Advance to the Rear (1964)

In the tumultuous year of 1862, amidst the raging American Civil War, a band of Union infantrymen, led by the indomitable Colonel Claude Brackenbury, is ordered to assault Confederate fortifications. However, a comedy of errors unfolds as Brackenbury's steed bolts towards the rear, prompting his bewildered troops to blindly follow suit. This spectacle of seeming cowardice does not sit well with the Board of Inquiry, causing Brackenbury to be bumped down to the rank of Captain and his second-in-command, Captain Jared Heath, to the rank of Lieutenant. As part of their penance, Brackenbury, Heath and a handful of their non-commissioned officers are reassigned to Fort Hooker in the West. Here, they are tasked with leading a motley crew of outcasts and misfits, aptly named Company Q. En route to their new assignment, they share a river-boat journey with a gaggle of women of the night, banished from their town by the moralistic townsfolk. Among them is the demure Martha Lou Williams, a Confederate spy masquerading as a novice harlot, with orders to seduce the demoted officers and uncover Company Q's mission. What Martha and the Confederate forces don't anticipate is the purpose of Company Q at Fort Hooker—to guard the Union's gold reserves. Despite their past record, Brackenbury and his men must rise to the occasion. However, their competence is severely tested when Confederate guerrillas, spearheaded by Hugo Zattig and backed by the rogue Sioux Chief Thin Elk, catch them off guard during an unexpected distraction involving a troop of scantily clad women. Stripped of their weapons, horses, uniforms, and the gold they were entrusted with, Brackenbury's men are captured and the gold is whisked away southwards, to fuel the Confederate war effort. Running out of time and with Union General Willoughby fast approaching for an inspection, Brackenbury and Heath are left with no choice but to orchestrate a daring escape and recover the stolen gold. With only their wits and the resolve of their ragtag team, they embark on an audacious mission that could decide the outcome of the war.

Advance to the Rear is a comedy movie featuring Glenn Ford and directed by George Marshall.

It is possible to buy Advance to the Rear on Amazon Video, Apple TV and DIRECTV.