Tugboat Annie Sails Again

If Wallace Beery and the late Marie Dressler weren't so firmly etched in people's minds as a team then possibly Marjorie Rambeau and Alan Hale might have gotten a whole series of films. At least according to the Citadel Film series book on the Films Of Ronald Reagan that's what Jack Warner was hoping for. However looking at it today Tugboat Annie can certainly stand on its own merits.

Beery and Dressler were a married couple but Rambeau is a widow in this film taking over her husband's salvage tug business with her crew Chill Wills, Paul Hurst, and Victor Killian. She also has a new young sailor in tow, Ronald Reagan who's learning the ropes. And she has a rivalry going with Captain Bullwinkle played by Alan Hale which is friendly and sometimes not so friendly.

Like when they are bidding for a contract to haul equipment for Clarence Kolb's dry dock to be built in Skagway shipping from Seattle. Things go bad for Annie on that trip, but she comes out on top and it really costs Hale big time.

Husband and wife Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman are the romantic interest. Jane is also Kolb's daughter. Tugboat Annie Rides Again also gives the historically minded a chance to see Neil 'Moon' Reagan, modest and self effacing brother of the 40th president. He was an announcer like his brother and had a most minor acting career. He plays here a famous Lowell Thomas type radio announcer.

Tugboat Annie Rides Again is a pleasant enough lightweight film to be enjoyed and not taken all that seriously. It sure looked like the cast was having a good time.