What Did You Do In The War, Daddy? Directed By Blake Edwards

Soldiers in the wrong uniforms, ferocious hand-to-hand combat that is totally faked, an enemy that refuses to surrender unless they can hold a festival, and an American major slowly losing his mind as he wanders the catacombs beneath a small Sicilian village are only a few problems confronting James Coburn and Dick Shawn in What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? Blake Edwards (Darling Lili, Victor/Victoria, Breakfast at Tiffany's) directed this very funny comedy -- with a strong anti-war undercurrent -- about a ragged band of weary American soldiers who are ordered to hold a strategic town until reinforcements can be sent. Filled to the brim with delightful Edwardian moments, expertly offered by Shawn, in a hilarious performance, and a supporting cast that includes Harry Morgan, Carroll O'Connor, and Aldo Ray. An overlooked gem in the Edwards canon. The screenplay -- oddly enough -- was written by Exorcist author William Peter Blatty. Henry Mancini, a frequent Edwards collaborator, wrote the lilting music.