In the Navy

Almost every comedy nowadays is purely Rated R for a reason, because it's vulgar trash in some way... unfortunately that is what passes as funny to today's audiences. Well, comedy does not need to be that, as shown here in this wonderfully hilarious military comedy from Abbott & Costello. The routines are so funny and should have your sides splitting! Other entertainment comes from The Andrews Sisters. Their music might be lame by today's standards but you gotta commend 'em for always bringing a smile to the face of our young men in uniform. Including a tap dance routine, the movie is a little more musical than I would have liked but still overall an excellent film! --A Kat Pirate Screener

IN THE NAVY (Universal, 1941), directed by Arthur Lubin, starring the popular comedy team of Abbott and Costello, is a worthy follow-up to their initial success as BUCK PRIVATES (1941), so worthy that its opening credits starts off with a tease as Bud and Lou in sailor suits are seen hoisting the flag on top of the pole reading "Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in BUCK PRIVATES." As the flag waves through the air, Bud looks up and slaps his little partner across the face. Realizing this error, they rope down the flag and replace it with, "Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and Dick Powell IN THE NAVY." An amusing start to Bud and Lou's second peacetime military farce with the "in" joke comprehended by those who have seen BUCK PRIVATES, as well as those familiar with their antics. And now, all hands on deck.

The plot centers upon Russ Raymond (Dick Powell), a popular radio crooner idolized by twenty million sweethearts of swooning dames.(Frank Sinatra would get the same kind of luck a few years later). After the completion of his latest broadcast during the Fliffso Soap Hour, he disappears without a trace until it is discovered that he enlisted in the San Diego Navy Base under his real name of Tommy Halstead. Dorothy Roberts (Claire Dodd), a gal reporter/ photographer for Facts Magazine, also a fan, accepts her new assignment in tracking him down and getting herself the scoop of the year, even to a point as following the fleet, sneaking on board the Alabama ship bound for Honolulu hiding in a crate and sporting sailor attire, thanks to the help of Tommy's shipmates forever "Smokey" Adams (Abbott), an electrician, and Pomeroy Watson (Costello), a baker, both unaware of the ex-crooner's celebrity profile. Problems arise when Dorothy is discovered, putting Tommy in a position as to either "give up the ship" or to "take orders from her."

On the musical program, songs by Don Ray and Gene DePaul feature: "Star Light, Star Bright" (sung by Dick Powell); "You're Off to Sea to See the World," "Give Me Some Skin, My Friend" (sung by The Andrews Sisters); "A Sailor's Life for Me" Tap dance number (performed by The Condos Brothers); "We're in the Navy," "Hula-Ba-Luau," (Andrews Sisters); "Star Light, Star Bright" (reprise by Powell, Andrews Sisters); and "We're in the Navy" (finale, cast).

IN THE NAVY demonstrates itself as another good outing for Bud and Lou. It brings back the Andrews Sisters and Shemp Howard who have made such an impact with them in BUCK PRIVATES. This time, the Andrews Sisters participate in the story instead of just appearing as singing specialties. They continue to play themselves, having Patty acting as Lou's girlfriend, whom he tries to impress by first paying a tough floor manager to a take a punch from him. Lou misses, and manager gives him back his "change" and secondly by Lou's impersonation as sea captain in Horatio Hornblower attire, with Smokey's assistance. Dick Powell, a popular leading actor of Warner Brothers musicals from the 1930s, is no stranger to military life on screen. He earlier starred as a Navy man in SHIPMATES FOREVER (1935) opposite Ruby Keeler, with Dick Foran, featured here as Chief Petty Officer "Dynamite" Dugan, also in the cast. Both make fine straight men to the Abbott and Costello antics consisting of now classic gags as Abbott's lemon bit, Bud and Lou's money exchange, Costello's struggling attempt to get himself on a hammock, his method of mathematics in proving that 7x13=28, among others too numerous to mention. Although the conclusion is a bit weak (one sequence changed to meet with the approval of the U.S. Navy Department prior to release), it does end with a bang, thanks to boy actors Buddy and Butch (Billy Lenhart and Kenneth Brown) as the captain's mischievous nephews. With these kids around, "Abandon ship!"

For its time frame of 86 minutes, this hardly qualifies IN THE NAVY as "B" movie material, regardless of its label from various sources ranking all Abbott & Costello comedies as profitable programmers. Reportedly a much bigger success than BUCK PRIVATES, IN THE NAVY, is still fun to watch, regardless of some overlong sequences earlier in the story, particularly those involving Dodd's stalking Powell while in seclusion in his hotel room, ending with him spanking her across his knee while her camera is set taking multiple snap shots. Much of these opening scenes along with some Abbott and Costello material and song numbers have been severely trimmed for commercial television during the 1960s-80s whenever aired on its usual 90 minute time slot, notably on New York City's own WPIX, Channel 11, the station that played practically every Abbott and Costello movie each Sunday (sometimes Saturday) mornings/ afternoons (1971/72 to 1990), becoming a weekly tradition for nearly 20 years.

