See Here, Private Hargrove

Pvt. Marion Hargrove -- reporting for comedy duty! Robert Walker found his career breakthrough and wartime audiences found something to laugh at with this Hollywood version of real-life journalist Marion Hargrove's waggish bestseller about his army boot-camp experiences. Helping the film earn its stripes -- and Hargrove make the transition from draftee to battle-ready PFC -- are Keenan Wynn as a barracks schemer, Robert Benchley as a blowhard World War I vet, Chill Wills as the camp top kick and Donna Reed as the girl who makes Hargrove's heart march double time. Fans of See Here, Private Hargrove would see the sad-sack G.I. again, this time on the warfront, in the sequel What Next, Corporal Hargrove?

Newspaper reporter Marion Hargrove's best-selling novel was adapted to the screen by MGM as a vehicle for Robert Walker. The story is basically a series of humorous anecdotes about Hargrove's tenure at boot camp in the early days of World War II. Keenan Wynn is terrific as Hargrove's topkick, and Robert Benchley is no less superb as the father of Hargrove's girl friend (Donna Reed). SEE HERE, PRIVATE HARGROVE not only secured the stardom of Robert Walker, but launched Marion Hargrove on a lengthy career as a Hollywood screenwriter (his son, Dean Hargrove, has carried on the tradition into TV). The film was followed by a lesser 1946 sequel, WHAT NEXT, CORPORAL HARGROVE', which followed the leading character to France.