Producer Danny Angel probably thought this was a sure thing - Kenneth More in a Doctor in the House style comedy set in the Navy. Only he was too old to play a youngster, so the three young parts go to skinny other actors one of whom is Derek Fowlds, and More plays the James Robertson Justice type role, only he's more of a cheeky officer cynical about the navy who tells the truth too often.
This is why it's weird he and the three midshipmen are sent to the South of France to work with an American ship, captained by Lloyd Nolan, alongside nurse Joan O'Brien. There's a bit of clash but no culture clash - the Americans are here just to appeal to Americans but not much thought has been put into it. Here the Americans are the sticklers for the rules and the Brits are incompetent.
There's a series of unfunny adventures - though I did smile when they hired dancers from the follies berges. The film never seems to quite know how to pitch its tone. It really needed to be about jolly japes from the youngsters but then they distort it by casting More and having to give him screen time. And his romance with O'Brien is underwhelming. He didn't have much luck with his American co-stars.
There's nice colour photography and location work in the south of France. The film throws in some old school racism with the navy having to rescue a captured American from a fictitious town - I don't mind the idea, but it's dumbly played here, with the Brits being hugely incompetent and More unrealistically saving the day. Mischa Auer plays a double role.
This is one of those early 60s British comedies which still pretended it was the 60s eg A Pair of Briefs.
The best bit is the cameo from Dirk Bogarde as Simon Sparrow. He offers such a jolt of charisma and professionalism that he makes you wish that Bogarde and More had been reunited on a project. Or More had taken over the Doctor role when Bogarde didn't want to do it.
No comments:
Post a Comment