because of the various flaws in his nature, and the army makes a responsible citizen of him.There are many notable actors in this film, some who are rather new to the big screen. Although Natalie was a veteran, Tab was a relative newcomer, but ready for the studio's star treatment. The two of them had just filmed "The Burning Hills" and demonstrated some chemistry, but they probably would have been paired in this film regardless.James Garner--a newcomer--plays one of Andy's fellow soldiers. So does veteran actor Henry Jones, who had just filmed his amazing performance in "The Bad Seed", which had probably not yet made its impact. Newcomer Alan King also shares the same barracks. Veterans David Jansen and Jim Backus play superior officers. Backus had just starred with Natalie in "Rebel Without a Cause" the previous year. Andy's stint in the army is troubled, but the army in this film is kinder and gentler, and this is a comedy, right? So one scene is adequate to tame Andy's inner demons and he transforms (by the good graces of Army training) into a believer.If you can tolerate the message of this film, it is worth watching just to see the two stars and the others who will have very successful careers of their own.

Spoiled rich kid (Hunter) is drafted into the army where he creates problems.For about a ten-year period from the smash-hit Mr. Roberts (1955) to the deepening involvement in Vietnam, Hollywood produced a spate of service comedies, including this one. These were movies trading on the lighter side of military service. They existed in what might be called the triumphant after-glow of WWII, and perhaps as a way of further forgetting that awkward war in Korea. Of course, Hollywood being Hollywood, liberties with real military service were taken, sometimes in wholesale lots. Nonetheless, comedies like Mr. Roberts, Operation Mad Ball (1957), Operation Petticoat (1959) were genuinely funny and harmless entertainment unless taken seriously.Few people, I expect, remember this entry and for good reason—it's not even amusing, let alone funny. Which means for one thing that folks familiar with Basic Training are not apt to overlook the many liberties taken, as other reviewers detail. Clearly, Warner Bros. intended the movie as a vehicle for its younger players, probably hoping for chemistry between Hunter and Wood. And that's the trouble. Hunter simply lacks the skills for what's actually a rather difficult role. Shaeffer needs to be not just arrogant, but also likable at some level. Unfortunately, Hunter's Pvt. Shaeffer is just obnoxious without the redeeming qualities that a Jack Lemmon or a Tony Curtis, for example, could have managed. And since Hunter's miscasting is in about every scene, the movie is more unpleasant than anything else. Wood's role as the girlfriend is clearly secondary to Hunter's, and one most any young actress less talented could have handled. But at least, the movie's a payday for such fine supporting players as Jones, Janssen, and especially the arch Murray Hamilton whose platoon sergeant is made to suffer indignities from a trainee no real sergeant would put up with. I'm just sorry Jim Garner wasn't young enough to bring his superb light-comedy skills to the lead role. Then the movie might have worked.

First saw this movie in 1965 the night before marksmanship qualification at Parris Island, I suspect that the reason they showed it to us is so that we could react to the slogan on the sign at the 11th Infantry's Headquarters. Yes, it was "Semper Fidelis"! The whole theater erupted each time that was shown. We also enjoyed the Sergeant's "Your behinds are grass, and I'm the lawnmower" because it was one of our DI's favorites; although with more colorful mode of expression.The movie itself was hilarious in its badness (except for Natalie Wood). We could not fathom anyone getting away with the crap that Tab Hunter's "Andy" was dishing; not even in the Army! The less said about Andy's 'heroics', the better.As for the romantic aspects, it was clear to all of us that Hunter's interest was not in Wood. No one (especially an actor as bad as Tab Hunter) could be within a mile of Natalie Wood and pretend such indifference. Even a great actor could not be indifferent.A nice piece of big studio fluff that is too bad to get made today.