Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

An Exercise In Nonsense

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Cutesy little comedy that tries hard but trips over its own obviousness. Hard-nosed army Major Charlton Heston is unwillingly dispatched to a lax military school to shape up the boys' failing ROTC program. There's an immediate clash of backgrounds that provides some comedic potential, but I suspect this is a film Heston would just as soon forget. The trouble is he's miscast-- Moses just doesn't do pratfalls well. And here, unfortunately, he does a lot of them. The comedy is clumsily done, with a real lack of timing , and is not helped by the many blaring close-ups of the precious little Tim Hovey, who I'm sure many find adorable-- which he may be, but in very small doses. After about the 20th close-up of "how cute I am", my dinner began to rebel. I kept wishing a really digestible kid like Alfalfa or Spanky had been available . With a more jaundiced eye, better direction, and appropriate casting, this might have made a humorous little 90 minutes. As it stands, the only interest is to aficionados of early Sal Mineo.

Before Charlton Heston became a Biblical era plaything, before Milburn Stone tended to the sick as Doc Adams in Gunsmoke, before Tim Considine became a fixture in the productions of Walter Elias Disney, and most of all, before Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher told us to Leave it to Beaver and later meet The Munsters, they all participated in this unforgettable gem of a movie set at a Catholic military school. Oh yes, let us not forget some other significant players, William Demarest, who later played Uncle Charlie on My Three Sons, David Janssen, who later played Richard Diamond and then The Fugitive, and that unforgettable teen idol, Sal Mineo, who starred in Rebel Without a Cause.Have I mentioned all of the springboard players?Moving right along, one will never really know the star potential of child performer Tim Hovey. I understand that Mr. Hovey took his own life in later years.Anyway, The Private War of Major Benson is a charming vehicle that should never be forgotten nearly 50 years after its initial release.

"The Private War of Major Benson" is Charlton Heston's best comedy. He is supported by a beautiful leading lady (Julie Adams), a bunch of talented kids, and Milburn Stone. This is Julie Adams best comedy and movie. She was never given the chance in movies.The movie is funny and every scene is needed. Mr. Heston once said this was his only comedy hit. He made another funny comedy in 1962, "Pigeon That Took Rome", where he was in the Army again.

The idea for this film was brilliant. How do you get a "too" macho, "too" rough and ready, "too" blustery, know-it-all combat Major to understand his men and be a leader they would follow anywhere???You let children teach him, of course!Take his troops away and assign him to be the commandant of a young boys military school. A rag-tag group, about to lose their ROTC rating (and the Major's way back to grown troops) because of their ineptness, and , well, lack of leadership. (Oh, by the way, the school is run by nuns!) The Major's career is riding on his success, and he hasn't a clue. Methods used on adult combat troops only produce tears and resentment in children, who are afraid enough just living away from home.The children are delightful and involved in the sort of movie nonsense that is very endearing and entertaining. Major Benson is given a good lesson, by his "men". He eventually becomes their leader and more importantly earns their respect. In the end, Major Benson is doomed to become a human being. Have fun watching it.....