"FRIDAY MOVIE SUGGESTION NIGHT" PRESENTS: SOLDIER IN THE RAIN!

__

For 6 years, a friend of mine who is a bartender in Texas would e-mail me with one question. "Have you seen 'SOLDIER IN THE RAIN' yet?" After many months, no matter what I e-mailed him about, his sign off was "Remember..."Solider in the Rain". I'm telling you right now, this is the most unusual pairing I have featured this year on "Friday Movie Suggestion Night"! Why? Because Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen play against type in this comedy-drama film about the bonds of friendship. On the one hand we have an aging, obese Army Master Sergeant (Gleason) and on the other, a young, idolizing if not naive Sergeant (McQueen), who turns in an extremely uncharacteristic and animated comedic performance. Tuesday Weld is cast as Gleason's character's love interest. The film is Produced and co-written by Blake Edwards, who just came off of the disappointing "Operation Petticoat", but came back strong in "Days of Wine and Roses" before "The Pink Panther". Blake is a pure genius. He appears here as a Writer and Producer.

___

This screenplay is based on the novel by William Goldman and directed by Ralph Nelson, who directed Gleason in "Requiem for a Heavyweight" the previous year! Now, you're going to find it strange when I say this; this movie is strong, but it doesn't rely heavily on the plot! In real life, Jackie and Steve were great friends. And you can see here why Jackie Gleason was called "The Great One" (I have a surprise Gleason film programmed for later this year that will knock your socks off!). McQueen plays a country bumpkin with a "devil-may care" enthusiasm, while Gleason helps him out of his scrapes. This is the story of enduring friendship. The late Tom Poston (eulogized last month here on my BLOG along with his lovely wife and a beloved actress, the late Suzanne Pleshette) is a clueless Lieutenant while Tuesday Weld (a lady with a remarkable career) was just coming to be known in Hollywood. Filmed 3 years before Adam West played television's "Batman", he makes a funny appearance in this short film that is full of surprises and I hope you will get a huge kick out of it. Here's our Cast: Directed by: Ralph Nelson; Writers: Blake Edwards, William Goldman (novel); and Maurice Richlin . Jackie Gleason is Master Sgt. Maxwell Slaughter; Steve McQueen is Sgt. Eustis Clay; Tuesday Weld is Bobby Jo Pepperdine; Tony Bill is Pfc. Jerry Meltzer; and Tom Poston plays Lt. Magee.

___
WILD!
(Enjoy it!)