Twilightfa
Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.
Tyreece Hulme
One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
Aneesa Wardle
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Cody
One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
simeon_flake
Somewhere, hidden within what seems like a ton of singing and dancing numbers and the requisite romantic subplot, there's actually a very fine Abbott and Costello comedy to be found. Not that I have anything personal against the Andrews Sisters--but the time devoted to their singing numbers is time I would rather see Bud & Lou work their magic. But--when given the opportunity--Bud & Lou do a stellar job with such classic routines as the Lemon Bit & 7x13=28. And fans of the Three Stooges may get a kick out of seeing Shemp Howard in this film--although he rarely gets an opportunity to flex his comedic muscles--reportedly Shemp did a lot of funny stuff in his A & C appearances that got left on the cutting room floor. Still, I enjoyed when during the Lemon Bit, Shemp ask Bud if he's mad then advises him to suck on a lemon.Another highlight--and maybe the funniest scene in the entire film-- is Lou's dream sequence where he masquerades as the Captain of the ship.Overall, if you can bare all the singing and dancing, then "In the Navy" rates as a fine Bud & Lou comedy that could have been great if a lot of the fat was trimmed--but then again, I could say the same for a lot of Bud & Lou's early features.
bob the moo
Popular crooner Russ Raymond pulls a disappearing act at the height of his popularity, everyone wants the story as to where he has gone. One journalist finds him serving in the Navy under an assumed name but has to get proof for her sceptical boss. While she keeps trying to get into the base and get proof, two of the sailors have their own problems – specifically Seaman Pomeroy Watson who has romantic aspirations with one of the Andrews Sisters.I shan't bother describing the plot more than I have above because I have already put more effort into it than the film itself does. I have seen many Abbott & Costello films and this is probably one of the ones with the thinnest plots – normally they have "straight" scenes to carry the plot but these are minimal here and the Abbott & Costello bits don't have much of a connection to the "main" narrative. This makes for an odd feeling film because it doesn't offer much to be engaged with or provide much of a structure to things. This also leaves the usual "romantic" plot with Costello hanging out there on its own – something that it cannot cope with and that doesn't work much. This lack of structure prevents the film getting a flow and instead lets it stand or fall on whatever it happens to be doing at that time.Fortunately there are several good comedy routines with A&C which provide chuckles – none of them are classic by any means but they are still funny. The musical numbers are OK, although "give me some skin" is a weirdly memorable routine from three very white singers! Abbott & Costello work well with one another and their material. You can sort of see that they are not working with their best material but they don't let it show that much in their comic turns. Powell is dull as he has been in other similar roles while Dodd has a bit of spirit but isn't used well by the material. The Andrews Sisters may well have been big draws of the day and talented singers but they are not great actresses and indeed Patty has no chemistry or presence to speak of – really hurting the romantic thread.Overall then this is only a so-so A&C film. The lack of structure or plot hurts it and, while it is quite amusing it is never funny enough or strong enough to cover the other gaps. Fans will get something from it of course but it is not a great film despite some amusing scenes.
John (opsbooks)
Having recently laughed my way through 'Buck Privates' and 'Keep 'em Flying', I was largely disappointed by this navy tribute. 'Hold that Ghost' was literally put on hold in order to speed up the release of 'In the Navy', and it showed, most noticeably in the less than special effects for the final sequence.Dick Powell was a welcome addition to the cast but he really wasn't given much of a chance to show his talents. The songs overall lacked the punch so evident in 'Buck Privates', and later on, in 'Keep 'em Flying'. A fatal error was the so-called romance between Lou and Patty. The lead singer of the Andrews Sisters may have been a great vocalist but she was a woeful actress. Where were you, Martha Raye? My favourite Bud and Lou gag was the 'Sons of Neptune'. With the boys ad-libbing all the way through, it seemed evident that they and the rest of the cast and crew had a great time getting through the sequence. Director Arthur Lubin, according to author Jim Mulholland, began to laugh uncontrollably during this take. An interesting point from the same source - the censor requested the director not show the actual spitting of water into anyone's face.
lorenellroy
Plot is not really a crucial element of this type of picture ,and it comes as no suprise to learn it is pretty skimpy.A radio crooner (Dick Powell )is tired of the pressure of fame and enlist incognito in the US navy .A zealous reporter (Claire Dodd )sets out to expose the truth ,even resorting to stowing away on board ship to break the story. It is really the excuse for a variety of set pieces -musical from the Andrews Sisters and comedic ,from Abbot and Costello ,following up their earlier forces comedy "Buck Privates"(acknowledged in a brief gag over the opening credits) These are varied in the amusement value--I loved the scene where Bud demonstrates that 13 multiplied by 7 equals 28 ,and the "bunco game "scene with lemons is a minor classic but much of it is unsubtle clowning.As a memento of the more innocent age of cinema it is endearing and will still generate a few laughs along the way.