• Source: What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?

What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? is a 1966 comedy DeLuxe Color film written by William Peter Blatty and directed by Blake Edwards for the Mirisch Company in Panavision. It stars James Coburn and Dick Shawn.




Plot


During the Allied invasion of Sicily, an outfit of U.S. soldiers is assigned to capture the small town of "Valerno", but upon arrival, they discover that the Italian Army garrison led by Captain Fausto Oppo (Sergio Fantoni) have been expecting them. They will willingly surrender, provided they are permitted to complete a soccer match and a wine festival.
Romance and frivolity ensue, as a reluctant, by-the-book Capt. Cash (Dick Shawn) is persuaded by easy-going Lt. Christian (James Coburn) to go along with the locals' wishes. Christian convinces Cash to send a message to headquarters that they have encountered resistance. During an aerial reconnaissance of the town, the Germans mistake the festival for an attack. A nearby German Panzer unit is ordered to come to the Italians' aid, but the Americans accidentally end up conquering all.




Cast


James Coburn as Lieutenant Jody Christian
Dick Shawn as Captain Lionel Cash
Sergio Fantoni as Captain Fausto Oppo
Giovanna Ralli as Gina Romano
Aldo Ray as Sergeant Rizzo
Harry Morgan as Major Pott
Carroll O'Connor as General Max Bolt
Leon Askin as Colonel Kastorp
Rico Cattani as Benedetto (as Henry Rico Cattani)
Jay Novello as Mayor Giuseppe Romano
Ralph Manza as Waiter
Vito Scotti as Frederico
Johnny Seven as Vittorio
Art Lewis as Needleman
William Bryant as Minow
Kurt Kreuger as German Captain




Production


The title of the film came to Edwards when he was asked the question by his son Geoffrey.
The film was the first of what was originally intended to be six Mirisch-Geoffrey Productions between Edwards and the Mirisch Company. Edwards was paid $375,000 as producer-director plus 20% of the gross over a certain amount, and a writers' fee when applicable. Edwards and William Peter Blatty had been working on What Did You Do in the War Daddy? after The Pink Panther but stopped it to make A Shot in the Dark and the Great Race. Edwards then decided to reactivate the property. According to Edwards, this was Walter Mirsch's idea - " “I told him that I didn’t think it was a good time to do a war comedy — it was right in the middle of the Vietnam War, there were a lot of Gold Star mothers and the perspective on war was not what it should be for this kind of satire."
James Coburn signed in May 1965. He had just made Our Man Flint. Shawn, who signed soon afterwards, had just been in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.
Walter Mirisch says in his memoirs that Edwards was enthusiastic about the film. He said stars James Coburn and Dick Shawn were "hardly big comedic box-office attractions. They were fashionable, but not the personalities who would promise an audience a big comedic romp. I think its casting certainly affected its grossing potential. Unfortunately, it also went considerably over budget."
As Edwards was having marital problems at the time, he did not want to leave the United States, so Mirisch Productions agreed to film the movie in Lake Sherwood, California, for $5 million that included the construction of a large Italian village set. In his study of Edwards, Myron Meisel stated that Coburn imitated Blake Edwards' mannerisms throughout the film.
William Peter Blatty recalled that Edwards and he originally agreed to make the film grim and without comedy for the first 20 minutes. This idea was shelved when, during the scene where Captain Cash visits Charlie Company at their chow line, he holds out his hand and one of the GI mess orderlies ladles beans into the captain's hand.




Reception


The film grossed $2,650,000 at the box office.
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 50% based on 12 reviews, with an average score of 5.80/10.
Edwards and Mirsch only made one more film together, The Party (1968).




Music


The score is by Henry Mancini. It includes "The Swing March" and "In the Arms of Love".




References






External links


What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? at IMDb
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? at AllMovie
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Complete pressbook at Internet Archive

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