See Here, Private Hargrove (1944) User Reviews (18)

Oddly, despite being a WWII army picture, you'd hardly know that there was a war going on at the time!

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 25 August 2010]

Private Hargrove (Robert Walker) is one of the most inept Privates in the US Army and much of the film consists of the Sergeants trying to somehow turn this numb-skull into a decent soldier. But it all seems hopeless and we should be awfully glad there weren't more like him in the service--or else the war might have gone the other way! Oddly, however, I did notice that almost all the soldiers were skinny little squirts--the must rugged among them being Keenan Wynn! In some ways, the film plays a bit like "No Time For Sergeants" but without the hillbilly angle--consisting of a series of screw ups and comedic situations in boot camp and very, very little evidence that an actual war is taking place! However, the film takes a romantic turn when Walker is tricked into a date with lovely Donna Reed. When the two fall in love, the joke's on the fellows who set him up with her. This part of the film is quite sweet and helps to create a more well-rounded film--not just a typical army comedy. And, because he now has some focus in his life, he improves as a soldier and actually is promoted to acting Corporal...which takes him completely by surprise. So can Hargrove get the girl AND be a success in the Army? Tune in and see.

Overall, this is a very slight but pleasant film. Sure, it's a piece of fluff...but nice fluff. There is a sequel--which I have not yet seen. Considering that this was a decent and likable film, I might just give "What next, Corporal Hargrove?" a look.

The Army is swell

[betsmith6 · 5/10 · 5 November 2009]

More than 5,000,000 men entered the armed services in World War II and movies like See Here, Private Hargroves was an attempt to assure the folks back home and incoming draftees that Army life could be swell. You may have to scrub a few garbage cans but you will make buddies that will last a lifetime and get a chance to meet and fall in love with a beauty like Donna Reed. Even a screw-up like Hargrove eventually becomes a member of the best gunnery team in the battery and earn the respect of the drill instructors that once tormented him. One character even tells Hargrove that he will remember his Army service as the best times of his life.

Uncle Sam Wants Robert Walker

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 5 June 2010]

Criticized for bad reporting, young Robert Walker (as Marion Hargrove) saves himself from getting fired (yet again) by receiving his draft letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Off to basic training in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Mr. Walker meets manipulative Private Keenan Wynn (as Mulvehill) and gullible Private George Offerman Jr. (as Orrin Esty) en route. They will become fast friends, with Mr. Wynn eventually getting Walker and himself cushy office transfers. However, when their old platoon gets orders to join the fighting forces, patriotic Walker and Wynn want in on the action. The good news is Walker's furloughs include quality kissing time with pretty Donna Reed (as Carol Halliday). The bad news is he has to scrub clean a lot of garbage cans. Walker is endearing enough to make cameo-appearing Robert Benchley, as Ms. Reed's veteran father, seem more annoying than funny.

***** See Here, Private Hargrove (3/18/44) Wesley Ruggles ~ Robert Walker, Keenan Wynn, Donna Reed, George Offerman Jr.

Seeing here

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 1 March 2014]

Military men seemed to have some sort of great adoration for Donna Reed in this kind of movie. It occurs to me that this was made possible because of Robert Walker's performance as Marion Hargrove. Think about how good he is in this role, to be so convincing that real-life soldiers can identify with him to the point they believe his girl in the movie might be their girl, too.

But the legacy of the film and its lasting impact comes from the experiences of Hargrove, a war correspondent known for his humorous essays. The essays became the basis for a book which became the basis for this film. And it did so well at the box office that MGM commissioned a sequel which again starred Mr. Walker, though Miss Reed was not in it.

The real-life Marion Hargrove went on to write screenplays and television scripts. He wrote many westerns and episodes of 'The Waltons' which in its later seasons depicts the conflicts of World War II, which Mr. Hargrove experienced first-hand.

On Par With Stripes

[Ethereal-Cloud · 7/10 · 27 May 2010]

If you loved the movie Stripes, and who didn't, this is basically the World War II version and dare I say made me laugh out loud more. I will agree with some of the other reviewers that a bit of the movie is a little dated but come on folks it's 68 years old.

Robert Walker as the guy who just couldn't seem to follow Army protocol no matter how hard he tried, until he meets Donna Reeds' character was both funny and sweet. Both gave a great performance as did the supporting cast, and the movie was actually a big hit with G.I.s serving overseas when the movie was released. If you get the chance to check this out I don't think you'll be disappointed, It actually is laugh out loud funny.

