Released in 1966 and directed by Blake Edwards, "What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?" chronicles amusing events at a strategic Italian hamlet during WWII. The village's citizens agree to surrender to an Allied platoon on the condition that they hold their traditional wine festival. Due to aerial reconnaissance, the platoon must look like they are fiercely fighting the Sicilians when that's hardly case; in fact, they're partying it up! Mistaking the festival for an attack, a platoon of Germans come to assist the Italians.

This is a fun mid-60's war comedy, the obvious inspiration for the superior "Kelly's Heroes," which came out four years later. Carroll O'Connor even plays the same basic character. There are some dull stretches and the entire last act is weak, almost ruining the movie. But the rest is quietly amusing with good laughs here and there highlighted by Dick Shawn, James Coburn, Sergio Fantoni and Harry Morgan, not to mention the jaw-dropping beauty of Giovanna Ralli. Shawn plays the by-the-books Allied captain offset by Coburn's easy-going lieutenant. Morgan's character getting lost in the catacombs and going mad is memorable.

Only watch this, however, if you have a taste for 60's war comedies in the mold of "Kelly's Heroes," 1970's "M*A*S*H" or Hogan's Heroes.

The movie is overlong at 116 minutes and was shot at Lake Sherwood, California, on a thoroughly convincing Italian village set.

GRADE: B-

When the obits of Harry Morgan were printed a few days ago, there was mention that one of his movie highlights was this one in which he plays a Major Pott who becomes crazy during the course of the movie. He's quite hilarious here and I found myself laughing quite a bit during much of this Blake Edwards' comedy that takes place in Italy during World War II but I have to admit that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Still, I liked many of the actors that appear here which besides Morgan includes Dick Shawn (especially liked his drag appearance in the later part of the film),James Coburn (acting perfectly straight while thinking crazy things),Giovanna Ralli (geogeous Italian eye candy),Carroll O'Connor (in a role that eventually convinced Norman Lear to cast him as Archie Bunker in "All in the Family"),and Leon Askin (whose Colonel Kastorp doesn't seem much different from his General Burkhalter in "Hogan's Heroes"). Like I said, not too much makes sense but What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? has its moments.

A frisky troop of American soldiers take over a Sicilian town and turn it upside down, even with the yearly festival going on, and create a separate war all of its own. Fooling both a naive major and a trusting general, the confusion and chaos just increases, leading to the most absurd if international incidents.

Image Hope and Crosby in "The Road to the Front Line", and that's what you've got in this sometimes juvenile anti-war farce that reeks of the zany mind of its director, Blake Edwards, often utilizing sight gags straight out of the "Pink Panther" series. Repetitive gags of soldiers falling into various locations of water dominate this, with leading players James Coburn and Dick Shawn screaming throughout.

Future Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) and future Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan) are the befuddled officers, Morgan coincidentally named Potts. Future "Hogan's Heroes" general Leon Askin is the head Nazi invading Sicily here, forecasting his future T.V. role. This basically is a big screen "Hogan's Heroes" with a different setting and slightly more adult humor. Still, it's rather pedestrian, although Morgan is very funny. Too bad he never went down Lloyd Bridges territory by appearing in the vast number of "Airplane!" style spoofs later in his career.