What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? is a 1966 comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards.
Plot
In 1943, during Operation Husky when asked by General Bolt (Carroll O'Connor) about the little Italian village called Valerno, his hitherto adjutant Captain Lionel Cash (Dick Shawn) insists on attack and immediately finds himself in command of Charlie Company to carry out the operation. War-weary Charlie Company, led by Lieutenant Christian (James Coburn) and Italian-American Sergeant Rizzo (Aldo Ray), is not overly fond of another mission.
The company proceeds cautiously towards their assigned target only to find their supposed-to-be enemies holding a soccer match. Capitano Fausto Oppo (Sergio Fantoni), the Italian officer in command, is all too willing to surrender but for one condition: the annual village wine festival scheduled tonight must be held. No festival, no surrender, basta!
Persuaded by Christian, the inexperienced Captain Cash reluctantly gives in. To disguise the delay, Christian sends a wire to the brass detailing "Minor resistance" The fiesta is a great success lasting well into the night. Sunlight next morning headquarter requires urgently report of what's going on. With Captain Cash out of action due to wine and woman (the mayor's pretty daughter Gina (Giovanna Ralli), Lieutenant Christian takes command, discovering that many of his men have exchanged uniforms with Italian soldiers during a drunken game of strip poker just as PR-Office Major Potts (Harry Morgan) shows up to check on the "minor resistance" reported by Christian. To prevent the real events from getting out he is quickly taken hostage by the "Italian soldiers" and locked up in prison, where is he accidentally rescued by two bumbling bank robbers, who spend the entire film digging underground looking for the bank vault. He then falls into the catacombs under town, where he gets lost and goes insane.
When Potts is discovered missing, and Oppo discovers Gina (his mistress) in Cash's bed, all hell breaks loose, the surrender is off, and a massive fist fight breaks out just as an American reconnaissance plane flies overhead. The fight is mistaken for a serious battle and Cash and Oppo receive wires from their superiors to keep fighting, as sending back-up is impossible. Everyone is stuck now, and the Italians and Americans must work together to stage a battle whenever a plane flies overhead, using blank ammunition and careful rehearsal. This state of affairs goes on for three days when the Nazis fly over, see what's going on, and decide to help out their Italian allies.
The Germans, led by Colonel Kastorp (Hogan's Heroes' Leon Askin) assault the town, discover Oppo and his men fraternizing with the enemy, and arrest everyone, taking control of the town. Potts, still insanely wandering the catacombs, pounds the ceiling in the catacombs with a trident, and breaks a hole in the prison floor sending Cash plummeting to the ground. Cash, Christian and Oppo work out a plan to get out of the town and get help, which necessitates Cash dressing up first as a woman, fending off the advances of an amorous German Officer, and then as Colonel Kastorp, who has been accidentally killed by some local communists. He discovers that the Germans are planning to shoot all the prisoners, which by now include the townspeople. This leads to a wild change of plan as the Americans sneak out of the prison, attack German soldiers and steal their uniforms, returning their unconscious bodies, dressed in THEIR uniforms, as prisoners. At dawn, just as the execution is about to begin, the Americans surprise the Nazis, holding them hostage and taking the town for America.
Finally, General Bolt personally rides into town to congratulate now-Major Cash, the "hero of Valerno", only to discover that the Italians are now hiding and will not come out unless they are given another festival. The movie ends with just that, as Cash and Christian ply Bolt with wine (and Gina) and enjoy themselves for one last day in Valerno.
Reception
Despite the then popular reputations of Blake Edwards and James Coburn, the film was not well received on release and was a critical and commercial failure. It was criticized for serving many of the stereotypes of WW2, including the undisciplined but clever GIs, dumb, aggressive Germans and Italian "dolce vita." It gained a cult following which resulted in a DVD release in June 2008, due to widely favorable reviews, and is now being looked at in a more positive light.
The film features a fine cast, good production values and a pleasing score by Henry Mancini, notably "The Swing March" and the song "In the Arms of Love" that had several cover versions. The title of the film is only mentioned in the film's trailer where James Coburn in civilian clothes is asked the question by his child.
External links
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