**1/2

[edwagreen · 6/10 · 24 August 2015]

From listening to Robert Walker, you would swear that he sounds like Richard Crenna, who portrayed student Walter Denton, in television's "Our Miss Brooks."

As a reporter, Walker may be able to write the stories but he has the uncanny ability to foul things up. Foul ups seem to follow him when he is drafted into the army. Meeting up with the usually sly Keenan Wynn, the latter and his friends are there to exploit Walker all the way.

The film essentially boils down to the misadventures of Hargrove in service. Donna Reid is his faithful girlfriend.

The film does show meaning when the guys ultimately trade in their cushy positions for more active duty.

Worked out for subject and player

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 28 May 2017]

See Here, Private Hargrove was a lucky picture for both the subject and the actor who played the title role. The film is based on the events chronicled by drafted journalist Marion Hargrove who after his service in the army had a long career writing for the big screen.

As for the man who played him Robert Walker this became his first starring role after getting good notices in featured parts in Bataan and Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. Watching this film now it's easy to see how he clicked with wartime audiences as the eager young recruit who becomes the bane of the existence of Sergeant Chill Wills.

Keenan Wynn also got some of his first exposure in a role as Walker's best buddy and ace conman. Given Walker's journalistic background that gives Wynn the idea that they can get some light jobs in public relations and have a relatively easy war. This despite the fact that both are part of trained artillery battery.

The film is pleasant viewing and Walker is as eager and likable as he was most of the time on the screen. Only late in his short tragic career was he allowed to go to the dark side in films like Vengeance Valley and Strangers On A Train. Wynn also plays a part he mostly played for his first decade. He later greatly expanded his range also to include a dark persona.

Donna Reed is here also as the girl next door which she certainly played a lot of in the Forties.

In later wars I think that people would have considered Walker and Wynn to be lucky stiffs to have wangled what they had. Certainly they would have thought them nuts to do what they do.

See Here Private Hargrove is a World War II era film that would not and could not play for later generations. Still it's pleasant viewing seeing some of the cast in their salad days.

In Context

[B24 · 7/10 · 9 August 2015]

Viewing in 2015 a topical film from 1944 is like taking a ride in a time-worn Model A Ford...fun at first but soon annoying, unless you can remember how you felt about it in 1944. For many of us belonging to that older generation, the Model A was our first cheap used car, and we loved it. The Private Hargrove movies, unlike now classic dramas and comedies of that or any other time, probably ought to be forgotten except as artifacts of ages past. Only film history students and old folks can fully understand them. The corny jokes, the earnest patriotic comments, the primer on army life, the girls of the USO...all fall nowadays into the category of trivia.

Those of us who were approaching draft age at the time watched this film and other war films with genuine trepidation that we would soon be walking in a hail of bullets on a mined beachhead. A little humor took the edge off.

Time hasn't been kind to "See Here, Private Hargrove"...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 28 September 2009]

It's sad but true--never look back at a film you enjoyed years ago and found a fun-filled comedy about service duty. I just watched SEE HERE, PRIVATE HARGROVE and discovered that it's a dud, without a single moment of originality in its weakly plotted and rambling "comedy," a farce that was probably seen as "original" when first released.

ROBERT WALKER is genial enough in a boyish kind of way, KEENAN WYNN does fine as a slick con man type, DONNA REED is as wholesome as they come in a girl next door sort of way, and DOUGLAS FOWLEY and CHILL WILLS know how to bark orders in standard service fashion. But the material is so weak, not even ROBERT BENCHLEY (as Donna's chatterbox father) can relieve the monotony. All of the situations have been done before in much wittier ways.

Walker is the bumbling G.I. who has a knack for getting himself in trouble with authority figures. None of the experiences he has in the Army are worth writing a book about, and yet that's exactly what he does (and did, in real life). Hopefully, the book was a lot better than the script derived from it.

After this weak service comedy, I'm sure Walker wanted roles with more depth to prove himself a capable actor. Fortunately for him, better scripts did eventually come his way.

More funny army stuff.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 8 December 2022]

It's the old army once again, this time for the young and naive Robert Walker, much less serious and tragic than he was as the soldier in the same years David O. Selznick epic "Since You Went Away". It seems that for a good portion of his early film career, he was always in uniform, and here, he's a naive young reporter joining the Army hoping to be a correspondent while seeing after duty. While there, he encounters such memorable characters as his sergeant, Chill Wills (pre-Francis the Talking Mule), funny con artist Keenan Wynn and the pretty Donna Reed, long before she became a memorable loose woman on Pearl Harbor in "From Here to Eternity".

