This movie is a lot of fun, so suspend your disbelief and enjoy a Three Stooges style comedy with a Southern accent. Andy Griffith (Will Stockdale) displays his talent playing a character that is, remarkably, even dumber than Gomer Pyle. His ignorance is, of course, a product of an extreme rural Southern upbringing. This movie struck a chord with audiences in the 50's but might be a little harder for current audiences to relate to beyond the slapstick. Young men were conscripted into military service in the 50's and many of those who made up the audience for the film lived through the experiences of suddenly mixing with young men from different backgrounds, much to the torment of the long-suffering drill instructors like the one played brilliantly in this film by Myron McCormick (Sgt. King). Private Stockdale's encounters with military life and the world beyond the family farm where he had spent his life prior to being drafted make for one genuinely funny situation after another. For Griffith, the steep learning curve of Private Stockdale is not intended as a statement that "all Southerners are stupid;" rather, it's Griffith engaging in self-deprecating humor, seeing the comedic possibilities in what amounted to cross-cultural encounters. His own background from a small town in North Carolina and his own experiences no doubt fed into his portrayal of Will Stockdale. Myron McCormick is superb in the role of Sgt. King, who cannot believe what he is seeing from Stockdale. Yet, every time he tries to use Stockdale's ignorance to his advantage, it is Sgt. King who suffers humiliation (as with the Permanent Latrine Orderly, PLO assignment, for example). As many have noted, this film also marked the first collaboration between Griffith and Don Knotts. Knotts is only involved in the film briefly, as an officious and efficient Corporal administering dexterity tests to the recruits. The role is clearly the prototype for Deputy Barney Fife; if you enjoyed Knotts as the nervous, officious Deputy Fife, you'll enjoy his attempts to get Stockdale to perform the dexterity tests properly. This movie is escapism and very enjoyable on that basis.
Review of No Time for Sergeants
