Petty con artists Slicker Smith and Herbie Brown mistakenly join the Army evading the cops. The cop chasing them winds up as their drill instructor. A rich young man and his former working class chauffeur are not only in the same unit, they're vying for a pretty girl who seems attracted to both.
Acting
Abbott & Costello's 'Who's on First?' chemistry in uniform.
Score
The Andrews Sisters' 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy' debut.
Direction
Lubin balances service comedy with actual boot camp authenticity.
Director
Arthur Lubin
Bud Abbott
Slicker Smith
Lou Costello
Herbie Brown
Lee Bowman
Randolph Parker III
Jane Frazee
Judy Gray
Alan Curtis
Bob Martin
Nat Pendleton
Sgt. Michael Collins
Laverne Andrews
Laverne Andrews
Maxene Andrews
Maxene Andrews
Patty Andrews
Patty Andrews
Samuel S. Hinds
Maj. Gen. Emerson
Harry Strang
Sgt. Callahan
Nella Walker
Mrs. Parker II
Leonard Elliott
Henry
Shemp Howard
Chef
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Universal rushed this into production after Pearl Harbor; it became their biggest hit of 1941 and saved the studio from financial ruin.
'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy' was written specifically for this film and became an unlikely WWII anthem, later revived by Bette Midler in 1973.
US