There's lots of typical basic training situations going on with Walker finding himself in all sorts of trouble, yet somehow getting out of it in very amusing ways. This film works because it is not going for slapstick and presents a much more realistic view than the military comedies starring comic teams like Abbott and Costello and Laurel and Hardy. Bing's brother Bob, shows up for a brief musical moment, a distraction from the loose plot. But it's a charming story, even if predictable, definitely a product of its time, very patriotic during the last year of the war, and Walker is certainly an enjoyable young actor to watch, long before he began to appear in darker films. This was followed by a sequel as well as the romantic drama "The Clock", starring Walker and Judy Garland, one of the greatest war movies never to go near a military base or a battle zone.

A Light Look At The Army

[craig_smith9 · 8/10 · 13 March 2002]

The movie is a light, romantic comedy that takes place at boot camp during WW2. It is not played like the Abbott and Costello movies and I don't think it was meant to be. It deals with a young, somewhat hapless young man who continually tries to do the right thing but ultimately goofs it up.

Robert Walker (Hargrove) starts out as an aspiring newspaper reporter that never quite gets the story complete. He is drafted and the fun begins. He just can't quite get the proper way to do things in the Army and, as a result, gets to spend time on KP (anyone who was in the Army will certainly remember that there was a "Hargrove" in their company). Then he meets Donna Reed (Carol Holliday) and that give him the incentive to do try to do better. However, he is still the Hargrove we have been seeing and the fun continues.

As you watch this be sure to pay attention to the supporting roles. They add a lot to the movie. Plus there are serious moments that also plays to the patriotic spirit that was in the country at that time (the movie was released in 1943). This is a fun movie, don't miss it. 8/10

Life in an army camp!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 26 November 2017]

Robert Walker (Marion Hargrove), Donna Reed (Carol Holiday), Robert Benchley (Holiday), Keenan Wynn (Mulvehill), Grant Mitchell (Uncle George), Ray Collins (Brody S. Griffith), Chill Wills (Sergeant Cramp), George Offerman, jr (Orrin Esty), William "Bill" Phillips (Bill Burk), Marta Linden (Mrs Holiday), Bob Crosby (Bob), Edward Fielding (General Dillon), Donald Curtis (Sergeant Heldon), Douglas Fowley (Captain R.S. Manville), Eddie Aciff (Captain Hammond), Morris Ankrum (Colonel Forbes), Louis Jean Heydt (swearing-in captain), Mantan Moreland (porter), Harry Tyler (train passenger), Connie Gilchrist (farmer's wife), Arthur Walsh (conscriptee with glasses), Ray Teal (public relations), James Warren, Dennis Moore (executive officers), Frank Faylen (military policeman at railroad terminal), Joe Devlin (garbage bin sergeant), Mary McLeod (clerk), Jack Luden (doctor), Louis Mason (farmer), Harry Strang (captain), Eddie Hall (soldier who directs Hargrove to C.O.), Steve Barclay, Ken Scott (corporals), Blake Edwards, Rod Bacon (field operators), Myron Healey, Maurice Murphy, Fred Kohler, jr (lieutenants), John Kelly (exercise sergeant), William Newell (Smith), Michael Owen (officer of the day), Mickey Rentschler (sergeant), Clarence Straight (Captain Hamilton).

Director: WESLEY RUGGLES. Additional scenes directed by Tay Garnett. Screenplay: Harry Kurnitz. Based on the 1942 book by Marion Hargrove. Photography: Charles Lawton. Film editor: Frank E. Hull. Art directors: Cedric Gibbons and Stephen Goosson. Set decorators: Edwin B. Willis and Ralph S. Hurst. Music: David Snell. Song, "In My Arms" by Frank Loesser (music) and Ted Grouya (lyrics). Costumes designed under the supervision of Irene. Assistant director: Barney Glazer. Sound supervisor: Douglas Shearer. Sound recording engineer: John F. Dullam. Western Electric Sound Recording. Producer: George Haight.

Copyright 14 February 1944 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayor picture. New York opening at the Astor: 21 March 1944. 10 reels. 100 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Marion Hargrove's adventures at an army training camp (Fort Bragg) in North Carolina,

NOTES: Fact or fiction? Hargrove's depiction of himself was certainly based on fact. Indeed, by the time the movie was released, he had been promoted to sergeant.

