JohnHowardReid 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.

bkoganbing 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.

Ethereal-Cloud 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.

cutterccbaxter 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.