Navy Blues

As a happy-go-lucky sailor who woos, leaves, and returns to sweet, low-class Anita Page, William Haines plays what he always plays, and it hasn't worn well. What may have been charming and cheeky in 1929 now comes across as self-centered and smug, with Haines' character making unfunny jokes, hitting up his Navy pal (the equally unwatchable Karl Dane) for loans he doesn't intend to pay back, avoiding responsibility, and playing a love'-em-and-leave-'em cad. Despite what we now know about Haines, he's a convincing ladies' man--just not very appealing. Clarence Brown directs with a more mobile camera than most 1929 talkies boasted, and the Navy footage is interesting historically. And Page, with an emotional scene or two, acquits herself nicely. But all these characters just seem kind of simpleminded, and we're not particularly rooting for these two to end up together, whatever the screenplay is telling us.

William Haines, the eternal mischief maker, strikes again as a sailor on two-day leave who after much effort sweeps innocent young Anita Page off her feet. There isn't much to this routine boy-meets-girl story other than another manic performance by Haines, whose antics admittedly are a matter of taste, and the winsome presence of Page, who is given relatively little to do but react to her dominant male co-star. Three Fred Ahlert-Roy Turk songs are featured: the title song – the least of the bunch - which is sung at various points by individuals and a poorly miked large ensemble, as well as snatches of "Mean to Me" and "I'll Get By" played by dance bands. The shipboard sequences with Haines, Karl Dane and others, intended as rowdy comedy, may have amused audiences in 1929 but they drag now, though Haines does manage to squeeze some laughs out of the material through sheer persistence.

The writers were now starting to see how far they could stretch the censorship rules. Besides a few saucy jokes, the plot itself is quite racy although on closer examination it highlights what a horribly sexist society we used to be part of.

The plot - a loud and obnoxious sailor forcing his sexual attention on a pretty but naïve girl feels quite uncomfortable to watch these days. If today you personally saw his first encounter with Anita Page you would call the police. Breaking into a house then grabbing and kissing a frightened and unconsenting teenage girl isn't really considered a sweet way of romancing someone...but in 1929 it clearly was quite alright!

MGM waited until the other studios had ironed out the teething troubles associated with changing from silent to sound. This exhibits none of those infamous issues with early talkies. It's not one of those awful things where people just stand still on a set and slowly read their lines. No, this looks good, it sounds good and it's acted fairly naturally. It's full of action, sweeping overhead shots and very authentic sounding script. If you didn't know, you'd guess this was made many years later.

There's no attempt however to disguise the differences in acting abilities. Mr Haines is actually a good actor. He's got that charisma and naturalness that can turn his unsavoury character into a genuine, believable almost likeable person. Unfortunately his scenes with Anita Page highlight how stagey, stilted and static her performance was. Unlike in her first talkie, she's inexplicably bad in this. In 1929 however that she was so utterly unconvincing didn't seem to matter. The actors had roles to fulfil and they all did what was required: Haines was doing the acting, Anita was simply doing what was expected of her in 1929 - looking like a gorgeous Hollywood star. Also, being made in dear old 1929, Miss Page gives us the obligatory striptease - but only down to respectable, sensible MGM-friendly undies not the saucy, skimpy types you get in Warner Brothers pictures!)

This was a real surprise - a pleasant surprise. It gives a fabulous insight into how we thought nearly a hundred years ago and is also a genuinely enjoyable, well written story that you can engage with. Definitely worth a watch if you like films from this period.

Two interesting observations: - 1. What a very antiquated alternative to having a zip in men's trousers the US Navy had.

2. Swedes, for some reason were considered comical and needed to be made fun of.

After the success of the silent film SPEEDWAY in 1929, William Haines made his starring talkie debut in NAVY BLUES with Anita Page, who was fresh from her success in THE Broadway MELODY.

Haines plays a sailor on leave on who Page at a local dance. They have a whirlwind romance but his brash personality alienates her family and she is thrown out of the house. Haines takes her to a boarding house; she expects him to marry her but he abandons her and goes back to sea. After a few months he gets leave and goes looking for her, knowing he made a huge mistake. She's working as a dance hall girl (read prostitute), but he finds her and rescues her. Happy ending.

Haines is terrific here, a natural comic with his silly-billy antics. He loses none of his charm transferring from silents to talkies. And when the moment calls for dramatics, he's ready. Haines was a huge star in his day and NAVY BLUES was a solid hit for him.

Co-stars include Karl Dane in one of his best talkies roles, Edythe Chapman, J.C. Nugent, Jack Pennick, Wade Boteler, and Richard Tucker.

The three (3) principals of NAVY BLUES (1929) were at or near the top of the M.G.M. Star System. William Haines, Anita Page and Carl Dane all were very popular at that time, having successfully negotiated their rise too 'Stardom'. Now a new challenge arose, the 'talking picture'. In this modest film they were allowed to strut their stuff and learn how to manage the new restrictions of the sound medium.

THE NUTS; JACK KELLY (Haines), Seaman in the U.S.N. is a character wrapped up in his 'Gay-Blade' persona, a role Haines frequently fell back upon. SVEN SWANSON (Dane) his shipmate and 'friend' issues forth in the same way he did in silents, a simple minded Swede. ALICE 'Allie' BROWN (Page) provides the romantic interest. Other then some on-board footage showing Naval life most of the story concentrates on ALICE and JACK. JACK having to come to terms that it is time to 'grow-up' and commit to the person he loves.

The early restrictions of sound filming are clearly evident. Most shots are static with some 'left to right' movement. Nobody wanting to miss their marks or the microphones. The shipboard footage is interesting, though the Clemson Class Destroyer, our latest type was obsolete when laid down. Not even having been ten (10) years in service.

Neither Haines or Page had any trouble adapting to the new medium, their voices easily registered and matched their characters. Dane though had a thick accent, but was not unintelligible. Voice training would have solved the worse of his problems. Either He or M.G.M. were not interested in following up on this and his career petered out in the early 1930's. On 04/14/1934 Dane ended his problems, with a bullet.

Tastes were changing and though Haines was tops at the Box-Office in 1930, Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg were not satisfied. In their opinion, clean up and keep private your personal life or you will be 'persona non grata'. Haines chose to go his own way ending his film career, but becoming a successful interior decorator. Likewise Page was deemed expendable with the studio preferring Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo and Norma Shearer. Nor was she interested in playing casting couch politics with the executive staff, so exit Ms. Page. This all happened in a period of only five (5) years. The transition period from silents too sound was tough, these three (3) were casualties of it.