COMMENT: An amusing yet realistic account of life in a boot camp, this movie was directed with a certain amount of flair by Wesley Ruggles. It's also well acted by young Robert Walker, who receives good support all the way down the line.

Although her role is small (despite her second billing), Donna Reed is also most attractively presented.

Chill Wills likewise makes quite an impression as the hard-bitten sergeant.

The movie was extremely successful and a follow-up, "What Next Corporal Hargrove", followed in 1945.

Robert Walker - Three times a Corporal in Films

[howardmorley · 29 December 2005]

This is the third time I have seen Robert Walker snr. playing a corporal in his film roles.In chronological order first was this film (1943), albeit he was only "promoted" for one day; second in "Since You Went Away"(1944) and third in "The Clock"(1945).He stated that his challenge was to play the real life role of Marion Hargrove "appealing without resorting to buffoonery".The Producer had assembled an experienced support cast including Ray Collins, Keenan Wynn, Robert Benchley, Chill Wills and Donna Reed his love interest in the film with "more purity than passion".He admitted to a twinge of guilt (even though he was only acting) when he had to kiss her on screen since he was still married at the time to Jennifer Jones,his beloved "Phyl" (real name Phylis Isley/Walker.) I had never seen this film on mainstream terrestial analogue UK TV networks, neither had I seen it screened on our version of TCM nor other classic TV movie digital channels nor has it been made commercially available to my knowledge either as a DVD or VHS video.This is probably because the owners of the film rights considered it would not have sufficient commercial appeal.Nevertheless I tracked it down to a rare American video dealer on the internet and my son bought it for me as a Christmas present, since he knows how I love classic 1940s films.The reason I am interested in Robert Walker snr. is that he was married for five years to Jennifer Jones (whom I have been a fan of for years having collected all her films on video/DVD).I then spread my interest to other actors associated with her.I still think however that "Strangers on a Train" (1950) is Robert Walker's best film.

"See Here Private Hargrove" is an autobiographical innocuous comedy by Marion Hargrove (who wrote the best selling book) and who is played by Robert Walker.He starts the comedy as an ineffective newspaper reporter who has talent for writing but just cannot follow through effectively.He is then willingly packed off by his editor when he (Hargrove) is called up to join "Uncle Sam" at a North Carolina army training camp during WWII.He is assigned to training on artillery but spends most of his time there cleaning dustbins (due to a great inability to keep to the disciplined army rules).As a punishment he suffers what Americans call "KP".Does this mean "kitchen punishment"?For one glorious day he is promoted to corporal for an exercise where the blue team have to out-manoeuvre the red team but despite showing individual initiative he only succeeds in leading his company into the wrong team's HQ, because he still cannot follow through effectively.

His best friend at the camp (played by real life friend Keenan Wynn whom he met earlier in New York during his first professional radio days), tries to cheat him at every opportunity taking advantage of his talent for writing and gets him to sign a fraudulent assignation of all his present and future royalties in the hope that some day he will be a famous best selling author.Due to Marion's talent for writing, they "wangle" a soft option in the camp's public relations department but after a while they yearn to be back again with their buddies in the artillery.They only just manage to do this before the brigade is moved out to go on active duty.The plot is very gentle, has simple humour, is patriotic and uncontroversial and presumably was seen by the "brass" in 1943 as approved relaxing viewing for soldiers.To young 21st century eyes the plot seems naive but it was Robert Walker's first leading role at a time when it was important to keep up the public's morale in the middle of the war.His then wife, Jennifer Jones was filming her first leading role at 20th Century Fox playing Bernadette Soubirous in "Song of Bernadette"(1943) for which of course she won the "Oscar" for best actress at the 1944 awards ceremony.

I understand there is a sequel to this film "What Next Private Hargrove" (1945) again starring Robert Walker in the title role with his friend Keenan Wynn.It would be interesting to see the user comments for the latter film on IMDb.com and how the plot was subsequently developed.

mild comedy

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 11 September 2022]

Naive reporter Marion Hargrove (Robert Walker) gets drafted into the military. He is quickly befriended by a couple of scheming fellow recruits. He's not particularly good at soldiering. He and Carol Holliday (Donna Reed) get tricked into a date by his no-good friends.

