What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966) on Netflix
An American outfit is sent to take Valerno, where the Italian garrison will surrender after a soccer match and a wine festival. Lieutenant Jody Christian must win Captain Lionel Cash over.
- Netflix2.9/5
- IMDb6.6/102,507 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes50%
Trailer
Plot summary
During the Allied invasion of Sicily, an American outfit is ordered to capture the town of Valerno. The Italian garrison there, under Captain Fausto Oppo, has been expecting the Americans and is willing to surrender, on one condition: the soldiers want to finish a soccer match and hold a wine festival first. Lieutenant Jody Christian, easy-going where his superior is not, argues that this is the only practical way forward, and the by-the-book Captain Lionel Cash goes along with it. To keep the operation looking like a real fight, a message goes to headquarters that the town is resisting, and an intelligence officer is sent to sort the matter out.
Cast
- Art Lewisas Needleman
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Because director Blake Edwards was having marital problems and did not want to leave the United States, Mirisch Productions filmed the movie in Lake Sherwood, California, for $5 million, which included building a large Italian village set.
- Screenwriter William Peter Blatty said he and Blake Edwards had agreed to make the film grim and without comedy for the first 20 minutes, until a moment during shooting when a mess orderly ladled beans into Dick Shawn's outstretched hand as Captain Cash.
- The film was the first of an originally intended six films between director Blake Edwards and The Mirisch Company, made as Mirisch-Geoffrey Productions.
- The title of the comedy came to director Blake Edwards when his son asked him the question, and it gave the 1966 film its name.
