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.
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.