Sailing Along

I have seen all of Jessie's movies that have been restored to DVD, but as Sailing Along was the last one I happened to view I cannot help but to compare it with the rest of her catalogue rather than review it on its own merits. I should also point out that I have long considered Jessie to be one of the most beautiful and charming women to have ever been on screen, so the objectivity of my views will no doubt be compromised by this aspect.

With that having been said, I found Sailing Along to be an odd mix of character inconsistency and absurd story lines, balanced by wonderful comedic moments and bursting with charm from several leading players.

Roland Young provides much of the comedy and he had me laughing out loud more than once, but he is well supported in this venture by the always great Alastair Sim. But his obsession with discovering 'genius' makes him too big a twit for any of the other characters to take seriously, and this makes the basis of the story seem more improbable.

His wife's character - played by Athene Seyler - is unfathomably inconsistent as she is prepared to leave the house one minute when Jessie is presented as the next 'genius', but then a moment later becomes Jessie's strongest supporter after a predictably miserable failed audition.

Another strange aspect of this movie is the way in which the marriage between Jack Whiting and Margaret Vyner is presented. It is apparently completely acceptable for each to declare love for other people, and at a moment's notice. This aspect is so odd that it provided this viewer with confusion over the story-line on a few occasions, and seemed out of place with 1930s attitudes.

But the film is swooped up from these potentially damaging issues by the irresistibly charming Jessie Matthews, who shines throughout every scene. She dances, dives, pouts, cries, punches, head-butts, ballets, flirts, sings and laughs her way through a totally captivating performance incomparable with any of her other films. If she once said that making this movie was very difficult, it certainly does not show on the evidence the footage presents. In fact, her dance scene for a trio of male milk-drinkers is so full of flirtatious fun that she appears to be enjoying her role more than usual. Their mesmerized attentions to her performance seem silly at first, but by the end of the two or three minutes I could only imagine myself sitting right along side them, every bit as enchanted as they were.

Perhaps my score of 6 is a little harsh and it may actually deserve a 7, but then again I am comparing it with other favourites like Ben Hur, Lawrence of Arabia or My Fair Lady, so with that in mind I think a 6 is actually a pretty good score.

To sum up, if you like old movies then this one is well worth watching, but if you are a fan of Jessie Matthews herself, Sailing Along is positively indispensable!

In her autobiography Jessie Matthews said how difficult it was to make this film.This is because it was directed by her then husband,Sonnie Hale,who wanted this to be a platform for them both.It eventually recked their marriage.However what they have left for us is a lasting tribute to their respective talents.The musical numbers are well staged,with some marvelous art deco sets.Whilst the songs themselves did not become standards nevertheless they are very catchy.There is some sterling stellar support from some fine actors of the period.Whilst Barry Mackay might not be a well remembered name,he turns in a performance which is certainly well worth remembering.Then of course there is Roland Young giving us another of his incomparable bumbling performances.It is so sad that the second world war seemed to stop dead in its tracks her film career.She only made a handful of films after 1939.

Depending on whose chronology you read, this film was the last of the six 1930s musical films made which starred Jessie Matthews (but not the last film she made). A vast improvement over her prior film, "Head Over Heels", and better than another prior film, "Gangway", this film is worth a look to those interested in Matthews's dancing. This film briefly shows Matthews toe-dancing ballet, proving once again that she was an all-around, well-trained dancer.

Although the score has no memorable "standard" songs, the tunes were typical of the 1930s melodies and lyrics. Since Matthews was reportedly a popular and prolific recording artist in England, it's no surprise that she is given songs to perform in addition to, and along with her dancing performances.

Matthews is paired with American actor, Jack Whiting, a proficient dancer and singer in his own right. He is certainly capable of keeping up with Matthews in three tap dancing duets. Whiting is given one solo song and dance number as well.

Also appearing is American actor, Noel Madison, a familiar face in 1930s films, mostly in gangster roles. Another familiar face is character actor, Roland Young, another English émigré to America.

This film shows a good representation of Matthews's dancing skills, and it's no wonder she was nicknamed "The Dancing Divinity". It's worthwhile viewing for those who are interested in her. I've now seen all six of Matthews's musicals, and this film is the second best for showcasing Matthews's dancing, in my opinion. It can be purchased on VHS.

Sailing Along casts Jessie Matthews as a girl brought up on a Thames River barge by Frank Pettingell. His natural son Barry MacKay thinks of Jessie as a sister, but that's starting to change.

Her natural musical talent is discovered by millionaire Roland Young who gets her started on a musical career. He also helps MacKay indirectly get the schooner he's always wanted.

But as for getting Jessie, there's the matter of visiting American musical comedy star Jack Whiting who's putting the moves on Jessie, seeing her as a stage and maybe a life partner. But then again Whiting's gone through a few of each variety.

The film is a great showcase for the singing and dancing talents of Jessie Matthews. It was the dream of many on both sides of the pond to pair her with Fred Astaire. Unfortunately that deal never was made for a variety of reasons.

Jack Whiting made very few films, but he was a popular leading man on Broadway and this film is a rare chance to see his style and talent. He was also married to the former wife of Douglas Fairbanks and consequently the stepfather of Doug, Jr.

I probably would have liked this film a lot better had the ending not been so ridiculous. You'll have to see Sailing Along to find out what I mean.

I had a friend who lived on a boat on the River Thames in Richmond - just along from the Who's guitarist Pete Townsend whose daughter Emma fancied me big time back in the 1980s. She was a bit of a big-head. Anyway, I learned about life on the water and was made aware of a section of society that most people are unaware of - there is a river community. This involves regulars dropping by on each other in their small speedboats to drop off drugs, say hello, etc. Well, it looks like Jessie Matthews (Kay) favours this lifestyle as she is brought up living and sailing along the Thames with skipper Frank Pettingell and his son Barry MacKay (Stevel). Matthews and MacKay constantly bicker at each other whilst pursuing their individual dreams away from the water.

The rivalry between Matthews and Mackay is not at all convincing - they are pretty horrible to each other - and both actors can be irritating, Matthews with her pronunciation and her singing, and MacKay with his temperament. However, the script can be funny, the supporting cast are quite good, the dancing numbers are entertaining and the film keeps you watching. Forget the songs, though. Jack Whiting (Randall) plays an already successful entertainer and his singing is far superior to Matthews. Alastair Sims (Sylvester) has a good part as an abstract artist.

Whilst watching the film, it struck my wife and I how similar in looks Matthews is to Sarah Brightman. I bet Jessie Matthews is the favourite actress of Andrew Lloyd-Weber. Also, more creepily, I bet if he was around at the same time, he would be hanging around her dressing room, writing terrible songs for her to perform and trying to get a date. Matthews must be relieved that he wasn't around, although she would have murdered any of the bland tunes that he came up with by performing them in that terribly old-fashioned singing style.