Hawmps! (1976)

I described this movie to two older gentlemen I worked with, and when I told them the names of all the actors that were in it they were amazed and wondering why they hadn't ever seen it. You have James Hampton (F-Troop, The Longest Yard, Condorman, and many other shows), Christopher Connelly (Peyton Place), Slim Pickens (1941 + other various shows), Denver Pyle (The Waltons, Escape to Witch Mountain), Gene Conforti (Three's Company + other various shows), Jack Elam (Cannon Ball Run + other various shows - including a villain on F-Troop), and Herb Vigran - who you've seen in many shows as a very familiar face with an unknown name. This is a fantastic line-up of actors all doing a good job, with subtle and not-so-subtle humor abounding. (There is even a scene with Benji, Tiffany, and Frank Inn (Benji's trainer) in the bar fight.)Denver Pyle as Col. Seymour Hawkins: "What was that!?" James Hampton as Howard Clemmons: "That was a camel, sir!" Col. Hawkins: "No, the one with the - table cloth - on his head!? Howard Clemmons: "Oh, that was Hi-jolly, sir!"Fitzgerald (at the end of the movie): "Everyday I walk a mile for these camels" (A humorous play on words taken from an old advertising slogan for Camel cigarettes.)If you really want to just relax and have good laugh, you need to watch this - my son's (30 & 27) both like this one and it is so much fun!I own a decent copy on VHS that I bought through Avon years ago.

I love this movie. I know that it's not the greatest film ever made, but it's just so much fun. My older brother took me to see this when it came out in 1976. Ever since then, I've thought of this as "F Troop: The Movie." It even stars James Hampton, who was the bugler, Cpl. Dobbs, on "F Troop." It's a shame that Forrest Tucker, Larry Storch, and Ken Berry aren't in this film, but Christopher Connelly, Slim Pickens, Jack Elam, and Denver Pyle are always great...And when that band starts playing in the saloon, I laugh every time. This is of those movies like "The Apple Dumpling Gang" and (the original) "That Darn Cat" that entire families can watch together and get a good laugh.

Cute movie. I remember it from those days, when I was 11 and growing up in the US. Good family movie, safe for kids, and even has a bit of history in it to justify watching it, as this situation really happened in the US Cavalry (if not the actual people and events portrayed).Now for the bad news: As others have already noted, the picture and sound are worse than terrible. Looks like they got an old 16mm copy, a school projector, and a portable screen, and used a digital camcorder to record it while it played. Then they slapped it on a DVD and called it digital.Although the entire image is out of focus, the left side of the screen is even more so than the right. There is also some black banding that stutters down from the top of the frame periodically.And, judging from the sound quality, it appears that the sound was also recorded directly from the same projector, perhaps using a cheap electret condenser mic. Mounted on a piece of plywood. Or maybe stuck in a drawer.A company with this lousy of a work ethic should not be supported. Do not buy or rent this movie unless and until it gets a completely new version re-issued from the negatives. If we stop supporting these hacks, they will not be able to stay in business without increasing the quality of their titles. If you must see it, most larger metro US libraries will probably have it. The important thing is DON'T SPEND ANY MONEY ON THIS VERSION! Don't get me wrong; the movie itself is fine, and gets a 7 from me on its own. It's the terrible quality of the transfer that knocks it down to a 2.

I remember virtually nothing about this movie that I saw as a child in 76 or 77. But I thought I would share one of my funniest childhood memories that is associated with the film. I was living in Florida and my mother went up north to visit relatives for a week. My father undoubtedly thought that this would make a perfect time for some male bonding and decided to take me to a movie. I chose Hawmps and we came to a theatre that was packed ( I guess it had a solid opening weekend). We had arrived late (my father was perpetaully behind in time) and the movie was already playing. We walked down the rows and most were full, occasionally a row had a just one seat open, but never two. Finally my dad (who wore thick glasses and never could see too well in the dark) said "there's two seats", and pointed to the end of a row. As I made my way down I noticed that only one seat was vacant. I turned to my dad to try to explain but he said "keep going", so as a child I just figured my dad must know what he was doing, so I found a seat and sat down, noticing that beside me was a small boy, about 3 years old. Much to my shock my father proceeded to sit right on the kid! He let out a shreik that was audible throughout the theater and his father jumped up even faster than my embarassed dad did and asked him what he thought he was doing. My father quickly told me to remain in my seat and he'd meet me outside of the theater after the show. I laughed throughout the movie, but not at any of the gags--at the thought of my father nearly skwishing the kid next to me.