When Willie Comes Marching Home
His story is taken from Government films ... because they didn't want it !
Synopsis
When Willie leaves home to join the war effort he is all ready to become a hero, but he is only frustrated when his posting ends up to be in his home town, and he is recruited into training, keeping him from the action. However, when he finds himself accidently behind enemy lines he unexpectedly becomes a hero after all.
Main Cast
Dan Dailey
William 'Bill' Kluggs
Corinne Calvet
Yvonne Le Tete
Colleen Townsend
Marjorie 'Marge' Fettles
William Demarest
Herman Kluggs
Jimmy Lydon
Charles 'Charlie' Fettles
Lloyd Corrigan
Major Adams
Evelyn Varden
Gertrude Kluggs
Whit Bissell
Lt. M.J. Hanley - Psychiatrist (uncredited)
Vera Miles
Laughing Sergeant's Date (uncredited)
Luis Alberni
Barman (uncredited)
User Reviews
CinemaSerf
"Kluggs" (Dan Dailey) is constantly being berated by his father for living at home, even after he has joined up to fight in WWII. Despite his repeated protestations, he is told that he is just too valuable as a trainer to be sent into combat and so must stay put. Then, serendipity takes an hand, as he benefits from a bit of right place right time and is soon on a flight to the UK, and thence onto another over occupied territory. When that plane meets with a mishap, he finds himself immersed amongst a sceptical French resistance where "Yvonne" (Corinne Calvet) might be his only hope of salvation. Then, just as accidentally, he becomes privy to some information that could be crucial to the war effort. They decide they have to get him out of France and despatched back to Washington as soon as possible. Think on the amount of time the poor fellow has already spent constantly awake and you'll appreciate just how zonked he is when he returns home, makes his implausible report to his superiors, and then heads to his family, including his girlfriend "Marje" (Colleen Townsend) who think he could be a deserter. All the man really wants to do is snooze! Dailey holds this together quite entertainingly once it gets going and though some of his French experiences play a little to stereotype, there is enough light-heartedness to keep this well paced and amiable post-wartime comedy made with it's tongue in it's cheek.
