We've Never Been Licked

Richard Quine is an army brat who grew up in the Far East. Now he's journeyed halfway around the world to attend Texas A&M, his father's alma mater. He hopes to be an Aggie, and bring modern farming techniques to the Philippines. But he's not used to the strange and onerous discipline of the school, despite his friendship with his room mate, Noah Beery Jr., his respect for professor Harry Davenport, and his love for Davenport's daughter, Anne Gwynne. His understanding of the Japanese language and people make him the butt of the growing evidence of Japanese savagery in China. Certainly, upperclassman Robert Mitchum won't let him be.

Walter Wanger produced this 100+ minute propaganda film for Universal. Sometimes it seems a bit long-winded about the college. I checked and was surprised that Wanger did not go to Texas A&M. He started out in vaudeville as a child, then went into the movies as an actor. He switched over to directing in the late 1940s, and specialized in light comedies, often, at first, with scripts by Blake Edwards. He died in 1989 at the age of 68.

A bit of trivia, my mother was enrolled at Texas Women's College when this movies was filmed. Many Texas Women's College girls appeared in the dance scene in Sbisa, but because the female lead was wearing a light colored dress and all the girls in lighter colors were left out and they had to remove their shoes to not interfere with the sound recording.

And it wasn't Victor Mature claiming it was his worst film on Johnny Carson Tonight Show. Noah Beery would go on to star in the Rockford Files. I forget what the deal with the Japanese was. I personally like the remake with Robert DeNiro better even tough I can't stand him as a person.

Train buffs should not miss this movie. There are rare shots of Southern Pacific's streamlined train The Sunbeam arriving at College Station. There are also rare shots of the College Station, Texas Depot torn down in 1966. The former site has an official State of Texas Historical Marker. The scenes of life in the Corps of Cadets and the A&M mascot Reveille are precious. The locomotive that appeared in the movie was Southern Pacific Pacific type locomotive No. 620, the streamlined Pacifics were probably not available during filming. Film used to be shown on Texas TV stations before Texas A&M-University of Texas football games.

One of the reviewers comments that this film is "corney[sic]...(and) if you're not an Aggie, would probably won't like it." Well, I'm not a [Texas] Aggie but I saw this film at the old Kern theater in Bakersfield when I was a kid. I thought it was a true story and went on believing it until I saw it again one night on the late night show on TV. Corny? Well, that may be a bit harsh but in the context of WWII and the times, it doesn't seem so. The fact is, it's dated. Created for US feel-good propaganda during the war, its anti-Japanese message comes across as racist and hate-mongering. But, isn't that what propaganda is all about? As a serious student of the Pacific War, this story shows a horrible lack of understanding of Japanese culture. But, bridging differences and fostering understanding was not the order of the day in 1943. It was "kill Japs," and sadly, this is what this film portends. I hope we don't believe that way now.

The first half of the film concerns the awesomeness of Texas A&M University as we see cocky new student Brad (Richard Quine) arrive on campus and immediately alienate everyone with his terrible personality. Even his roommate Cyanide Jenkins (Noah Beery Jr.) has trouble putting up with Brad until the newcomer is taught some humility. Brad and Cyanide are also both in love with the same girl, professor's daughter Nina (Anne Gwynne). The second half of the movie gets even sillier as Brad deals with evil Japanese agents on campus.

This is a cheesy military school drama that hits most of the usual marks in that kind of story. The second half involving various espionage shenanigans is more entertaining but no less ridiculous. Quine is just terrible, unlikable and irritating. Mitchum's role as a hardcase upperclassman is larger than many he was getting at the time. Cliff Robertson appears in his film debut.