Sergeant Dead Head

Major klutz leads his post though all kinds of calamities and misunderstandings that involve pratfalls, mistaken identities and a rocket trip with a monkey mixed in with a few songs.

This is the kind of movie you have to rate on a sliding scale. First of all consider the title, if that doesn't give you a clue about the level of entertainment you can expect you didn't read it right. Second consider that it comes from AIP a studio whose major output was innocent simple-minded films mostly in the beach party vein. This one doesn't exceed any of those expectations but it does have a veteran supporting cast all do their patented shtick each adding a little pleasure into the film. True Avalon and Deborah Walley are merely bland in the leads but the script doesn't require anything more from them and they fill those roles attractively.

If you're looking for a sweet throwback time passer this will fit the bill if you want anything weighty look elsewhere.

Second-string drive-in fare from American-International Pictures, here trying to evolve their "Beach Party" series into a more standard comedy genre--but with Frankie Avalon on-board, who could tell the difference? Sergeant Avalon is sent into orbit with a chimpanzee. Deborah Walley is his love-interest, Buster Keaton is an Air Force handyman, and Fred Clark is the befuddled general (no Annette Funicello this time, not even in a cameo). The nickname "Dead Head" was very popular with AIP's stable of writers; Frankie gets to wear the moniker this time, and he looks more than a little embarrassed monkeying around with this script. Eve Arden has a few funny lines and gets her own number, "You Should've Seen the One That Got Away", composed by Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner (who also contribute a cute love song for the gals in the barracks, "How Can You Tell"). Some frisky scenes--such as when the female Airmen drop their bath towels to salute the brass--but the rest is slapstick-stupid and routine. *1/2 from ****

Many of AIPs main players are there including writers, direction etc. However, the script is very weak. There is very little of the classic AIP interplays or humor at work here. It feels flat and barely has any redeeming features. However, Fred Clark is good as the general and he's pretty funny. And great to see all those other character actors from those times. But something is missing here, it just has a weird vapid meandering vibe to it. Literally any previous AIP generated beach movie or knock offs such. 'Fireball 500' are much better. This film has its moments but really, if you're wanting to delve into the AIP library, this is not the place to start. Like I said, for completists only.

When I say that this a screen comedy for dead heads I don't mean for followers of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia. In fact to avoid seeing this film people ought to be grateful they've passed.

There's a little bit of The Nutty Professor in Sergeant Dead Head and by the way that's Frankie Avalon's character name, O.K. Deadhead. An accidental trip into outer space with a chimpanzee has him changing personalities from being a lovable klutz to being an aggressive Buddy Love type. That's causing consternation with all concerned from the president on down to Deborah Walley fellow Air Force non-com and in love with the lovable klutz.

But when Avalon becomes aggressive like Buddy Love all concerned he might be too hard to handle. So they look for a lookalike and find another Frankie Avalon in the Air Force. After that this whole affair becomes witless beyond the point of endurance.

When casting Pat Buttram as a Lyndon Johnson like president is someone's idea of humor you know this film has to be bad. Frankie Avalon isn't even given any good songs to sing.

If you like Frankie Avalon wait for a beach film.

This film essentially begins with an airman by the name of "Sergeant O. K. Deadhead" (Frankie Avalon) being sent to the guardhouse due to a series of mishaps which have caused problems on the base. Needless to say, this doesn't sit well with his fiancé "Airman Lucy Turner" (Deborah Walley) who had hoped to marry him that weekend. Likewise, Sergeant Deadhead also wanted to be married and as a result he tells his other two cellmates that he intends to be a model prisoner so that he can be released early. However, one of his cellmates named "Airman McEvoy" (Harvey Lembeck) doesn't share his concern and detonates an explosive that very night which compels Sergeant Deadhead to escape from the guardhouse as well. To that effect, upon being chased by the military police, Sergeant Deadhead takes refuge in a rocket destined for outer space--and returns as a completely different person. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this movie started off real well due in large part to the performances of Buster Keaton (as "Airman Blinken") and Gale Gordon ("Captain Weiskopf"). Unfortunately, the film seemed to run out of steam around the halfway mark and became less interesting at that point. Even so, I suppose it was good enough for the time spent and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.