The Sad Sack (1957): cast, story & where to watch
1957 · Film · ★ 5.8
Released in 1957, The Sad Sack is a comedy film directed by George Marshall, running about 98 minutes. “The Lovable Laughable GI Goof!” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Private Meredith Bixby is so out of step in the Army that his six weeks of planned basic training has now stretched to 17 months. After he loses a tank, WAC Major Shelton, a psychologist, is assigned to make a good soldier out of him. She requests Corporal Dolan and Private Stan Wensalawsky to help with the training. Dolan and Stan both have scores to settle with Bixby and their "guidance" leads to more mishaps. Sergeant Pulley has them shipped out to Morocco. On leave in North Africa, Bixy wanders alone into a bar, has a few Moroccan Delights, which he thinks are malted milks, and becomes convinced that exotic singer-dancer Zita is THE girl for him.
Who’s in it. The Sad Sack stars Jerry Lewis as Private Meredith C. Bixby, David Wayne as Corporal Larry Dolan, Phyllis Kirk as Maj. Shelton and Peter Lorre as Abdul, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 5.8/10, The Sad Sack has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Sad Sack page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Sad Sack tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Sad Sack (1957)?
- In US, The Sad Sack is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Sad Sack worth watching?
- The Sad Sack holds an audience score of 5.8 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy comedy. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The Sad Sack?
- The Sad Sack stars Jerry Lewis, David Wayne, Phyllis Kirk, Peter Lorre and Joe Mantell.
- When was The Sad Sack released?
- The Sad Sack was released in 1957, with a runtime of about 98 minutes.