La crociera delle ragazze

In this RKO musical Charlie Ruggles was brought over from Paramount but he's playing his usual role of a cheating playboy who has written an indiscreet letter and wants it back before wife Marjorie Gateson sees it. She's in Europe and Charlie is on a delightful cruise to California through the Panama Canal with cuties June Brewster and Shirley Chambers.

Along for the ride is Ruggles's pal Phil Harris who finds some true love on the cruise with Helen Mack. Some forgettable songs are in Melody Cruise save for its main theme Isn't This A Night For Love repeated throughout and best used as an ice ballet when the ship docks in California and Phil and Helen are in Squaw Valley. I have to say Busby Berkeley could not have done better over at Warner Brothers given the bigger budgets he had than what RKO did here.

What's hard to believe here is that Phil Harris was ever that young for those of us who remember him as Jack Benny's brash bandleader and in only a few more years. Handles his end of the singing nicely.

One only wishes that RKO had borrowed Mary Boland as well as Ruggles from Paramount. Ruggles always did his best work with her though no complaints about Gateson.

Nice ending for Ruggles when he knows the jig is up.

This was director Mark Sandwich's first talking feature film. Sandwich only did 17 in his short 10 year feature directing career, but they included 5 of the 10 Astaire-Rogers films including "Top Hat" arguably their best, 3 excellent Jack Benny films, 2 of Wheeler/Woolsey's best, and the classic "Holiday Inn." His future talents as a director are on display here, as clever editing enhance and sweep along good performances by all the lead actors.

Charlie Ruggles, who stars, was all over television from 1960 to 1966 when I started serious watching. He was in his 70s then, but still was delightful in everything he was in. I didn't know that he had starring roles 30 years earlier. He was always humorously nervous in his television roles, and that is how he is here, trying to stop his wife from finding out about his numerous past flirtations.

Like Director Sandwich, Helen Mack had a short career, that ended about the same time as Sanwich's, 1945. (he died at age 44, but she lived 40 more years). She also did some notable great films - "Son of Kong," "She," The Milky Way," and a short, but great role as Mollie Malloy in "His Girl Friday." She was excellent as the innocent and vulnerable object of co-star Phil Harris' (band leader from the Jack Benny radio show) affection. She is very earnest in this film. I am going to have to binge watch her other films as well as Charlie Ruggles now.

If you're depressed about the world, this movie will definitely cheer you up and bring a big smile to your face. Its a definite watch if you enjoy Astaire-Rogers.

The plot, characters, and acting in this movie are undistinguished and easily forgettable.

What I found different and interesting was the editing in some of the (few) musical numbers. In particular the opening of the movie, which cuts from one example to the next of people dealing with the cold in New York City. In a minor way, it was reminiscent of the opening Song of Paris number in Rouben Mamoulian's very clever Maurice Chevalier/Jeanette MacDonald movie *Love Me Tonight*, which had been released the year before by Paramount.

There is also a love duet, of sorts, on the ocean liner that cuts from Phil Harris singing (sort of) the melody to German and Italian immigrants singing (much better) the same tune to different words.

In between those few moments, there's a lot of clichéd drivel. The fact that it is a pre-code movie only means that we get to see two women in their lingerie more often than in dresses. Not much to titillate you, I'm afraid.

Phil Harris doesn't sing well in this movie - you'd never guess this was the voice of Balou in The Jungle Book - and doesn't make a convincing leading man.

In short, a mostly forgettable movie with some interesting editing.

What a fun and bouncy few reels of musical fun we have here! Music is everywhere, even in the shoveling of snow and the steam of a locomotive. As mentioned by others, the wipes, transitions, and segues are novel and creative, still fresh, really, after going-on 90 years. Charlie Ruggles is as delightful as ever. And who knew Phil Harris was ever this good-looking and could play the chief love interest in any kind of film? But he was and he did. And this wasn't just any kind of film. Creative photography is a just a little over-the-top in a way keeps that keeps your eyes on the screen. It's all a little surreal and funny and fine.

This is an goofy little film! Despite the liability of Phil Harris as a man seemingly irresistible to women, the clever use of sound, the rest of the cast, and a lot of beautiful girls, make this entertaining viewing. Harris plays a millionaire with a penchant for rapid romance. Despite high billing, Greta Nissen has a small part as the woman he's been chasing around the world and has followed her to this cruise. Harris doesn't have chemistry with either Nissen or Helen Mack, and he looks like a trout when he sings.

The visuals are the best part. Scene wipes are all clever, such as seeing a storm at sea. The wipe comes in the form of water flowing down the screen, revealing Charlie Ruggles reeling from seasickness. There's not a lot of song and dance so you can't really call this a musical. But there is a lot of rhythmic dialogue, and a generally jaunty feel.