Synopsis:
A private (Jerry Lewis) and a sergeant (Dean Martin) deal with bureaucracy and mishaps in a WWII army training camp.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Comedy
• Dean Martin Films
• Jerry Lewis Films
• Military
• Play Adaptation
• World War II

Review:
Based on a play by James Allardice, At War With the Army was Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin’s first starring vehicle together, and thus holds a unique place in film history.

On its own merits, it comes across as a mildly amusing — though often stagy — spoof of military rigmarole, along the lines of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Lewis and Martin don’t have enough screen time together, but each performs admirably on his own: Lewis is as wacky as ever:

and Martin is appropriately suave. An ongoing sub-plot about a beautiful but dumb pregnant woman (Jean Ruth) trying to get ahold of former-flame Martin leads to a satisfying, unexpected conclusion.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Jerry Lewis as Alvin Korwin
  
• A clever skewering of military bureaucracy and hierarchies
  

Must See?
No, though it’s notable for its historical status as Lewis and Martin’s first film together.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article