Des jupons à l'horizon

Diverting bit of fluff from MGM about three women who join the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) to get away from their respective man troubles. One (Joan Evans) was left standing at the altar, one (Esther Williams) left someone standing at the altar, and another (Vivian Blaine) never got to the altar. The women go through training, singing and having fun along the way, until they get down to the important business at hand: landing a man.

Vivian Blaine keeps things moving with her energetic performance. Joan Evans starts out being a terribly depressing character but she has a good turnaround about a half-hour in. Esther Williams seems to be going through the motions; not bad but not remarkable in any way. Barry Sullivan plays her love interest. The two have no chemistry at all. The DeMarco sisters are fun to watch. Debbie Reynolds has a cameo in a dance routine. Emmett Lynn is a scene stealer as Pop the plumber. The song and dance numbers are nothing to write home about. At least one of them ("What Good is a Gal without a Guy?") is downright embarrassing. Still, it's a hard movie to dislike. Everything is light and frothy with an enjoyable trio of stars. The highlight of the whole thing is (not surprisingly) Esther's big swimming scene, this time with a couple of cute kids.

It may not be front rank, but the production is doing what glossy MGM did best—musicals. Of course with the aquatic Esther Williams, we know some of the music will accompany her acrobatic swim skills. The first half are the three girls getting accustomed to military life with the usual plucked heartstrings, while musical numbers dominate the second half. As expected, the results are lavishly produced in candy box Technicolor. Ordinarily, a patriotically themed production like this would be WWII movie fare, but keep in mind in '52 and '53 the Korean War was still dragging on, though it's never mentioned in the screenplay.

The pacing is zippy, not letting the boy-girl interludes slow things down. Still, the musical selections are largely forgettable, while the set pieces are many and not too well blended. My favorites are The Debbie Reynolds-Bobby Van cameo, a good acrobatic contrast to the various marching numbers. Apparently MGM liked the result well enough to team them in the following year's beguiling The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953). Also, Williams' underwater shenanigans with the two kids is certainly eye-catching and different. (Too bad the little girl died a couple months later in a diving accident {IMDB}.)

It's an able cast from a patrician Williams to a goofy Blaine to an unpredictable Evans. But when I think musicals, I don't think Barry Sullivan. Looks like he was breaking with his sinister image by playing a no-nonsense doctor; at the same time, not looking too comfortable. And, oh yes, the brief interludes between Williams and the beguiled old guy amount to an inspired poignant touch.

All in all, it's an entertaining, if crowded, 109-minutes that probably tries to do too much for its own good. No it's not among Williams' best, still the pacing and visuals zip along in fine fashion such that if you don't like this set-up, a new one will soon follow.

One of my least favourite films/musicals featuring Esther Williams, along with 'Texas Carnival' and 'Jupiter's Darling'. All three watchable but very flawed. 'Skirts Ahoy!' is not a sinking dud, but considering the talent involved (as well as Williams, there's Vivian Blaine, Debbie Reynolds, Bobby Van and songs penned by Harry Warren and Ralph Blane) it should have been better, much better.

Williams herself is captivating, she has a graceful charm and sassiness, while her swimming talent and aquatic skills are enough to make one green with envy. She is well supported by a polished and energetic turn from Vivian Blaine, while Billy Eckstine and Emmett Lynn are suitably sincere and Debbie Reynolds and Bobby Van lighten up the screen and really liven things up.

'Skirts Ahoy!' looks nice enough, the costume and set design are not elaborate or lavish but handsome and colourful enough and the film is photographed very nicely. The songs are all pleasant, though only one is properly memorable and that is the modest hit "What Good is a Girl (Without a Guy"). The way the numbers are staged is energetic and graceful and enthusiastically performed, Williams' water ballet and "Oh By Jingo" performed with terrific gusto by Reynolds and Van.

However, there is no chemistry between Williams and Barry Sullivan. Sullivan further has the indignity of having next to nothing to do and coming over as bland. Joan Evans struggle with the singing and dancing, the inexperience really shows, and also struggles to bring any likable qualities to a character that can border on the desperately annoying.

Despite some nice light, funny and endearingly fluffy moments, too much of the script is soggier than very watery cucumber sandwiches. The story is wafer thin, flimsy doesn't cut it describing the thinness of it, with pacing that really plods in the non-song and dance sequences (where the film comes to life) and an improbable resolution. 'Skirts Ahoy!' further suffers from being overlong, due to too much of its basic narrative content being as thin as it was that was difficult to overlook, and for being over-stuffed in other parts. Direction is indifferent.

Overall, not a bad film but never fully leaves the deck. Most of the cast and some nice moments keep it afloat but the story and script threaten to sink it and almost do. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Even though I am a fan of Esther Williams, I found this film very uneven.

Skirts Ahoy! was released in 1952 when the U.S. was involved in the Korean conflict. The roles of women in society were changed significantly during WWII, which ended only about five years before. The country was adjusting quickly and creating social phenomena (the baby boom, the suburban real estate boom, and a search for equilibrium in the roles of the sexes) that would be studied for decades. Esther Williams, Vivian Blaine and Joan Evans play three Waves in training at the Great Lakes U.S. Naval Training Center. They are rather aggressive in pursuit of men--an attitude that many men would find off-putting, especially in the early 50s.

Barry Sullivan plays the navy physician that Esther Williams pursues. I found his performance drab, making it difficult to understand her fascination with him.

Vivian Blaine practically plays Miss Adelaide from Guys and Dolls here, a role she perfected on Broadway in 1950 and, later, in the film (1955).

Esther gets her moments in the pool, of course. As usual, the aqua routines are not really a part of the overall plot. And the studio managed to throw in a number of music and dance numbers that are the same way, so that Esther is an audience member during them. It's pretty remarkable that the local dinner club features Billy Eckstine. In a show on the base, we find Keenan Wynn, Debbie Reynolds, Bobby Van and a full selection of orchestra, drill teams, and choral groups.

The dance number featuring Debbie and Bobby was fun. Both are so fresh that their roles are uncredited. Singin' in the Rain was released in the same year, so who knew Debbie would be such a hit when Skirts Ahoy! came to theaters?

I particularly enjoyed the performances of the (5) DeMarco Sisters. Great harmonies, great energy.

The film has an improbable resolution, but the entire plot is merely a device to separate the swimming and musical numbers.

This movie isn't terribly accurate as to actual Boot Camp life, they had MUCH more freedom than we did, but it was filmed at Great Lakes Naval Station about 10 years before I was stationed there in 1962-3. The barracks, the furnishings, everything in the background shots look just the way they did when I was there. We also lived in those same WWII temporary barracks. I thoroughly enjoy this movie every time I watch it just for the memories and to see those wonderful uniforms that I really liked! My favorite part of the movie each time is the Drill Team scene, they do some of the very same routines that we did when I was on the Boot Camp Drill Team at Bainbridge, Maryland in 1962.