Monogram's well calculated hillbilly comic strip / army antics comedy from 1942 must have made zillions at the box office, given it's time and themes. Hilarious actors Bud Duncan and wife Sarah Padden playing tiny Snuffy Smith and his huge wife Lowzie make a very funny on screen sight. I have to say I watched this under protest; but within 10 minutes found myself laughing at my own prejudice: this is a well made and very entertaining 40s crowd pleaser ...and transfer that into huge crowds watching either in bumpkin Bijous or Army cinemas and the roof would have lifted an many occasions during this farce well connected with its intended audience. The dialog alone spoken in some sort of contrived hillbilly pilgrim Shakespeare is suitably mangled and hilarious. The cheap production adds to the hick locales and tent city of the army; the comic book look and action suit the antics perfectly. I really liked this deliberately silly film and found it a real surprise. Filmed with a real eye for being as crazy as possible with a cast matched (in the credits) to the comic book...well it all is a treat...and "filmed" just around the corner from Dogpatch, I am sure, they would have known Li'l Abner, Daisy Mae, the Beverly Hillbillies and even both Hatfields and MacCoys. Bud Duncan, veteran of over 120 silent comedies is a perfectly diminutive and crafty WC Fields which adds to the film. What a surprise! Republic Pictures must have been soooo jealous of Monogram scoring this bullseye! Remember these silly films were made to entertain wartime audiences sitting in huge theaters, not clever new century us in alone in our DVD caves...so allow that notion in your viewing of these old films...and have fun..that's what they are made for!
Review of Private Snuffy Smith
