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Onlinewsma Absolutely Brilliant!

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

JohnHowardReid Photographed in black-and-white CinemaScope. Copyright 1958 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. New York opening at Loew's State: 20 August 1958. U.K. release: 14 September 1958. Australian release: 23 October 1958. Sydney opening at the St James. 88 minutes.NOTES: This picture certainly had a considerable cult following from 1959 through 1962. It often figures on undergraduate lists of best movies for these years and was a frequent starter at university film society screenings.COMMENT: Metro here vitiates a very entertaining idea by its own indecision as to whether to go right out for droll laughs, or whether to go for battle-action heroics. The result is a disappointing compromise in which laughs get us too relaxed for many thrills, and "thrills" get us too screwed up for many laughs. Metro has gone all out publicizing the story about a sergeant who, to keep up morale among a few straggling American troops surrounded by Germans, puts on a dead general's uniform and begins masterminding more-or-less comically original counter-blows against the enemy.Glenn Ford, continuing in the dry, quiet comedy vein that suited him so wonderfully well in his previous two films, has less agreeable material to work with on this occasion, but he invests most of it with his customary pleasantly bumbling fun. His efforts to dodge one pretty nasty G.I. who would know his true identity, and to play-act a plausible top-brass manner for the benefit of officers who think he ranks above them, are developed amusingly — but by no means to their full potential.Unfortunately, Ford's comedy is inhibited from time to time by the script's demand that he make grave speeches about the great qualities of the dead general whom he supplants. Apparently the M-G- M brass feels that American sergeants could not possibly be more brilliant in generalship than generals generally are. Alas, it is by humorously pushing this squaring-off argument too far that the movie on several occasions fails to move and goes flat and soggy.Fortunately, Red Buttons shines brightly as a whimsical corporal "in the know", but the lovely Taina Elg seems somewhat colorless as the French girl whose shattered cottage is used as the general's headquarters.

SimonJack The Korean War had been over for five years, and Vietnam was still that many years distant for U.S. combat forces. In 1958, the U.S. and most of the world were in the midst of the Cold War that itself would escalate to near nuclear catastrophe in just a few years. Only a few movies were made in the last half of the decade about WWII after it ended in 1945. Hollywood, Great Britain and other western countries began making more films about WWII in the 1950s. By the late 50s, Hollywood began to make comedy war films. In 1957, "Don't Go Near the Water" was a Navy wartime movie that starred Glenn Ford. In "Imitation General," Ford plays in an Army film as Master Sergeant Murphy Savage. The small cast are all very good in this pleasant film that has good comedy mixed with some good action. The play and time are France in 1944. Murphy and Corporal Chan Derby, played very well by Red Buttons, are the driver and security for Gen. Charles Lane, played well by Kent Smith. When Lane is killed by German gunfire, Murphy is inadvertently assumed to be a general when a soldier sees him holding the general's steel pot (helmet). One thing leads to another and Murphy assumes the general's ID long enough to pull together some scattered troops in an area who were surrounded by Germans and cut off from their units. Action and a little mayhem switch back and forth. Murphy's actions and leadership are sure to earn the General high honors and recognition later. The men admired and respected Lane, and Murphy does a credible job as substitute. Oh, yes. The would-be romance piece of plot is included with Taina Elg playing Simone, a young French woman who speaks no English. There is no romance, really, but she helps add some humor to the film. This isn't a big war production. It has skirmishes with small number of troops. The GIs succeed in a trap and knock out two Panzer tanks. Murphy and Chan take on two more tanks by themselves with helmets filled with mud. You'll have to watch the movie to see how that unfolds. This is an enjoyable and light movie all around. It was a time – spaced between wars – when people could watch a film like this and not think about the German soldiers who were being killed.

tieman64 Released at the tail end of the Korean war and based on a novel by William Chamberlain, "The Imitation General" is an early war comedy starring Glenn Ford as Sgt Murphy Savage, a US grunt torn straight out of the pages of early, pulpy war comics. Savage, a maverick with a machine gun, is forced to take drastic action when Brigadier General Charles Lane (Kent Smith) is killed in action. To assure the success of the General's mission, and to sustain morale within the ranks, Sgt. Savage poses as the deceased Lane. Much hilarity ensues.The film is brisk, funny and well directed, but is mostly interesting for the way it (unintentionally) captures how apt personality cults are at whipping up euphoria and funnelling violence.7.9/10 – Worth one viewing.

tony-357 This is a great 1958 film that is very hard to find! It stars Glenn Ford who plays a Master Sergeant in the army who impersonates his fallen General to boost morale for his troops in France 1944. There is one soldier ,brilliantly played by Tige Andrews, who was once Master Sergeant Hutchmire but now Private Hutchmire "Hutch", who is out to get Murph (Ford), and knows nothing about Murphs charade to be the General. There is great humor and a lot of action. It may be even more enjoyable if you know French because they speak French some of the time when speaking to a beautiful French woman (Taina Elg - who reminds me of a French Helen Hunt) who's house they confiscate as their headquarters. A lot of fun. A true piece of Hollywood masterpiece. There is a plot to kill the Nazi's and a sub plot to not let Fords identity be found out by the only soldier who knows his true identity