His First Command

The unique directorial touches of Gregory LaCava lift this standard military comedy well above the norm. William Boyd plays Terry Culver, a wise-guy officer who receives his first commission. Amazingly, Culver's commanding officer Colonel Gaylord (Alphonse Ethier) takes a liking to the brash, obnoxious young officer -- as does Gaylord's pretty daughter Judy (Dorothy Sebastian, at the time the wife of co-star Boyd). Despite his blundering and bluster, Culver proves his worth by rescuing a small child from jeopardy, and as a reward wins Judy's hand in marriage. A brief Technicolor sequence and an exciting steeplechase finale add to the film's overall conviviality.