Many of the “Gilligan’s Island” cast members worked together on other projects. For instance, Alan Hale Jr. and Jim Backus had a “Gilligan’s Island” reunion in a dismal 1979 action comedy that’s better left forgotten. Thankfully, their pre-“Gilligan’s Island” collaboration, “Advance to the Rear,” was much better, even if it has been mostly forgotten.
Like any actors working in the mid-20th Century, Backus and Hale Jr. appeared in a number of Westerns. In 1964, they found themselves together in George Marshall’s Western comedy “Advance to the Rear,” which debuted just months before the Castaways set sail for the first time on CBS. Marshall had previously overseen 1939’s “Destry Rides Again” and contributed a segment to John Wayne’s biggest box office hit, “How the West Was Won.” He also had a solid background in comedy, having directed Laurel and Hardy during the 1930s before going on to work with Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, and W. C. Fields.
His 1964 Western comedy was based on Jack Schaefer’s 1957 novel “Company of Cowards,” which, in turn, was inspired by an article by William Chamberlain chronicling the adventures of “Company Q” during the Civil War. The stories in Chamberlain’s article weren’t confirmed to be true, but they certainly provided ample inspiration for Schaefer’s novel and its film adaptation. As detailed in Chamberlain’s article and Schaefer’s book, Company Q was essentially a military unit made up of Union Army soldiers who had been court-martialed for cowardice. It gave the disgraced soldiers a chance to redeem themselves, and in “Company of Cowards,” we see how the soldiers in question do just that. Marshall’s adaptation, however, was more concerned with the humor of the basic premise than anything else.
Jim Backus and Alan Hale Jr. play supporting roles in Advance to the Rear
The Professor actor Russell Johnson and Alan Hale Jr. appeared in a Western together almost a decade prior to “Gilligan’s Island.” Hale Jr and Jim Backus’ Western, however, came right as their sitcom was set to debut on CBS.
“Company of Cowards” writer Jack Schaefer was also responsible for “Shane,” which became the 1953 Alan Ladd-starring Western of the same name. In that instance, however, director George Stevens followed the novel fairly closely. With “Advance to the Rear,” the novel really only provided the premise of a squad of cowards sent back into battle. It sounds like the perfect showcase for Hale Jr. and Backus to demonstrate some proto-“Gilligan’s Island” slapstick comedy. But the duo are only seen in supporting roles.
The main roles of Union Colonel Claude Brackenbury and Lieutenant Jared Heath are played by Melvyn Douglas and Glenn Ford, respectively. After a debacle on the battlefield, both are placed in charge of a group of misfit soldiers and sent into the western territory. Meanwhile, the Confederates are suspicious and send along a spy, Martha Lou Williams (Stella Stevens), to keep an eye on things. Along the way, Heath falls for Martha Lou before the entire regiment is put in charge of protecting a gold shipment. Soon after, they’re captured by an Indigenous tribe led by Thin Elk (Michael Pate) while the Confederates steal the gold for themselves.
Hale Jr. is seen in several scenes as Sergeant Beauregard Davis, who can’t bring himself to shoot any rebels from his hometown (Ford’s Lieutenant suggests shooting a few in a later battle to make up for it). Meanwhile, Backus plays General Willoughby, who’s responsible for giving Company Q the task of escorting the gold shipment.
Advance to the Rear has been mostly forgotten
“Advance to the Rear” premiered in theaters on June 10, 1964. “Gilligan’s Island” debuted on CBS three months later, on September 26, 1964. Alan Hale Jr. and Jim Backus’ TV show would, of course, prove to be a big hit, making both actors household names and becoming a pop culture phenomenon despite only lasting three seasons. Meanwhile, “Advance to the Rear” made $1.1 million at the box office and slipped into obscurity.
George Marshall and Glenn Ford had worked together five times prior to their Western comedy. “Advance to the Rear” isn’t necessarily seen as their finest collaboration, but it has its charms. It’s also interesting to see “Gilligan’s Island”-era Hale Jr. and Backus in the same picture, even if they don’t share any scenes. As the conscientious Sergeant Beauregard Davis, Hale Jr. is noticeably Skipper-like, especially when watching his hopeless soldiers struggling to mount their horses as if he were Captain Jonas Grumby enduring Gilligan’s antics.
He and Backus returned to Westerns after “Gilligan’s Island,” too, with Hale Jr. appearing in one of Clint Eastwood’s most important Westerns, “Hang ‘Em High” in 1968. Backus, meanwhile, made another Western comedy in 1970’s “The Cockeye Cowboys of Calico County,” which was remembered about as well as “Advance to the Rear.”
