Les cadets de la mer

The US service academies have been good ground for good films for as long as there have been movies. Two years before Navy Blue And Gold came out, Annapolis got the full Hollywood treatment from Warner Brothers in Shipmates Forever. The only difference here is that no one sings in this one.

Three midshipmen from different walks of life become roommates and one of them, Tom Brown, has a sister that his two friends, James Stewart have a friendly rivalry over. All three of them play football and go on to play football for the Naval Academy.

Robert Young is the playboy of the group who just sees the Academy as the way to meet a rich woman and retire young, no pun intended. James Stewart is an enlisted man with a big secret who wants a career in the Navy in the worst way. Tom Brown is a nice young kid, rich, but with a good heart. And his sister Florence Rice has the first two guys hormones racing round the Annapolis quadrant.

Both Young and Stewart go through differing crises and each has to examine what brought them to Annapolis. How they resolve things and how outside forces deal with them is the crux of Navy Blue And Gold.

Sam Wood directed the film and he had a nice eye for the tradition and ambiance that is the Naval Academy. Every film I ever saw about either West Point or Annapolis is reverent about the place and this is no different. The people that come here surrender their lives to lead those who defend our country. The Academies ask and get only the best and brightest.

The cast is rounded out with some well rounded character parts like Paul Kelly as the Naval Academy Football Coach, Samuel S. Hinds and Billie Burke as the parents of Rice and Brown, and most of all Lionel Barrymore as Skinny Dawes, the oldest graduate of the Academy and original starter on the Navy's first football squad.

It all ends in annual Army-Navy football game and need I tell you who wins it. Funny thing is that I could have taken the same story and turned it around and written it for the Army. No doubt it's been done already.

Seeing James Stewart all idealistic about the Navy and its traditions leaves you no doubt as to why he became a big star and why he was so good in roles like Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Watching Stewart in his part as Tuck Cross is like seeing Jefferson Smith get a college education. Note that in 1937 Robert Young is billed over Stewart, but by 1940 when they did The Mortal Storm, the billing had reversed.

Navy Blue And Gold is one sentimental picture. But there are those of us who like our sentiment.

Richard Arnold 'Dick' Gates Jr. (Tom Brown) comes from a wealthy family and follows his father's footsteps to attend the United States Naval Academy. Roger 'Rog' Ash (Robert Young) and "Truck" Cross (James Stewart) become his new best friends, roommates, and football teammates. Truck is hiding something personal.

I do not like Tom Brown's smirky performance. I kept wishing that James Stewart would be the lead although he does a big emotional turn. Otherwise, I would say that they screwed up with the casting. It turns out that Jimmy has an interesting role. Maybe he should be the lead right from the start. I don't care about Dick or the football or the Army Navy game. I just want more Jimmy.

Intellectually speaking, this is a very clichéd film. So many of the typical 1930s and 40s gimmicks for this sort of movie are all present...ALL. Yet, despite this, I really had a hard time disliking the movie. It was highly entertaining and the actors really made it shine.

The film is about three roommates who all have just been admitted to the prestigious US Naval Academy. They are all stereotypes, but the most ridiculously stereotyped is the guy played by Robert Young. I am surprised they didn't nickname him 'Blackie', as he was the archetypal dishonorable bad guy who just doesn't understand or want to understand the importance of teamwork and humility. He's an exceptional football player (despite Young being 30 at the time he played this part) and knows it...and doing it for anyone but himself is out of the question. Tom Brown plays the sweet rich guy who is the embodiment of niceness and pluck--sort of like a Horatio Alger character who is ALREADY rich. He gives up his wealth and status to serve his country--and women who went to see this film must have all felt a tremendous urge to hug him! The final guy is played by Jimmy Stewart. Like Brown, he's an alright guy and gained admittance to the Academy through the ranks--and he's got a secret that comes out late in the film. While receiving second billing, I think this film did a lot more for Stewart's career than for any other in the movie. I thought Brown was also very good, but today he's an all but forgotten actor--and that's a shame.

The film has it all...lots of sentiment, a strong dose of patriotism, an old man who just happens to be on the brink of death when the big game comes up with Westpoint, you name it! In many ways, the film seems even more clichéd and prototypical for a college football film than even "Knute Rockne, All-American"! But, because the dialog, characters and direction are all so good, you can accept the huge doses of sentiment, schmaltz and all the familiar (very familiar) plot devices. Very well done and a must-see for fans of classic films.

... in that the script consists of tons of tired cliches - the guy who has to learn there is no I in team, the sister of one friend being the heartthrob of the other friends and sprouting a rivalry, the good guy with a deep secret that may derail his noble pursuit, the ancient relic who is almost a mascot because he has been around so long - nah, that was because Lionel Barrymore was a great actor who was becoming disabled as this film was being made, plus Louis B. Mayer was never going to fire a fellow old white guy with whom he identified. Plus - The Navy! - the armed forces and costume dramas became a common theme right after the production code was ushered in because patriotism always passed the censors. But, the performances and the chemistry between the main players makes this worth watching. Take that away and it would be a 6/10 at best.

This is the film that got James Stewart noticed. I've never seen him turn in a bad performance, but prior to this his assignments included warbling in a MGM musical, playing a crazy vengeful lover, and a bit part as the country bumpkin consolation prize boyfriend. This time he gets more of a spotlight and gets a part with more heart that really shows off his talents and his personal appeal.

The only thing that doesn't ring true in this film is Florence Rice, third billed, as a debutante who becomes the object of romance of two friends. Rice was pretty enough, but she was dull as dishwater. Perhaps MGM was trying to give her a build up and it didn't work out.

I'd recommend this one. There isn't any wasted space in it and the performances do make all of the difference.

Although the plot synopsis will make you think Navy Blue and Gold has a Navy setting, it actually has more of a football focus. The three leads in the film (Robert Young, James Stewart, and Tom Brown) are plebes for almost the entire movie, and there's just as much time spent on the football field as in their room studying for officer's training school. This isn't a criticism, but just something military fans might want to be aware of.

It's funny to see a movie where Robert Young is clearly the lead and has much more screen confidence than youngster James Stewart, when two years later, Jimmy will be up for Best Actor at the Oscars for his iconic role Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. For most of the movie, you'll wonder what the lanky, shy plebe is even the second lead, but then he finally gets his moment to shine. He has a secret, and when it's finally revealed, he shows off his dramatic acting chops and tearful speech that always tugs on your heartstrings.

Speaking of tugging on your heartstrings, Lionel Barrymore has a small role as the beloved Navy captain who oversees all the football games. He's always a very professional actor, but he's seen walking with great difficulty using dual canes in this movie, and you can tell he's in pain. It's very sad, and it makes you wonder why Hollywood didn't give him a break and put him in a movie where he didn't have to do so much walking. If you love Lionel, skip this movie. If you love Robert Young and Navy football, try it out this weekend.