Robert Walker has a baby face and died way too soon in real life. He has all the boyish charms. I like his character. I like the wholesome chemistry with Donna Reed. Their meet-cute has a cute premise. I don't really care about his 'friends'. It's wartime and the comedy can't be too biting. This is mildly humorous and slowly loses its bite.

Definitely not outdated

[pete36 · 9/10 · 27 October 2018]

Reporter Hargrove (Walker) is drafted and begins his basic training. He decides to keep a record of it all to later turn into a book.

I find this one of the more entertaining and realistic depictions of army training while preparing for war overseas. It is a fun film and if you have done basic training as myself some +25 years ago (in Europe) this rings quite true. I was a bit of a goofup in the beginning, just like Hargrove, and made quite a mess but it turned out allright in the end and even made sergeant. I can sure identify with Hargrove : he does mean well but somehow it nearly always goes wrong. The depiction of life in the barracks in spot-on with the grumpy sergeants and rather distant officers. Even the manoeuvres ring true. And when did you ever witness a scene where artillerymen in training are learning to adjust the range of their heavy guns ?

Walker is absolute excellent as Hargrove : he reminds me of a young Jack Lemmon. The direction is top notch and the movie is really fast-paced. It sure compares favourably with other army 'comedies' of that time, like 'Up in Arms', also made in 1944 (with Danny Kaye) which even has a scene with a beehive of pretty nurses suntanning on a battleship.

It mostly reminds me of its British counterpart 'The Way Ahead"' by Carol Reed and Peter Ustinov, also made in 1944. If you liked this I highly recommend that one.

Corporal For A Day

[cutterccbaxter · 1 February 2005]

Robert Walker plays an extremely skinny private in the United States Army during the midst of World War Two. He scrubs lots of garbage cans and gets to woo a lovely Donna Reed. As an "in the army" genre movie the film has more of a peace time vibe to it than one that was produced during the biggest war of the twentieth century. It would be hard to imagine Germany or Japan cranking out cinematic fluff like this in 1944. It perhaps reflects the fact that the mainland of the United States was not suffering the effects of total war like other countries. The lighthearted tone also might indicate the underlying confidence the country was feeling about ultimately winning the war at the time.

Likable, but Dated

[dougdoepke · 15 October 2009]

The running gag of scrubbing garbage cans (kp) as punishment may resonate with some of us old enough, but it's a slender thread on which to hang an entire comedy. Besides, it's a thing of the past, what with the new volunteer army that doesn't sign-up to clean garbage cans. Trouble is that Hargrove (Walker) can't stay off kp since he's a perennial screw-up, and though the episodes are well-timed, they do wear pretty thin. The movie's based on the real-life Hargrove's experiences in Army Basic Training. As Hargrove, Walker is relentlessly upbeat and energetic, reminding me of a young Jack Lemmon, while the movie itself showcases his talents more than anything else.

As a service comedy, the film is much tamer than the uproarious service comedies of the 50's (e.g. Mr. Roberts {1955}; Operation Mad Ball {1957}). But then, audiences of the 50's could relax and enjoy a lighter side of WWII since they didn't have to face a shooting war on the outside. I expect that accounts for this film's milder approach, which bases its humor on character instead of uproarious situations. After all, training for war might have a lighter side, but it should not be made to look too funny, even for escapist-seeking wartime audiences (1944).

Anyway, I agree that as a comedy, the movie is pretty thin gruel, especially after six decades. Still, the main characters are lively and likable, while Walker is quite good at being youthfully naïve, which may be just enough for a slow evening.

Dates Badly

[rmax304823 · 16 February 2002]

Nobody else seems to have made any comments on this movie, probably because, although it is often referred to in print, it's not often shown on TV. And for good reason. It's based on an autobiographical novel by Marion Hargrove. It dates badly. It was probably nothing more than a light-hearted look at basic training when it was released. But the gags have been done so often, and so much better, that it no longer strikes an audience as funny. "In our battery the portions are so small that instead of hollering come and get it, they holler come and find it." That's one of the better lines. It has a good cast, all right. Not just Robert Walker at his non-neurotic best but Keenan Wynne, Chill Wills, and other familiar types. But it's simply not a very good comedy. If you want funny and basic training, even Laurel and Hardy, or even Abbot and Costello, are funnier on the subject. And if you want a reasonably good, structured comedy on the subject, go to "No Time For Sargeants." A few seconds of Andy Griffeth looking wonderingly out the barracks window and listening to Taps and saying, "Somebody brung his trumpet," packs more laughs than this entire movie.