At a U.S. Army Medic Outpost in 1945 France, the wily Captain is outwitted by the ringleader of the private recruits. Arthur Carter, adapting his own play with support from Jed Harris and--of all people--Blake Edwards, starts things off brightly, but soon becomes mired in juvenile hijinks and sex-minded mischief. The privates hope to renovate a rundown French hotel in time for a secret dance between the soldiers and the nurses, all the while keeping Captain Ernie Kovacs in the dark. Kovacs does a great job at acting the buffoon, though his character, written without any dimensions, is all on one-note. We've seen these military tricks before (and since). Still, Kovacs manages a handful of bright moments in the first half-hour, easily upstaging Jack Lemmon and a well-chosen supporting cast. Richard Quine directed...and also co-wrote the theme song (!). *1/2 from ****