Girl He Left Behind

Director: David Butler David Butler

Overview

The peacetime draft is given the teen-idol treatment in this film. Hollywood hunk Tab Hunter is starred as a spoiled man who is whipped into shape -- and humility -- by his two years of compulsory military service. Natalie Wood plays the girl who ... well, look at the title.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/20/2014
UPC:	0888574034788
Original Release:	1956
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:43:00
Sales rank:	39,616

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Tab Hunter	Andy L. Shaeffer
Natalie Wood	Susan Daniels
David Janssen	Capt. Genaro
Henry Jones	Hanson
Jessie Royce Landis	Madeline Sheaffer
Jim Backus	Sgt. Hanna
Murray Hamilton	Sgt. Clyde
Alan King	Maguire
James Garner	Preston
Vinton Haworth	Arthur Sheaffer
Wilfrid Knapp	Congressman Hardison
Les Johnson	Lt. Taylor
Raymond Bailey	General
Florenz Ames	Mr. Hillaby
Fredd Wayne	Sgt. Sheridan
Ernestine Wade	Lorna,Lorna
Brett Halsey	Actor
Roy Webb	Composer

Technical Credits

Guy Troper

David Butler	Director
Frank P. Rosenberg	Producer
Guy Troper	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

The Girl He Left Behind is a moderately entertaining Service Life comedy, one which would probably have been more enjoyable with a better actor than Tab Hunter in the leading role. Hunter is not horrible, mind you; he's actually quite good at making an audience believe that his character is indeed a spoiled rich kid who has a lot of growing up to do. Unfortunately, Hunter isn't actor enough to either make the audience like this character or to believe the sudden growth into maturity that climaxes the film. Neither of these things are easy to accomplish, but without them Girl falls short of being a much better film. Fortunately, Girl does have a lot of laughs, a great many of them courtesy of Murray Hamilton's expertly-played drill sergeant. There's also solid humor from Jim Backus, Henry Jones and Alan King, and an incredibly beautiful Natalie Wood in the title role, turning in one of her finer "almost grown" performances. David Butler's direction is swift and professional, pointing up the script's strengths and doing all he can to disguise the flaws in the film.