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It's too bad Hollywood stopped making war flicks like this one. They were much more enjoyable than the kind of hand-wringing performances you see nowadays. Lemmon took a break from chewing the scenery in the classics "Some Like It Hot" and "The Great Race" and returned to a more straight-man character of the kind he played in Mister Roberts. Although Lemmon is, as usual, great, the movie suffers somewhat from a bland supporting cast and the insufferable Ricky Nelson, whose acting is as wooden as it was in "Rio Bravo." Although slow to get going, the movie eventually takes off and maintains a robust pace to the conclusion. Note that TV showings tend to trim this one heavily, so if you see it sitting in the bargain bin, be sure to pick it up!

For fans of Lemmon or the genre only!

This is one of those overlooked films Lemmon made in the early years of his legendary career. It kind of became lost in the midst of such higher profile films as "Some Like it Hot" and "The Apartment", and never truly found its way out. "The Wackiest Ship in the Army" represents a list of forgotten Lemmon titles that deserve recognition. Such films include, "It Happened to Jane", "Operation Mad Ball", "The Notorious Landlady", and "Alex & the Gypsy".

"Wackiest" is a one of those type of films that is perfect for a lazy afternoon. Often amusing and boasting a quintessential Lemmon performance, it's worth checking out just for pure nostalgia!

*** (out of 5)

Saw it this afternoon at home with the kids. Great fun- with a bit of an edge... brilliant for a wet afternoon. Lemmon acts as though he isn't trying and still steals the show. The love interest is interesting and the beleaguered officer who we all feel for is successful in the end. it's one of those second world war movies, like Stalag 17 or whatever that is light and patriotic at the same time.....

Based on true events (we were at war with the Japanese in 1943 in the Pacific), "The Wackiest Ship in the Army" stars Jack Lemmon as, once again, a naval officer.

Lemmon made his first big film in 1955 when he played the con artist, Ensign Pulver, in "Mister Roberts," a movie that's attained classic status. In this 1961 film he dons the navy uniform again, this time as a lieutenant (senior grade). A reserve officer who was a dapper yachtsman in California before the war, Lemmon is assigned to command a sailing vessel with (barely functioning) auxiliary mechanical propulsion.

The U.S.S. Echo is hardly the dream command of any officer, reserve or regular. But the new C.O. gamely takes on training an eager but totally bemused crew in the art of sailing a vessel.

The Echo is assigned to land an Australian coast watcher on an island occupied by the stereotypically portrayed Japanese (more Japanese officers with U.C.L.A. degrees appear in film than ever showed up on the front). The heroic coast watchers were very important during the island hopping campaign and they deserve every bit of cinematic recognition they have received. Many died, some after being tortured by their captors.

Nowhere nearly as smoothly directed as "Mister Roberts," "The Wackiest Ship in the Army" (and there's no rational reason for the title-the Army doesn't even play a role here) teeters unevenly between some nice comedy and some very 1950s-1960s war action supplemented by combat footage (one Japanese plane has been shown blown out of the sky so often in movies that if the pilot's estate was entitled to royalties the heirs would be richer than Bill Gates).

The exploits of the Echo's crew led, we are told, to the American victory in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, an important engagement.

This is a good film for renting. Jack Lemmon plays the competent and caring C.O. very nicely and is the center of the story.

The Navy must have really liked the script. They put a fleet anchorage at the filmmaker's disposal. Here's a quiz for the sharp-eyed. At one point the stern of one of the most famous and important smaller combatant vessels of World War II is shown while Lemmon is instructing his crew. What ship is it?

6/10.

As military service comedies go, The Wackiest Ship in the Army isn't the best one going, but it is pretty amusing.

Jack Lemmon plays a naval lieutenant who in civilian life had sailboat racing experience. Therefore he's just the man to command a sailing craft made up to look like a native trading vessel. The object being to land Australian coast watcher Chips Rafferty in the middle of Japanese held territory.

Lemmon has a callow young ensign as his executive officer in Ricky Nelson and a crew of men, none of whom have any kind of experience in a sailing craft. The laughs come as he tries to whip this crew into some kind of shape before the mission.

Jack Lemmon had just come off Some Like It Hot and The Apartment so he was hot box office back then. The Wackiest Ship in the Army isn't in the aforementioned league of films, but it's still good and unlike the other classics was turned into a television series, albeit a short lived one, just like that other Lemmon film, Mister Roberts.

Ricky Nelson was never the greatest actor going, but he was their for the teenage girl market at the box office. What he was though was a very good singer and he does get to sing Do You Know What It Means to Leave New Orleans which sold a few platters back in the day.

Outstanding other performances in the film are from Chips Rafferty, Australia's greatest cinema star, Mike Kellin playing the CPO of the sailing crew and Tom Tully who seems to continue where he took off from in The Caine Mutiny.

Even today I think cinema fans will enjoy the comedy of Jack Lemmon in The Wackiest Ship in the Army.