The Rookie

The Rookie is a 1959 American comedy film directed by George O'Hanlon in CinemaScope. It was the first film starring the comedy team of Tommy Noonan and Peter Marshall, they also appeared together in the 1962 film Swingin' Along. Plot Set in 1945, Thomas Patrick Noonan (Tommy Noonan) is a radio station page who receives an Army induction draft notice on the day World War II ends. He insists he should fulfill his military duty, and a mistake at the Pentagon results in a decommissioned stateside military facility being kept open to accommodate his basic training. Sgt. Peter Marshall (Peter Marshall), who is in charge of shutting the camp down, is angry he has to remain in the Army, since he was planning to marry his girlfriend, movie starlet Lili Marlene (Julie Newmar). Tommy falls in love with Lili, and her press agent devises a publicity stunt for Lili to return the emotion and plan to marry him. The sergeant, who is furious about losing Lili, attempts to sabotage Tommy's basic training, but his scheme backfires and the two men find themselves stationed in Japan. Lili follows them, and through complicated circumstances the trio wind up stranded on a desert island that is soon visited by two Japanese sailors who are unaware the war has ended. Cast Tommy Noonan as Pvt. Thomas Patrick Noonan Peter Marshall as MSgt. Pete Marshall Julie Newmar as Lili Marlene Joe Besser as Medical Corpsman Jerry Lester as Jerry Mann Claude Stroud as Col. Taylor Norman Leavitt as Maj. Evert Vince Barnett as 1st Janitor Herb Armstrong as Lt. Pat Sumner Richard Reeves as Bruce – Military Police Sergeant Don Corey as Cook Rodney Bell as 2nd Janitor George Eldredge as Gen. Bechtel Peter Leeds as Seville Quare Patrick O'Moore as Ship's Captain Weiss