What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?

1966 "The screen dares reveal the best kept secrets of world war II !"
6.6| 1h56m| NR| en
Details

A by-the-book Captain is ordered to capture a strategic village in Italy. The Italian soldiers are willing to surrender, if they can have a festival first. The lieutenant convinces the Captain this is the only way. Because of aerial reconnaissance, they must look like they are fighting. To sort this out an intelligence officer is sent in. Meanwhile the festival gets complicated with the Mayors daughter.

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Reviews

Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
IslandGuru Who payed the critics
Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.
Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...
Sam Sloan You can't watch this movie without laughing. The casting of James Colburn, Dick Shawn, Aldo Ray was perfect for this probably the best comedy of WWII. Dick Shawn really showed his comedic skill where he begins as a dedicated officer, determined to make his mark in winning the war by taking a small Italian village and winds up as the love interest of an amorous German officer when disguised in drag. It was hilarious watching him as he tries to fight off the German's "advances." The plot seems to be about the Italian's unwillingness to surrender to the Americans led by Dick Shawn unless they could first have their festival which Dick Shawn is first unwilling to agree to until James Colburn convinces Shawn it would be a wise military decision to allow them to have it in exchange for their surrender. Somehow during the festival, the Americans lose their uniforms to the Italians and the Italians lose theirs to the Americans in a card game. This sets up the fun for some hilarious moments when Colonel Potts played by TV MASH actor Harry Morgan arrives there to inspect US troops and finds what he thinks are American troops but instead are the Italian soldiers dressed as Americans who can't speak a word of English. Before he can get wise that something isn't right, he is taken prisoner by Also Ray wearing an Italian uniform pressuring him to hurry along to a waiting jeep with basic Italian: "Presto! Presto!" These are just a few of the funny scenes you will be treated to! War has never been funnier!
inspectors71 I remember watching Blake Edward's (always beware of this word) zany service comedy on NBC 35 years ago and laughing out loud for two thirds of the film.Then, everything changed. I recollect the basic story--and the army officer losing his mind in the catacombs underneath an Italian town--but all of a sudden, the film got serious and brutal. The whole thing came to a screeching halt when, I think, the Germans arrive to spoil the on-screen party. What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? was such a disappointment. It wasn't until I got quite a bit older that I realized that Edwards was trying to make a statement of some sort with this thing, and his delivery was so heavy-handed, the movie just collapsed.Skip it.
nursewratchet_romanorn I like this movie for several reasons. One, is that it was made the year I was born-1966. Most movies from that year are very odd or strange- that was the height of the mod generation. One other good movie from 1966 is Fahrenheit 451. Anyway, My great Uncle is also in the movie. He plays the mayor of the town-Mayor Romano. It is ironic because although his stage name was Jay Novello, in real life his name was Michael Romano! Also Dick Shawn is hilarious and James Coburn is great as well-This was the same time period that he made his James bond spoof movies-in like Flint etc.... Definitely worth seeing again. Not quite on par with Kelly's Hero's-the best war comedy ever, but still close to that.
Lee Eisenberg Gen. Sherman said that war is hell, but if he had seen "What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?", he would have eaten his words. The movie focuses on an American platoon that captures an Italian village in WWII. The Italians are willing to surrender as long as they can have their festival. This creates a problem for the Americans, who have to look like they're fighting. Meanwhile, one of the commanding officers gets lost in the catacombs and goes crazy.Dick Shawn displays the same type of wacky humor that he employed in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", and we even get to see Carroll O'Connor, pre-"All in the Family". Perfect.