Search - Buck Privates on DVD

Content Advisory: Child Classic Movie Release: 1941 DVD Release: 04/01/1998 Format: DVD Audio Tracks: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 24 mins Studio: Universal Studios Members Wishing: 4 Genres: Comedy, Slapstick, Military Comedy

Filmed on a B-picture budget, Buck Privates was Universal's biggest box-office hit of 1941, firmly securing the movie popularity of the studio's hot new team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. The story is fairly evenly divided between the antics of Bud and Lou-here cast as sidewalk salesmen Slicker Smith and Herbie Brown-and the romantic triangle involving Randolph Parker III (Lee Bowman), Judy Gray (Jane Frazee) and Bob Martin (Alan Curtis). Escaping the wrath of policeman Mike Collins (Nat Pendleton), Slicker and Herbie duck into a nearby movie theater, which unbeknownst to them has been converted into a US Army recruiting center. As the boys are reluctantly inducted into the Service, wealthy draftee Parker hopes to pull a few strings to avoid putting on a uniform, while Parker's former chauffeur Martin willingly answers his call to the Colors. Once ensconced in boot camp, Slicker and Herbie continually run afoul of their sergeant, who is none other than their old nemesis Mike the cop. Meanwhile, Parker and Martin vie for the attentions of USO hostess Judy, who'll have nothing to do with Parker until he proves his worth as a soldier. Poor Slicker and Herbie are shunted into the background as the romantic subplot is resolved, but at least our heroes get to steal the film's closing scene. It's hard to believe that anyone cared about the Parker-Martin-Judy triangle with Abbott & Costello on hand to perform their classic "dice game", "awkward squad", "turn on the radio" and "boxing ring" routines-not to mention their timeless verbal exchanges, the best of which finds Bud convincing Lou that if he marries an underage girl, she'll eventually be older than he (it plays better than it reads!) As a bonus, the film spotlights the Andrews Sisters, performing such top-ten tunes as "Apple Blossom Time" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". Even from the vantage point of six decades, with the WWII draft but a dim memory, it is easy to see why Buck Privates was such a huge success. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lee Bowman - Randolph Parker III
Alan Curtis - Bob Martin
Bud Abbott - Slicker Smith
Lou Costello - Herbie Brown
The Andrews Sisters - Themselves
Jane Frazee - Judy Gray

This DVD is virtually a direct conversion of the old MCA laserdisc of Buck Privates, a smooth digital transfer of a clean but not perfect source, even showing some minor damage to the print in a couple of places and a repair on the audio track in the shot that introduces Abbott and Costello. On the other hand, we're not exactly talking about Citizen Kane here (which, incidentally, didn't make nearly as much money at the box office as Buck Privates did that year). Buck Privates is only intended as smooth, lightweight fun, so there is no reason to avoid the DVD. The 84-minute movie, the funniest of a raft of service comedies that appeared in the years 1940-42, is a breezy romp by the two comics, playing a pair who accidentally enlist in the peacetime army in 1941. Their antics are further spiced by some superb numbers featuring The Andrews Sisters, and it's all hooked around a decent supporting story about two rival draftees from opposite sides of the tracks who are in love with the same woman, who happens to be stationed at their training camp. The movie is broken into 16 chapters cued to major comedy routines ("A Lesson in Dice," "The Ol' One Two") and songs ("Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Bounce Me Brother With a Solid Four," etc.), but has no extra features. Rather surprisingly, considering its decidedly minimal use of DVD capability, the disc has a very healthy volume level, which is usually a pitfall with older DVDs. It makes the musical numbers by The Andrews Sisters, Jane Frazee, and Lou Costello a lot more fun. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide