For me, the Big Three comedies set in WWII in the Pacific are Father Goose, Operation Petticoat, and Mister Roberts. They were broadcast regularly on local TV when I was growing up, and they’re old favourites. My dad loved Mister Roberts. He thought the motorcycle going off the end of the pier was hilarious. Me, I always preferred Father Goose. Maybe I envied Mr. Eckland’s beachcomber lifestyle, even if I didn’t know what a beachcomber lifestyle was at the time. Maybe it was the dialogue. Who knows?
Mr. Roberts was just on TCM. Operation Petticoat is on now.
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Although technically it takes place just after the war you gotta love Brando’s Teahouse of the August Moon! The greatest actor ever doing a Charlie-Chan accent! Poor utterly befuddled Glenn Ford!
And one of the funniest, hippest lines from any old movie when Ford tells the General that, “I’ve made sure to divide up the land evenly, no one native gets any more than the other” and the General pauses for a moment then screams, "THAT’S COMMUNISM!!"
The guy from Kelly’s outfit assigned to ring the bells used his cut of the gold to open a country and western bar in Chicago where the Blues Brothers had their triumphant return to the stage…
Three more - not at the level of Operation Petticoat, but still WWII Pacific theater comedies.
Lt. Robinson Caruso, USN - Dick Van Dyke (I seem to remember this being advertised with and without the “USN”. Wackiest Ship in the Army - Rick Nelson Don’t Go Near the Water - Glen Ford
