AllMovie

Old Soldiers Never Die is far too good a title for this threadbare quota-quickie. Max Nesbitt and Leslie Fuller play a couple of goofs who decide to go to the movies and end up accidentally joining the army (this gag was heaps funnier in Abbott and Costello's Buck Privates). Much of the humor in the early scenes derives from the two lamebrained heroes mistaking recruiting posters for movie ads; ha ha ha. And then -- now get this! -- Nesbitt and Fuller run afoul of a short-tempered sergeant (Alf Goddard). Isn't this picture just brimming with originality? Running 50 minutes, Old Soldiers Never Die is about 40 minutes too long; it would have been better off emulating the Old Soldier by just fading away.