The Girl He Left Behind

Studio chief Jack L Warner must have had high hopes of Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood as new stars, teaming them in both the western The Burning Hills and this army comedy. Under the direction of veteran David Butler, Hunter is well cast as a spoiled, insufferable and unwilling draftee in the peace-time army, who itches to get back to the girl he left behind (Wood). Naturally, Hunter grows up. The comedy is familiar stuff, the film as a whole overlong. But Wood is vivacious and there's strong support from Jessie Royce Landis and Murray Hamilton, who plays an exasperated sergeant.