Sailing Along

I have seen all of Jessie's movies that have been restored to DVD, but as Sailing Along was the last one I happened to view I cannot help but to compare it with the rest of her catalogue rather than review it on its own merits. I should also point out that I have long considered Jessie to be one of the most beautiful and charming women to have ever been on screen, so the objectivity of my views will no doubt be compromised by this aspect.

With that having been said, I found Sailing Along to be an odd mix of character inconsistency and absurd story lines, balanced by wonderful comedic moments and bursting with charm from several leading players.

Roland Young provides much of the comedy and he had me laughing out loud more than once, but he is well supported in this venture by the always great Alastair Sim. But his obsession with discovering 'genius' makes him too big a twit for any of the other characters to take seriously, and this makes the basis of the story seem more improbable.

His wife's character - played by Athene Seyler - is unfathomably inconsistent as she is prepared to leave the house one minute when Jessie is presented as the next 'genius', but then a moment later becomes Jessie's strongest supporter after a predictably miserable failed audition.

Another strange aspect of this movie is the way in which the marriage between Jack Whiting and Margaret Vyner is presented. It is apparently completely acceptable for each to declare love for other people, and at a moment's notice. This aspect is so odd that it provided this viewer with confusion over the story-line on a few occasions, and seemed out of place with 1930s attitudes.

But the film is swooped up from these potentially damaging issues by the irresistibly charming Jessie Matthews, who shines throughout every scene. She dances, dives, pouts, cries, punches, head-butts, ballets, flirts, sings and laughs her way through a totally captivating performance incomparable with any of her other films. If she once said that making this movie was very difficult, it certainly does not show on the evidence the footage presents. In fact, her dance scene for a trio of male milk-drinkers is so full of flirtatious fun that she appears to be enjoying her role more than usual. Their mesmerized attentions to her performance seem silly at first, but by the end of the two or three minutes I could only imagine myself sitting right along side them, every bit as enchanted as they were.

Perhaps my score of 6 is a little harsh and it may actually deserve a 7, but then again I am comparing it with other favourites like Ben Hur, Lawrence of Arabia or My Fair Lady, so with that in mind I think a 6 is actually a pretty good score.

To sum up, if you like old movies then this one is well worth watching, but if you are a fan of Jessie Matthews herself, Sailing Along is positively indispensable!

Jessie Mathews is simply adorable in this delightful 1930s English B&W musical. Poor little Thames River barge girl dreams of fame and fortune on the London stage only to give it all up for true love... and a schooner. In addition to a lovely singing voice and exuberant tomboy personality, Jessie was an exceptionally gifted dancer. Paired perfectly with the American singer/dancer Jack Whiting, the couple do a number of eccentric syncopated numbers rather in the style of Fred and Ginger. There is a very British take on a wise-cracking and vulgar American press-agent, aptly named "Windy," wonderfully played by Noel Madison, the son of the great Yiddish actor Maurice Moscovitch. (Mr. Jaeckel, the barber's friend, in Chaplin's "The Great Dictator.") The film was written and directed by her husband and produced in lavish style at Pinewood Studios by England's David Selznick, Michael Balcon, who would go on to produce the famous Ealing Studios comedies.

Sailing Along casts Jessie Matthews as a girl brought up on a Thames River barge by Frank Pettingell. His natural son Barry MacKay thinks of Jessie as a sister, but that's starting to change.

Her natural musical talent is discovered by millionaire Roland Young who gets her started on a musical career. He also helps MacKay indirectly get the schooner he's always wanted.

But as for getting Jessie, there's the matter of visiting American musical comedy star Jack Whiting who's putting the moves on Jessie, seeing her as a stage and maybe a life partner. But then again Whiting's gone through a few of each variety.

The film is a great showcase for the singing and dancing talents of Jessie Matthews. It was the dream of many on both sides of the pond to pair her with Fred Astaire. Unfortunately that deal never was made for a variety of reasons.

Jack Whiting made very few films, but he was a popular leading man on Broadway and this film is a rare chance to see his style and talent. He was also married to the former wife of Douglas Fairbanks and consequently the stepfather of Doug, Jr.

I probably would have liked this film a lot better had the ending not been so ridiculous. You'll have to see Sailing Along to find out what I mean.

Thanks to Robert Osborne and Turner Classic Movies for showcasing another wonderful performer who seems to be largely forgotten today. I thought I had a fair knowledge of movies, but I had never heard of Jessie Matthews until a recent showing of "Evergreen" on one of "Robert's Picks" nights. I read the description in the TCM guide and thought I would take a look, not expecting too much. After watching it, I wondered why I had never heard of this lovely and talented lady? I was captivated from her first scene and have eagerly awaited more ever since. This was the third movie I have seen with her, and I am a bigger fan than ever. She was a real charmer, and unlike most stars of the time, she wasn't afraid to look silly or unglamorous for a laugh. She appears in a plain or messy state in much of this movie, but comes off as appealing and lovely as any of the well-known stars of the 30's. It's our loss that she didn't make more movies, especially if it's true there were once plans to pair her with Fred Astaire. That would have been a wonderful combination.

I had a friend who lived on a boat on the River Thames in Richmond - just along from the Who's guitarist Pete Townsend whose daughter Emma fancied me big time back in the 1980s. She was a bit of a big-head. Anyway, I learned about life on the water and was made aware of a section of society that most people are unaware of - there is a river community. This involves regulars dropping by on each other in their small speedboats to drop off drugs, say hello, etc. Well, it looks like Jessie Matthews (Kay) favours this lifestyle as she is brought up living and sailing along the Thames with skipper Frank Pettingell and his son Barry MacKay (Stevel). Matthews and MacKay constantly bicker at each other whilst pursuing their individual dreams away from the water.

The rivalry between Matthews and Mackay is not at all convincing - they are pretty horrible to each other - and both actors can be irritating, Matthews with her pronunciation and her singing, and MacKay with his temperament. However, the script can be funny, the supporting cast are quite good, the dancing numbers are entertaining and the film keeps you watching. Forget the songs, though. Jack Whiting (Randall) plays an already successful entertainer and his singing is far superior to Matthews. Alastair Sims (Sylvester) has a good part as an abstract artist.

Whilst watching the film, it struck my wife and I how similar in looks Matthews is to Sarah Brightman. I bet Jessie Matthews is the favourite actress of Andrew Lloyd-Weber. Also, more creepily, I bet if he was around at the same time, he would be hanging around her dressing room, writing terrible songs for her to perform and trying to get a date. Matthews must be relieved that he wasn't around, although she would have murdered any of the bland tunes that he came up with by performing them in that terribly old-fashioned singing style.