Like so many of you, I saw this as a kid in 1958; loved it then, love it now (it's on TCM this very minute).Some favorite moments: Tony the Pony; last name first, first name, middle name last; ROTCIE; GNXL, BUGLUMP; James Millihan as psychiatrist; dumb look as Will stares at female captain; Blue (the dog looked very similar to Blue of Andy Griffith Show fame).I could go on and on. Right now, Will and Ben are aboard the bomber (Will Hutchens/Sugarfoot, pilot). Got to go.

What is amazing about this movie is that it was done on live television before it was done on film here. The live broadcast was very good, but this film is even better. Even though Andy proved he was great on live TV and on stage doing this as a play, this film goes beyond.For some reason, the casting department got this film perfect. A large and very good supporting cast seems to go perfectly with Andy. Even Don Knotts gets into this along with a lot of folks that would work in famous TV shows later on.The writing is sharp, and the script never lets you miss a laugh. There is no doubt this is Andy's best. He would also do a much more serious film called "A Face In The Crowd" and prove he could also do drama too. I prefer this film, but Andy is just great doing the drama and I suggest that anyone who really wants to know Andy well should watch both films.

The movie's a generally hilarious parody of a country bumpkin's life in the Air Force. Griffith is tailor made for the hillbilly Stockdale who seems to take every adversity in alligator-grinning stride. Ditto, McCormick as sour-faced Sergeant King who just can't seem to escape the plague of his hillbilly underling. Then too, those saluting toilet seats may be the first on-screen view of a commode, even military style. As I recall, the gimmick brought tremendous guffaws from surprised audiences back in '58.Now the movie's humor comes from Stockdale's inability to adapt to military ways. Instead, he insists on a kind of good-humored simplicity that's infectious. A lot of reviewers claim his inability is because he's dumber than a dirt pile. However, that's not my interpretation. I take him to be as smart as anyone else. Rather the problem lies in the distance between sophisticated military rules and country boy Stockdale's unsophisticated background. It's not that he's too dumb to adapt. Instead, he's used to personal relationships and not the impersonality of military rules and hierarchy. Thus he tries to reduce every rule application to a personal encounter—he thinks the sergeant is his friend, while he gets familiar with officers regardless of rank. It's not that he's stupid, he just comes from a less rigid, rule-bound environment.Anyhow, it's hard to say enough for Griffith's utterly winning performance. In my book, it's Oscar worthy, as if Hollywood ever rewarded such goofy comedic roles. However, I do think the movie is flawed. The airplane sequence followed by an A-bomb blast and then the bleak wind- up in the woods is not only not very funny, but undercuts the prevailing style and mood. I don't know about the original play, but this last part strikes me as sheer Hollywood. In short, it's a misguided studio effort at lengthening the film and working in some action and suspense. Nonetheless, I think this last part hurts more than it helps.All in all and despite the flaw, the movie ranks among the funniest of the many service comedies of the post-war period. That is, until the fracas in Vietnam brought this peace-time view of military life to a jarring close.

Before Andy Griffith the movie star/ TV actor, there was Andy Griffith the stand up comic. Doing the naive hick routine was part of his comical act. One notable bit was entitled "What It Was, Was Football." In this bit he was very much like Will Stockdale explaining football . Naturally he was perfect for "No Time For Sargents." This movie showcased what a comic genius Griffith really was,and was also notable for being Don Knott's first movie. Later they would star opposite each other on the extremely popular "Andy Griffith Show." This is a very well done comedy about military life and I would highly recommend it for all ages. Co-starring Nick Adams.