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If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Skelton fans should get a laugh-fest out of this nifty slice of slapstick. Seems Red's a Union-loving bellboy in the Civil War South. Through typical Skelton mishaps, he's mistaken for the South's best spy, The Grey Spider. Only instead of spying for the South, he's persuaded to do same for the Yankees. Except as a spy, he keeps switching uniforms from one side to the other. Naturally, this leads to a rollicking series of mishaps, with Red scoring more mugs and pratfalls per minute than a road racer's RPM's. But that's got nothing on the uniform changes that are faster than a hooker in a rain storm. My guess is the scripters must have gone home in a permanent daze. But don't feel bad for our hero. He does get to romance the South's most delectable magnolia, Arlene Dahl, and right away I'm wondering where I can join up on her side.All in all, it's a fine vehicle for Red's brand of comedy. Just one thing—I always thought the War was fought on the East Coast. But now I know it was really fought inside greater LA's scrublands. Thanks MGM for setting the history books straight.

While this may not be the best of the MGM-Red Skelton comedies, it is one of the better ones, and the recent release on the Warner Archives DVD is nice and crisp.Both Red and Bob Hope were often very good at playing cowards that somehow showed bravery, as well seeming awkward around women -- and those are 2 themes very much in evidence with Red here. His bumbling in the early scenes of the film, particularly when he finds the "Grey Spider" spy are quite funny...along with some slapstick on the stairs (how did he fall down and up stairs without hurting himself...well he did hurt himself...in his later years he often had to wear metal braces on his legs). Then there's the recurring tongue twister with the boot with buckle and the jacket with the packet. Delightfully funny and actually key to the rather sophisticated plot. And how often do you see a comedy about the Civil War? And the dueling flags scene? This is pretty funny stuff, and particularly well handled by Skelton in this film (with some behind the camera help, apparently, from Buster Keaton).The supporting cast does its job. Arlene Dahl as the Confederate love interest to the Yankee Skelton. And while none of the other supporting actors (save one) merits particular mention, you'll recognize a number of character actors here. The one actor here who must have been very disappointed with his role was Brian Donlevy, who plays a sort of Rhett Butler-ish character. And speaking of "Gone With The Wind", not the many references to "Twelve Oaks".Yes, this is a gem in many respects, well worth a watch, and perhaps a spot on your DVD shelf!

I remember Red mostly from TV in the 50s. To my knowledge I had not seen even one of his films until this one a few years ago.I found it amusing and well worth the viewing time.It's also in something of a counterpoint to most of his TV sketch comedy which was too broad and pointless to me even as a child.One of the interesting features of this film was that it was set in the American Civil War and was mostly a comedy. The film was produced in the late 40s (I think) in a period when most - if not all - Civil War films were completely dramatic ("Gone with the Wind" had a few pointedly amusing lines from Rhett Butler but was a serious film.) The Civil War by then was some 80 years in the past, but the South was still very much the South, so to lampoon the South in any way (even if also the Union received comic dusting) would seem to me as quite a stretch by the producers. Like they were willing to write the South off their distribution lists.Bottom line, Red was much better than I can ever remember seeing him and that alone was worth it.

Red Skelton shines in this funny stereo-typical movie from the forties. All in all, the movies feels as though it was written for Bob Hope whom I personally dislike in the movies. Skelton and Hop both used double entendres and fast quipped one-liners to good effect. The funny plot includes a union hotel bellhop who mistakenly finds and captures the most dangerous spy of the confederates during the civil war and is asked by superiors to impersonate him because if he were caught, it would not matter, he being dispensable. So start the laughs and they come at a minute a dime including a classic scene at a hospital involving a chase and a couple of dentists. Brilliant. Arlene Dahl does what she does and that is look extremely beautiful. It is said Buster Keaton worked behind the scenes on this movie and some have compared it to the General but I don't see the resemblance. The movie it most resembles is Bob hope's The Paleface, a scathological spoof of genres as this movie is. When you get to see it, have fun.