Movie review – M&L#5 - “Sailor Beware” (1952) ***1/2

Hal Wallis took no risks introducing Martin and Lewis to the cinema-going public – he introduced them in support roles in an adaptation of a popular radio show, then ushered them into service comedies and/or remakes of popular hits. This one is both – set in the Navy, a redo of a story previously done as The Fleet’s In (a nerd has a bet to kiss a popular singer).
I use the word “story” lightly – they kind of shove it in occasionally during comic set pieces. Indeed the big conflict (i.e. Corinne Calvet falls for Dean Martin then finds out about the bet) doesn't start up until ten minutes towards the end. But it's compensated by this being among the brightest and best of the duo's films.

The film is very reminiscent of Abbott and Costello movies – their regular writer, John Grant, worked on the script for this and you can tell. Some sequences are pure Abbott and Costello, such as the build up to the boxing game (“I fought with Gene Tierney” “Don’t you mean Gene Tunney?” “You fight who you like I’ll fight who I like”). Like Buck Privates, it was made during war time but there’s no mention of Korea – it makes the navy seem like summer camp, with some strict rules but plenty of time off to go to nightclubs, boxing matches and hang out in Hawaiian beaches.

But the comedy is very funny, Martin and Lewis are in strong form, the tunes are pleasant, it has lots of energy, and there are some great routines (eg Jerry hanging off a periscope). Another appealing thing about this film is the support cast: the love interests are played by Marion Marshall (who later married Stanley Donen and Robert Wagner), and Corinne Calvet (as herself, but only in a small role – too small considering she’s the stakes of the story); Robert Strauss, the big dopey guy from Stalag 17, plays a big dopey guy here; James Dean appears as an assistant in the final boxing scene; Betty Hutton (who starred in The Fleet's In) has a hilarious cameo.