Mr. Winkle Goes to War (1944) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Edward G. Robinson plays Mr. Winkle, an elderly, out of shape man who gets drafted for the war and shocks everyone when he passes everyone's expectations. I really wasn't sure what to expect from this war comedy but it turned out to be a fairly delightful little film. The story is as thin as a sheet of paper but its heart is in the right place and Robinson is great as usual. It was a lot of fun seeing Robinson playing a weak soul and watching him turn into the hero was very believable due to the actor. The supporting cast includes good work from Bob Stanton, Robert Armstrong and Richard Lane. Robert Mitchum has a very small part and I only noticed him during one scene. The war time scenes are rather cheap but look pretty good and the ending is predictable but nice.

Meek and mild Edward G. Robinson (as Wilbert Winkle) decides to quit his bank job and do what he wants, open a "fix-it" repair shop behind his house. Mr. Robinson is married, but childless; he has befriended local orphanage resident Ted Donaldson (as Barry). Young Donaldson is an eager workshop assistant, and sees Robinson as a father figure. Robinson's nagging wife Ruth Warwick (as Amy) is unhappy with Robinson's job choice, and conspires to return matters to her idea of normalcy. Their lives are further disrupted when Robinson is drafted.The war also disrupts what might have been an interesting story, as Robinson's character struggles against a domineering, unsympathetic wife. Possibly, filmmakers are showing how war can save marriages and positively redirect lives. Robinson and Donaldson are a likable team. Robert Mitchum has an inauspicious bit part. The ending "trick" played by Ms. Warwick and Donaldson is predictably staged.

Reaching back for his character from The Whole Town's Talking, or at least one of them, Edward G. Robinson plays Wilbert Winkle who at 44 wants a change in life. He gets far more than he bargained for when he's drafted during World War II.That actually happened. I had a great uncle who was 44 in 1942 and had served in the first World War. That made no difference, because along with my father who was 23 at the time, my great uncle like Wilbert Winkle found himself drafted, though fortunately he didn't get another trip overseas courtesy of Uncle Sam.Winkle's a meek little clerk in a bank in what has proved to be a dead end job. He's decided to quit and turn a hobby into a business. He likes to work with his hands and opens up a fix it shop. That doesn't sit well with wife Ruth Warrick. In fact the only one who approves is a kid from a nearby group home, Ted Donaldson, who's devoted to Winkle.Of course everything changes when Winkle of all people pulls a Sergeant York act out in the Pacific Theater. It's interesting to see how people treat him then.Mr. Winkle Goes To War is a pleasant and whimsical film with a nice restrained performance by Edward G. Robinson. A far cry from Little Caesar indeed. His scenes with Ted Donaldson are quite poignant.It's a film I'm sure could be remade today and maybe should.

This picked on banker goes and get's drafted. He is always taking pills for some ailment, but once he goes into training with the Army, he's a changed man. The movie moves along very nicely. You see the change in him....slowly but at the right moments he emerges a stronger person and a hero. I'm sorry to say that this movie has been hidden and should be brought back. Very inspirational to say the least. Mr. Winkle is an excellent movie and should be viewed by all. His wife played by Ruth Warick, who recently passed away, plays a sympathetic wife and very loving. She feels her husband's pain while at the bank. She is extremely proud when he returns victorious and a changed man. Must see!