Starring Bob Hope, Jack Whiting, Martha Raye, and Betty Grable
Directed by Elliot Nugent
Music by Ralph Rainger; Lyrics by Leo Robin
Let's celebrate Memorial Day honoring those who fought and died for us on the high seas with this wacky romantic comedy. Bob Hope was an up-and-coming star on the radio and in the movies when this debuted. Betty Grable, on the other hand, had been bouncing around films since the early 30's and had been doing ingenue roles and tiny roles in big musicals since the mid-30's. Martha Raye had mostly been doing supporting roles since she went to films in 1936. Paramount gave all three of them an opportunity for leading roles, joined by popular crooner Whiting. How well do they do with this goofy farce about two brothers in the Navy who love the same girl? Let's begin with brothers Jim (Hope) and Walter (Whiting) as they're going off-ship and find out...
The Story: Jim is in love with beautiful Nancy (Grable), but she only has eyes for Walter. Nancy's plainer sister Letty (Raye) has a crush on Walter and hopes her excellent cooking will win him. She's going to enter the boat-shaped cake she makes for their return in a contest, but the photographer accidentally takes a photo of her legs instead. Somehow, her legs end up winning a beautiful legs contest. Now she's the glamorous, much-fussed-over one. She and Jim have been trying to help each other to win their heart's desire...but after she becomes famous, they realize that the ones they really want are each other.
The Song and Dance: Grable may be the blonde beauty with the equally good legs, but Raye's the one who really stands out here. She has some great scenes of physical humor, including her bratty sister Edna (Bonnie Jean Churchill) releasing the frog into the kitchen that ends with the fateful photo and Hope hiding her under his mattress when they're forced to share a room at a local inn. Grable's best moment is a dance sequence with a game Whiting where he gets her into a wild routine to keep her from her many suitors.
Favorite Number: We open with the sailors singing about "The U.S.A and You" aboard-ship as they prepare to disembark. "What Goes On In My Heart" begins as a duet for Grable and Whiting at a dance...but Grable keeps dancing with her many other suitors. Whiting pulls her into a delightful tap routine to keep her in his arms, and even manages to acquit himself relatively well alongside the experienced Grable. We get Raye's "A Little Kiss at Twilight" twice, once as a ballad after she becomes famous, and later as a swing number.
What I Don't Like: Despite figuring into the title, very little time is spent with the guys actually being sailors. This one is all about the relationships. On one hand, it's almost refreshing to see Raye, who usually ends up in brassy supporting roles, get to play the glamor girl. Truth be told, sad-sack Cinderella doesn't really suit her nervy personality, and she can come off as whiny or annoying rather than well-meaning.
Grable's not much better. She's a spoiled brat who steals her sister's clothes for a dance and has no trouble flirting with other men when the one she loves is right there. I have no clue what either guy sees in her. Hope doesn't really have that much to do, and Whiting is barely there other than his dance number with Grable.
The Big Finale: This isn't really much of a comedy, a musical, or a military farce. Unless you're a huge fan of Raye, I'd leave this one stranded in the woods.
Home Media: Only on DVD as part of a Bob Hope collection and a double-feature with another Hope military comedy, Caught In the Draft.
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