IN THE NAVY, formerly distributed on video cassette and currently on DVD, has played on cable channels as the Comedy Channel (late 1980s), American Movie Classics (2001) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: September 18, 2015). In closing, IN THE NAVY may appear to be knots behind BUCK PRIVATES, but thanks to Abbott and Costello and Dick Powell in the Navy, they sure keep this one afloat. (*** Bells)

Thus continued a standard (and at the time of its release, winning) formula for Abbott & Costello's earliest films which you need to take with a grain or two of salt in order to appreciate them. With IN THE NAVY, Universal wanted to capitalize on the monstrous success of the earlier BUCK PRIVATES, so now we've got another "service comedy" from the team, with some tried and true funny segments that work, scattered along with the now customary dashes of song, dance, and sub-plotting.

In the area of humorous routines, Bud and Lou are a hit with the "Lemon Shell Game," the "Sons of Neptune" initiation prank, Lou trying to get some sleep in a cockeyed hammock, and then Costello later trying to prove to Abbott that "7x13 = 28". We've even got Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges on hand to help out with some of these gags. This is all fine and dandy.

But then again, every once in awhile it's obligatory that the three Andrews Sisters have to pop in with another song and dance number. While I actually didn't mind the ladies in BUCK PRIVATES, I didn't care for any of their songs in this film. Even worse, some time is wasted on a silly romance between lead singer Patty Andrews and chubby little Lou. This doesn't go anywhere and is more of a liability than a help.

Dick Powell gets big billing along with Abbott and Costello, and a good portion of the story deals with his being a successful singer, idolized by hordes of adoring women, who'd like nothing more than to sneak into the navy just to get away from all the fanfare. Unluckily for him, there's a female photographer who's hot on his trail and is determined to spring up with her ever-intrusive camera to snap all the pictures she can of him. This also becomes rather tiring. Yet thankfully, A&C are constantly in their hilarious prime to keep bringing us back to the laughs, which is always the chief reason we keep wanting to watch. **1/2 out of ****

In The Navy does at times feel rushed, you sense that it was what is commonly known today as a cash cow !, it was rushed thru to capitalise on the success of Buck Privates the previous outing from the duo. Abbott & Costello are widely regarded and lauded for saving Universal Studios bacon, so with that in mind I feel that it would be churlish of me to downgrade the film for its forced feel, but sadly it is evident regardless.

Yet for me to even suggest that the film is less than entertaining would be doing a big disservice to all involved, all the expected formula's are in here, the gags from the boys hit the mark, with the "find the submarine sequence" particularly mirth inducing, and of course the musical warbling of The Andrews Sisters offers foot tapping relief. The film does exactly what it says on the tin, open it up expecting fun and light relief, and you will get it in spades, a safe 6/10.

I saw this first when young so maybe my rose-tinted specs are kicking in, but I still really like this film. Just as Britain's box office no. 1 George Formby was enlisted by the movie industry to help the War effort with a string of "service comedies" so were Abbott & Costello, America's no. 1 cinema attraction at the time. And same as Formby, keeping the same formula but with varying results. Universal were also cashing in on the previous hit Buck Privates – for speed and cheapness most of this film was shot in front of a back projection of stock footage and on a handful of sets. Hold That Ghost had already been finished but had to wait while In The Navy had its day in the Sun first.

Bud and Lou are a pair of ordinary gobs, Dick Powell is an idolised crooner who wants to escape the attention to become an ordinary gob but is hounded by Claire Dodd ace reporter, while Dick Foran had his gob shut for most of the picture. Powell might have considered himself a "Forgotten Man" in 1941 but he still got equal billing with the boys. The farcical but at the time controversial nautical climax (without it being only a dream) was lifted from Jack Ahoy with Jack Hulbert from 1934, but I've no doubt it was lifted for him as well. The songs by Don Raye and Gene de Paul were hit and miss, the best being the lovely Starlight, Starbright (for Powell) well up their usual lustrous Wartime Universal mark, and the peppy Gimme Some Skin and Hula Ba Luau (both for the Andrews Sisters). Patti must have been standing in for Martha Raye – who came back for Keep 'Em Flying one year later. Foran for all of his fine singing voice was slightly in the way here and only got to do a bit of A Sailor's Life For Me. Favourite bits: The Condos Brothers dance routine – I feel my ankles cracking just recalling it; Find the submarine; genuine fun with the Sons of Neptune initiation ceremony; Powell's efforts to thwart the photographer; There's a second chance a few years later to check it out in Little Giant but no matter which way you look at it – 7 x 13 = 28!

Not quite up to Buck Privates, but still with that unique Universal atmosphere pervading and thus one of my favourites from the boys.