Watch What Next, Corporal Hargrove? For Free

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This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

inexplicably a corporal he and men get lost--enter french town as heroes --later reassigned to be liaisons with locals Jean Porter is adorableThis is a follow-up to Robert Walker's war film "See Here, Private Hargrove" but it isn't nearly as good. In fact, I think it's not even close!The film begins with Hargrove inexplicably becoming a corporal. His first command is a cock up, however, and they get separated from the rest of the unit. Fortunately, however, they end up liberating an important French town and the locals just adore Hargrove and his men. This portion of the film is enjoyable and sweet. Funny? No.The rest of the film consists of many instances where Hargrove gets into trouble or nearly gets himself killed or breaks a sweet girl's heart for no good reason. Most of these situations revolve around the screw-up Mulvehill (Keenan Wynn) and you wonder why Hargrove or anyone would be his pal. None of these situations are funny and it gets old and boring very quickly. No...it becomes tedious.

Shortly after World War II's pivotal Normandy invasion, newly promoted (from private to corporal) Robert Walker (as Marion Hargrove) and his fellow soldiers get their truck stuck in the mud. After freeing the military vehicle by yelling "Heave!" Mr. Walker and the men stumble upon a French village outside of Paris. The locals mistake them for liberators. Also, Walker catches the eye of the mayor's daughter, pretty French mademoiselle Jean Porter (as Jeanne Quidoc). She sends all the signals for romance, but Walker wants to remain faithful to his girlfriend (Carol) from last year's film "See Here, Private Hargrove" (1944). The US Army encourages Walker to succumb to Ms. Porter's sexy advances, lest the US offend France...Meanwhile, Walker's pal Keenan Wynn (as Thomas "Tom" Mulvehill) pursues a "get rich quick" scheme...This was the second, and final, entry in MGM's series of "Hargrove" films starring Robert Walker. Direction and editing suggest Walker had limited interest in the story. This is evident from the opening. Later, while at a Paris restaurant, observe when Mr. Wynn has a cup of coffee spilled on his lap; the spill immediately dries up, without a trace. The "Academy Awards" organization thought this picture worthy of an "Oscar" nomination, for "Best Original Screenplay" and there are a couple of good quips. The writer honored, Harry Kurnitz, managed to get another story out of the characters and situation, but was not well served by this production. The stronger scenes occur with Walker and Wynn accidentally going AWOL in Paris.**** What Next, Corporal Hargrove? (1945-11-21) Richard Thorpe ~ Robert Walker, Keenan Wynn, Jean Porter, Chill Wills

This film needed to either be more of a drama, with a serious goal to achieve--say winning some battle with a key element executed by the two stars, or focus more on comedy and not have 30-45% of the film be essentially dramatic.Hargrove seems to keep being promoted to corporal and busted back to private, without there really appearing to be much reason for either. He keeps getting fouled up by his companion, the scheming Keenan Wynn, who doesn't have any wild, Sgt. Bilko-like schemes, but simply figures out lies to keep himself and Hargrove out of trouble. Except he keeps getting caught and thus, into more trouble.The sarge doesn't really like the two stars, but keeps depending on them because they can do the job better than anyone else available.I think I chuckled out loud two or three times when watching this last night. The "mission" of the soldiers kept getting changed, making this a picture without any real point to it.By the last half hour, I couldn't wait for it to end because it had gotten so boring.The film needed some funny things happening to the stars, but didn't get them. The drama was never much. At one point, Hargrove gets captured by Germans, but about two minutes after this happens, his buddies get the chance to surprise the Germans and he is freed.To me, it was like Jerry and George trying to write their first script on Seinfeld. They had no ideas for a real plot, so they think of different short things that could happen to the characters. The incidents are not related and there is no point to any of this. That's the way I felt about both this Hargrove movie and the earlier one that I saw months ago on TCM.

"If wolves are men who chase girls, and you aren't a wolf, then girls must chase you" quips Jean Porter, playing a very flirtatious French girl trying to get somewhere with a very reluctant Robert Walker, playing a US corporal-private taking part in the post-D Day liberation of France. The strikingly cute and winsome Ms Porter is more than enough to turn on any red-blooded man, but Walker explains that he doesn't want to compromise his relationship with his girl back home. Nonetheless, he eventually melts to a degree, esp. when it is in the interest of the US Army to have a good relationship with her father, the mayor of the local town....The first half of the film is definitely more fun than the more serious rather pointless second half. Unfortunately, Walker's on again, off again, relationship with Ms. Porter's character has an ugly conclusion, at odds with the general comic tone of the rest of the story. Robert Walker may remind you in looks of the later James Dean. He also tended to play troubled men, and was in fact very troubled in his private life after first wife Jennifer Jones left him for another man. Like Dean, he died quite young. Despite her charm and looks and introduction to Hollywood films at a very young age, Ms. Porter never achieved first rate stardom, although she has thus far outlived her costar by 60 years.