Une fille dans chaque port

Groucho Marx made this film for his friend, producer Irwin Allen and they would work together again with co-star Marie Wilson in the overblown epic comedy THE STORY OF MANKIND. A GIRL IN EVERY PORT is an unfunny comedy starring funny people (William Bendix included) that perhaps were a bit beyond their prime (products of the studio system which had fallen apart they were dumped into TV with some success and took what ever they could get in low-budget theatrical garbage like this). Irwin Allen, who showed greatness in adventure and science fiction just didn't have the knack for a full blown comedy and had the good sense to quit producing comedies after making just a couple (though some would argue Irwin Allen's LOST IN SPACE became a camp comedy after the first year). Marie Wilson (best known as MY FRIEND IRMA) starred in another horse racing comedy called SWEEPSTAKES WINNER (1939). If you can catch that film on TCM it's a lot funnier and a much better year for movies.

Benny Linn (Groucho Marx) and dim-witted Tim Dunnovan (William Bendix) are navy sailor buddies. Tim gets conned into buying a lame race horse and Benny is ordered to fix it. The horse has a twin and wacky scheme ensues. Only it gets more and more complicated.

Groucho Marx and William Bendix seem to be a good comedic pairing. They do need better writing and more banter to elevate the comedy. It feels like a missed opportunity. The premise is stupid but I'm willing to go with it for a silly comedy. The problem is that the silliness promises a lot but rarely delivers. It has a couple of fun moments but it's not enough.

Groucho Marx and William Bendix deserve much better material than what they are given here. A bad script with unfunny jokes gives these two talents nothing to work with. Why they ever agreed to do this film is one of the great mysteries of Hollywood!

In many ways, the plot to "A Girl in Every Port" plays like an Abbott & Costello movie. William Bendix plays Tim...a rather dim sailor who is bossed around by his friend, Lucky (Groucho Marx). As for Lucky, he's a con man...and a fast-talking one at that.

The story begins with Lucky and Tim, once again, in the brig on the ship where they serve. It seems that despite being real rogues, the US Navy is apparently hard up and this alone would explain why they weren't discharged. After Tim foolishly buys a bum horse with his inheritance, their captain gives them time off duty to get Tim's money back for the horse. However, instead of just asking for the money, the scheming Lucky comes up with a plan to not only get Tim's money back...but a bit more for their trouble. This plan includes the help of a ditzy blonde (Marie Windsor) and her lookalike horse.

When the film was made, Groucho was 62 years-old...way too old to be a common seaman in the Navy. But considering how silly the plot is, this is the least of the plot problems in the film. Switching horses like they do isn't possible due to tattoos and other means the racetracks have to make sure horses aren't switched. But again....with a comedy like this, you can overlook all this.

So is it any good? Well, Bendix is just okay...and he doesn't really contribute a lot to the story. Instead, the movie seems much more a Groucho vehicle and he dominates the film. As for Marie Wilson, she's not as one-note and annoying as she often could be with her dumb blonde routine. The best thing the film has going for it, apart from Groucho, is energy and silliness. Not a great comedy but a very enjoyable one.

The racehorse in A GIRL IN EVERY PORT isn't the only thing that's lame. The plot, scripting, pacing and every other facet of this film follow suit. Even the title is misleading, as the ship never sails anywhere, and the only girl involved to any great extent is a stunningly moronic Marie Wilson. This film proves that labored, unfunny "comedies" were being produced long before the current spate of mindless garbage began spewing from our television and movie screens. The characters in this film all appear to have IQ's somewhere in the single digit range. It is indeed sad to see so many talented actors tangled up in this unfortunate yawner. Avoid this film at every opportunity.