The Horizontal Lieutenant
A minor classic that didn't come close to living up to its reputation, the 1962 comedy The Horizontal Lieutenant features solid chemistry between its leads, unfortunately they don't spend enough time onscreen together to keep this viable entertainment.
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51a4CWrvnmL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Jim Hutton plays Sec. Lt. Merle Wye, a military intelligence officer who dreams of being a military spy, but is stuck at a military base in Hawaii, away from anything resembling combat or espionage. One day, he is hit in the head with a baseball and sent to the GI hospital where he is reunited with Molly Blue (Paula Prentiss), a nurse with whom he has a past that he attempts to revive, but this mission is put on hold when he is transferred to a remote army outpost where he has been assigned to find a Japanese leader who is hiding out in the mountains and stealing food and other supplies from the locals.
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzI0NDRjMjMtYjgzYS00YWU1LTk0YTgtZGU3M2JmNWZjMjg1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjIyNjE2NA@@._V1_.jpg)
I guess the primary culprit here is the screenplay by Oscar winner George Wells and Gordon Cotler that does a very good job of setting up the romance of Merle and Molly during the first twenty minutes of the film and then removes Molly for the next forty minutes, where we are then plunged into Merle's lackluster mission that recalls a lame episode of the old ABC sitcom McHale's Navy, featuring racial stereotypes, silly slapstick and characters that are dumbed down to serve the not-so-interesting story that, even at an economic 90 minutes, still seems overly long.
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjgyZjAzZDQtMGY3Ni00Y2ExLTg4YmYtMThhYzliNzA5NjNiL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM0NzcxMQ@@._V1_.jpg)
I've wanted to see this film for a long time because I have been impressed by the chemistry between Jim Hutton and Paula Prentiss, who made five films together, three of which I have now seen. Unfortunately, this story keeps the characters apart for too much of the story and interest definitely begins to wane. Hutton and Prentiss make every moment they have onscreen together count, unfortunately the film just doesn't have enough of said moments.
![](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lJUAAOSwDtdhOAwb/s-l1200.webp)
Director Richard Thorpe. whose most famous directorial work was probably the Elvis Presley film Jailhouse Rock, doesn't bring anything special to the proceedings. Thorpe worked pretty steadily during the 50's and 60's, but mostly because he was adept at bringing films in under budget, not necessarily displaying any flair or imagination as a director. Future comic legends Jack Carter, Jim Backus and Marty Ingels can be glimpsed in supporting roles, as well as Oscar winner Miyoshi Umeki, fresh off her triumph in the screen version of Flower Drum Song and Yuki Shimoda, who was probably best known for playing Ito, Mame's manservant in the film version of Auntie Mame, but for the most part, this one was a disappointment.
A minor classic that didn't come close to living up to its reputation, the 1962 comedy The Horizontal Lieutenant features solid chemistry between its leads, unfortunately they don't spend enough time onscreen together to keep this viable entertainment.
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51a4CWrvnmL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Jim Hutton plays Sec. Lt. Merle Wye, a military intelligence officer who dreams of being a military spy, but is stuck at a military base in Hawaii, away from anything resembling combat or espionage. One day, he is hit in the head with a baseball and sent to the GI hospital where he is reunited with Molly Blue (Paula Prentiss), a nurse with whom he has a past that he attempts to revive, but this mission is put on hold when he is transferred to a remote army outpost where he has been assigned to find a Japanese leader who is hiding out in the mountains and stealing food and other supplies from the locals.
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzI0NDRjMjMtYjgzYS00YWU1LTk0YTgtZGU3M2JmNWZjMjg1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjIyNjE2NA@@._V1_.jpg)
I guess the primary culprit here is the screenplay by Oscar winner George Wells and Gordon Cotler that does a very good job of setting up the romance of Merle and Molly during the first twenty minutes of the film and then removes Molly for the next forty minutes, where we are then plunged into Merle's lackluster mission that recalls a lame episode of the old ABC sitcom McHale's Navy, featuring racial stereotypes, silly slapstick and characters that are dumbed down to serve the not-so-interesting story that, even at an economic 90 minutes, still seems overly long.
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjgyZjAzZDQtMGY3Ni00Y2ExLTg4YmYtMThhYzliNzA5NjNiL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM0NzcxMQ@@._V1_.jpg)
I've wanted to see this film for a long time because I have been impressed by the chemistry between Jim Hutton and Paula Prentiss, who made five films together, three of which I have now seen. Unfortunately, this story keeps the characters apart for too much of the story and interest definitely begins to wane. Hutton and Prentiss make every moment they have onscreen together count, unfortunately the film just doesn't have enough of said moments.
![](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lJUAAOSwDtdhOAwb/s-l1200.webp)
Director Richard Thorpe. whose most famous directorial work was probably the Elvis Presley film Jailhouse Rock, doesn't bring anything special to the proceedings. Thorpe worked pretty steadily during the 50's and 60's, but mostly because he was adept at bringing films in under budget, not necessarily displaying any flair or imagination as a director. Future comic legends Jack Carter, Jim Backus and Marty Ingels can be glimpsed in supporting roles, as well as Oscar winner Miyoshi Umeki, fresh off her triumph in the screen version of Flower Drum Song and Yuki Shimoda, who was probably best known for playing Ito, Mame's manservant in the film version of Auntie Mame, but for the most part, this one was a disappointment.
Last edited by Gideon58; 07-19-24 at 12:13 PM.