The Private War of Major Benson

The Private War of Major Benson
Film poster by Reynold Brown
Directed by	Jerry Hopper
Screenplay by	William Roberts Richard Alan Simmons
Story by	Joe Connelly Bob Mosher
Produced by	Howard Pine
Starring	Charlton Heston Julie Adams William Demarest Sal Mineo Tim Hovey
Cinematography	Harold Lipstein
Edited by	Ted J. Kent
Music by	Henry Mancini
Distributed by	Universal-International
Release date	August 2, 1955 (1955-08-02)
Running time	105 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Private War of Major Benson is 1955 comedy film starring Charlton Heston, Julie Adams, Sal Mineo and Tim Hovey, about a tough-talking U.S. Army officer who must shape up the JROTC program at Sheridan Academy, a Catholic boys' military academy, or be forced out of the Army.

The film was shot on St. Catherine's Military School campus in 1955, with cadets as the actors in all but the leading roles. Universal Pictures chose St. Catherine's cadets and location for their humorous comedy about the challenges facing the new commandant of a military school by the antics of a group of grade school cadets. The picture featured a full battalion of St. Catherine's students.

The film has not been remade, but its basic premise was done twice in the following forty years, such as Hard Knox (1984) for TV and most notably with Major Payne (1995), which was also filmed by Universal Pictures.

Cast

• Charlton Heston as Maj. Barney Benson
• Julie Adams as Dr. Kay Lambert
• William Demarest as John
• Tim Hovey as Cadet Tiger Flaherty
• Sal Mineo as Cadet Dusik
• Tim Considine as Cadet Hibler
• Nana Bryant as Mother Redempta
• Milburn Stone as General Ramsey

Reception

Screenwriters Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Story.

External links

• The Private War of Major Benson at IMDb
• The Private War of Major Benson at the TCM Movie Database