Advance to the Rear is a light-hearted western comedy film set in the American Civil War. It starred Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens and Melvyn Douglas. The film is based on the novel Company of Cowards by Jack Schaefer; with the film having that title in pre-production and when released in the United Kingdom.

Plot summary

Union Colonel Claude Brackenbury (Melvyn Douglas) has a cozy arrangement with his Confederate counterpart. They fire a few artillery rounds in each other's general direction at precisely the same time each morning, then go back to contentedly waiting for the war to end. However, Captain Jared Heath (Glenn Ford) disturbs the status quo by going out and capturing some of the enemy. The Confederates feel obliged to retaliate. One thing leads to another and a military fiasco results. As punishment, Brackenbury and Heath are demoted, placed in charge of all the misfits General Willoughby (Jim Backus) can find, and shipped west, where they can (hopefully) do no further damage.

The rebels are suspicious however, and send a beautiful spy, Martha Lou Williams (Stella Stevens), to find out their "real" mission. After questioning Easy Jenny (Joan Blondell), a madam Martha Lou is traveling with, Heath sees through Martha Lou's lies, but decides that he is going to marry her eventually and does his best to keep her out of mischief.

The unit is sent to escort an important gold shipment, but the soldiers are captured by Thin Elk (Michael Pate), an Indian chief in league with Confederate Hugo Zattig (James Griffith). Zattig's men masquerade as Union soldiers (using uniforms taken from their prisoners) and hijack the shipment. Meanwhile, Thin Elk, recognizing Brackenbury as a fellow West Point graduate, lets his captives go, but without horses or guns.

Heath takes charge. He and the men steal horses from the Indians, retrieve the gold (and Martha Lou) and capture Zattig's gang.

Cast

• Glenn Ford as Major/Lieutenant Jared Heath
• Stella Stevens as Martha Lou Williams
• Melvyn Douglas as Colonel/Captain Claude Brackenbury
• Alan Hale, Jr. as Sergeant Beauregard Davis
• James Griffith as Hugo Zattig
• Joan Blondell as Easy Jenny
• Michael Pate as Thin Elk
• Andrew Prine as Private Owen Selous
• Jesse Pearson as Corporal Silas Geary
• Jim Backus as General Willoughby
• Whit Bissell as Captain Queeg
• Yvonne Craig as Ora
• Richard Adams as Courier
• Robert Anderson as Steamboat Captain
• Eddie Quillan as Sergeant Smitty