Operation Mad Ball
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Operation Mad Ball
Plot
In this frantic service comedy, a group of bored-to-tears American GI's stationed at a medical facility in France would like nothing more than to have a big party to let off steam -- except for the possibility of having a big party with some of the nurses they work with. However, it seems that the nurses are officers and the GI's are enlisted men, which means the Army forbids them to socialize, and Capt. Locke (Ernie Kovacs), the camp's Commanding Officer, is not a man to bend the rules. But Private Hogan (Jack Lemmon) is not the sort of guy to let the rules get in the way of a good time, and with the help of Yancy Skibo (Mickey Rooney), a sergeant with a talent for scaring up needed supplies, and Mme. LaFour (Jeanne Manet), a local hotel manager with a soft spot for making money off American servicemen, Hogan hatches a plan to make his dream a reality. Hogan's lady friend, Lt. Betty Bixby (Kathryn Grant), isn't quite as convinced as her beau on the potential success of this scheme. Operation Mad Ball was the first directorial effort from former actor Richard Quine, and afforded Jack Lemmon his first starring role; Blake Edwards also contributed to the screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, RoviReview
Operation Mad Ball is a middling armed services farce with a cast that deserves better. While Operation deserves credit for elevating the gifted farceur Jack Lemmon into leading player status, the fact is that Operation needs Lemmon much more than Lemmon needs Operation. The screenplay is one of those heavily plotted affairs in which something is happening every minute and yet nothing very much really happens. It's all improbable, if not impossible, and incredibly contrived. In the right hands, none of this has to matter; if the dialogue is snappy and peppy and the characters have spark and originality, the audience will be willing to put up with mechanical plotting. Unfortunately, Operation's dialogue too often falls flat, and the characters, while quirky, really come alive only because of the excellent cast. Lemmon, of course, is aces, pouring boundless energy and imagination into a role that requires it but doesn't deserve it. Ernie Kovacs practically pushes anyone onscreen with him out of the picture, and Mickey Rooney gives one of his better mid-career performances here. Richard Quine's direction is obvious, but he does keep things moving, which is crucial. Catch Operation Mad Ball for its cast. ~ Craig Butler, RoviCast
- Jack Lemmon - Private Hogan
- Kathryn Grant - Lieutenant Betty Bixby
- Ernie Kovacs - Capt. Paul Lock
- Mickey Rooney - Yanccy Skibo
- Arthur O'Connell - Col. Rousch
Credit
Robert F. Boyle - Art Director, Richard Quine - Director, Charles Nelson - Editor, George Duning - Composer (Music Score), Morris W. Stoloff - Musical Direction/Supervision, Freddy Karger - Songwriter, Charles Lawton - Cinematographer, Jed Harris - Producer, William Kiernan - Set Designer, William F. Calvert - Set Designer, Blake Edwards - Screenwriter, Jed Harris - Screenwriter, Arthur Carter - Screenwriter, Arthur Carter - Play Author, Jeanne L. Mizzy - Producer's Assistant| Operation Lysistrata (2008 Film), Operation Lovebirds (1968 Film) | |
| Operation Malaya (1955 Film), Operation Manhunt (1954 Film) |
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Operation Mad Ball
| Operation Mad Ball | |
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| Directed by | Richard Quine |
| Produced by | Jed Harris |
| Written by | Arthur Carter (play) Blake Edwards Jed Harris |
| Starring | Jack Lemmon Ernie Kovacs Kathryn Grant Mickey Rooney Arthur O'Connell |
| Music by | George Duning |
| Cinematography | Charles Lawton Jr. |
| Editing by | Charles Nelson |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 17, 1957 |
| Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.85 million (US)[1] |
Operation Mad Ball is a 1957 military comedy starring Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Kathryn Grant, Arthur O'Connell, and Mickey Rooney, and directed by Richard Quine. The screenplay by Blake Edwards and Jed Harris is based on an unproduced play by Arthur Carter.[2]
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Contents
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Plot
In a hospital unit in the U.S. Army in Europe after World War II, Private Hogan (Jack Lemmon) does not believe that a blue-stocking can be good-looking, but the first sight of dietetic nurse Lieutenant Betty Bixby (Kathryn Grant) sets him straight. When he picks her cigarette lighter up and puts his weapon aside, he is surprÃsed by security officer Paul Locke (Ernie Kovacs) who admonishes him for putting down his weapon while on guard duty and confines him to quarters preliminary to a court martial. The Colonel in charge of the unit (Arthur O'Connell), however, would prefer to keep everything "in the family" and avoid a court martial.
Soon, Hogan plans to organise a ball at an off-limits hotel with all the prettiest nurses and his fellow soldiers. Hogan and Cpl. Bohun (Dick York) go to through all sorts of mishaps to make sure that the secret Mad Ball goes ahead. Hogan uses a General's X-ray and pretends it belongs to him to win the sympathy of Lt. Bixby, whom he wants to take to the ball. Hogan claims to be suffering from heartburn and an ulcer, and Bixby recommends dietetic changes. When Betty finds out that the X-ray doesn't belong to Hogan, she falls out with him, leaving both Betty and Hogan secretly sad to have lost each other.
On the night of the ball, each soldier has been paired with a pretty nurse, except Hogan. He waits for Bixby, hoping that she has forgiven him, but he ends up going to the ball on his own. When he arrives, he sees Betty with the Colonel. She takes off her long coat to reveal a pretty dress. At the end, she shares the last dance with Hogan.
Cast
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- Cast notes
- This film marks the first time that Jack Lemmon received top billing in a film, and was also the first major screen role for Ernie Kovacs.[2][3]
Awards and honors
- 1958 Golden Laurel Award - 2nd place - Top Male Comedy Performance - Jack Lemmon
- 1958 WGA Award (Screen) - Nominated - Best Written American Comedy - Arthur Carter, Jed Harris, Blake Edwards
References
- Notes
- ^ 'Variety Top Film Grosses for 1957' Film Data for 1957 accessed 4 May 2012
- ^ a b Miller, John M. "Operation Mad Ball" on TCM.com
- ^ "Notes" on TCM.com
External links
- Operation Mad Ball at the Internet Movie Database
- Operation Mad Ball at the TCM Movie Database
- Operation Mad Ball at AllRovi
- Operation Mad Ball Trailer-1957-Internet Archive
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