Tanks a Million
| Tanks a Million | |
|---|---|
Original film poster
|
|
| Directed by |
Fred Guiol John E. Burch (assistant) |
| Produced by | Hal Roach (producer) |
| Written by |
Edward E. Seabrook (writer) Paul Girard Smith (writer) Warren Wilson (writer) |
| Starring | See below |
| Music by | Edward Ward |
| Cinematography | Robert Pittack |
| Edited by | Richard C. Currier |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
|
12 September 1941 |
|
Running time
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50 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Tanks a Million is a 1941 American film directed by Fred Guiol. It was the first of Hal Roach's Streamliners, short films under an hour designed for the lower half of a double feature. The film was also the first pairing of William Tracy and Joe Sawyer in a film series of the two in the military. Despite the title and military setting, no tanks are seen in the film.
Dorian Doubleday, "Dodo" to his friends, works as a clerk at a railway station but he has the ability of photographic memory. When he is drafted in the Army, he memorizes all the manuals for Army procedure immediately before starting his service.
Because of his extensive knowledge of procedure, he is quickly known as a know-it-all at the basic training in Camp Carver. His drill sergeant, Sergeant Ames, disapproves of him from the start, but the officers above him are quite impressed with the new recruit due to his memorisation and word perfect recital of Army Regulations.
On his first day in the Army Dodo is sent to non commissioned officer school but after a brief time he returns to inform the officers that as he proficiently demonstrated his knowledge of military regulations he was ordered to sew on First Sergeant chevrons and return to his unit. This infuriates the now outranked Ames as it has taken him twenty years to make buck sergeant. Sgt Ames sees his chance for revenge when he insists Dodo is put in charge of the worst and most chaotic company on the camp: Company F. The soldiers try to make things hard for Dodo, by following his orders to the letter. When Dodo orders his company to report for training in overcoats, rifles and full packs, the men fall out only wearing these items with no other clothing. As soon as Sergeant Ames hears this he reports it to Major Greer, hoping it will shorten Dodo's career as a non commissioned officer.
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Wikipedia