Biting satirical comedy, very 60s in the best sense, about a self confessed coward (James Garner) who desperately seeks to avoid battle duty during D Day. Although based on a novel by someone else, the dialogue bears the unmistakable imprint of Paddy Chayevsky, particularly the soaring monologues which are often very funny.
Julie Andrews is wonderful as Garner’s prim and proper lover, as are James Coburn and Melvyn Douglas. Garner always seems a little odd in his film roles – too tall and square headed or something – but he is good, too. The D Day landing scene is very suspenseful. Is it a cop out for Garner to seem to die then to come back at the end? I still can’t make up my mind – it does feel to be a little cop out but it was 1964 and not 1969.
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