Jackie Gleason tried for decades to escape from the TV genre and move into the mainstream of big screen film. Most of his efforts went unrewarded financially, until the successful Smoky and the Bandit series with Burt Reynolds (another lightweight actor) and Sally Field (a legitimate actress). No Time for Sergeants had been his high water mark until this film, and his performance is dynamic. However, he cannot save a relatively average script with some mundane dialogue, despite his strong acting ability. He was condemned to be wildly successful with The Honeymooners and the Jackie Gleason Show. After all, how many actors can top the success of those shows?
Review of Gigot
