Three Sailors and a Girl

Roy Del Ruth was a talented second-rung director who spent his career shunting from one studio to another, never achieving the valuable symbiosis which boosted the careers of better-known directors who dedicated their talents primarily to one particular studio (such as Ford at Fox, Walsh at Warners, Capra at Columbia, Minnelli at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). 'Three Sailors and a Girl', a brassy musical comedy directed by Del Ruth for Warner Brothers, is an uncredited remake of 'Born to Dance', a 1936 musical directed by Del Ruth for MGM. 'Born to Dance' has better production values, a better cast and a better score (Jimmy Stewart warbling Cole Porter!), but 'Three Sailors and a Girl' is very enjoyable in its own right ... and its plot has almost nothing to do with George S. Kaufman's play 'The Butter and Egg Man', which is inexplicably listed in the credits here as source material.

'Born to Dance' and 'Three Sailors and a Girl' have exactly the same plot: a Navy submarine docks in New York, and three sailors (a singer, a dancer and a funny guy) go ashore. They meet a musically talented actress named Powell who deserves to be a star, and they pool their efforts to make her the star of a hit Broadway musical (as sailors do). In 'Born to Dance', the actress is vivacious tap-dancer Eleanor Powell. In 'Three Sailors and a Girl', the actress is Jane Powell (more brassy than usual, but quite good). The three sailors -- with the unfortunate nicknames Porky, Twitch and Choirboy -- are played by Jack E. Leonard (the funny guy), Gene Nelson (the dancer) and Gordon MacRae (the singer and romantic lead). MacRae was never better than his material, so here he's much less interesting than he was in 'Oklahoma!' and 'Carousel'. Gene Nelson is excellent as the acrobatic dancer, although he too has been better elsewhere.

The real find in this movie is Jack E. Leonard, a vulgar and heavy-set insult comic who pre-dated Don Rickles, and who is not normally considered an actor. He's not very good here, but he's better than I expected him to be, and he might have had a decent career in supporting roles. His 'singing' voice is nothing to boast about, although he acquits himself well alongside Nelson and MacRae in the opening number (a snappy ditty called 'Oh, So Right!'), and he's decent enough in a (poor) comedy number with Jane Powell: 'Show me a happy woman, and I'll show you a miserable man.' Leonard also does a comedy monologue which isn't funny, and which relies heavily on a ludicrous costume and a penguin walk. Jack E. Leonard was severely overweight: a fact which shouldn't have disqualified him from movie roles, but which renders him utterly implausible here in the role of an active-duty sailor. Even more implausibly, the three sailors finance their Broadway musical by having a whip-round among their shipmates (yes, we all know that sailors have got lots of money socked away) ... and then, when these funds prove insufficient, they get further backing from the Marines. (Yes, we all know that the Navy and the Marines always work hand in hand towards mutual goals.) Still, this is a fun movie, and I don't want to dissect the plot line.

Sam Levene, giving his usual performance, is quite good as the sharpy who produces the Broadway musical ... which of course is a hit. There's a totally unexpected (and very funny) cameo appearance by Burt Lancaster as a leatherneck, which leads to Levene speaking the funniest line in the movie.

Except for that Powell/Leonard duet, the songs (by Sammy Fain and Sammy Cahn) are excellent: very nearly as good as Cole Porter's score for 'Born to Dance'. I'll rate 'Three Sailors and a Girl' 7 points out of 10. Delightful!

The title should tip you off that inventiveness and originality will be in severely rationed supply here.

Jane Powell and Gordon MacRae, supported by Gene Nelson and Jack E. Leonard, are the stars that carry this musical comedy. Powell displays real beauty (accented by some sharp fashions) while singing and dancing up a storm. MacRae's voice may be the best part of this film.

Jack E. Leonard appears in his first film. A stand-up comic better known for his appearances on television variety shows like "The Mike Douglas Show" or "The Merv Griffin Show", Leonard displays great energy and a surprising lightness on his feet.

The film is about the evolution of a stage musical that is backed by some sailors (and later, some marines). It starts off as a dog, but eventually becomes a hit. The film takes a similar path; it is only in the final act that "Three Sailors" feels like a solid piece of entertainment.

Look for Merv Griffin himself as a sailor. Burt Lancaster contributes a comic cameo.

As musical comedies go, this film is a lightweight, but it has moments that are entertaining.

MGM made a ton of musicals over the years and the studio was the best for the genre. Some of them were terrific...some, well, were far from it. I would put "Three Sailors and a Girl" in the latter category.

The USS Texas has arrived in New York for shore leave (a VERY long one apparently). Before leaving the ship, three buddies come up with an interesting idea...that ALL of the sailors aboard pool their money. Then, the three pals set out to find a good investment for their shipmates. They come upon a jerk named Joe Woods, who sells them on the notion of investing their money in his latest musical show. They decide to do this because his leading lady, Penny (Jane Powell), has a gorgeous voice (at least according to the film). However, the play ends up being a flop...mostly due to a ham of an actor who is in the lead. Fortunately, he quits...and so does the producer! Now, without them, one of the sailors (Gordon MacRae) decides to play the lead AND producer! What next?

I had a hard time with this movie compared to some viewers because I found Powell's voice painful to listen to...as it was VERY high pitched and operatic. Like Jeanette MacDonald, you either love that style of leading lady or you don't. Apart from her singing, the movie was decent and enjoyable...but that WAS a big part of the film.

'Choirboy' Jones (Gordon MacRae), Twitch, and Porky are sailors on a US submarine. They are docking in Brooklyn for extensive repairs. The Captain gives the boys 30-day leave. Jones tells the crew that they're going to waste all their pay. Instead, he convinces them to collect their pay, fifty guys with $1k each, and invest it. The trio first head to the stock market. Producer Joe Woods (Sam Levene) and singer Penny Weston (Jane Powell) are there to pitch a Broadway show. They are thrown out of the building. The trio follows the lady with the legs.

I don't love opera or the crooning. Otherwise, I'm fine with the songs. Nothing stands out. There is a basic problem with Choirboy. He has to be smart enough for the guys to trust him with their money. Yet, he's dumb enough to invest in a Broadway show. The solution should be that he's a finance nerd who falls head over heels for Penny. That's the sweet spot to hit. I can do without the black-face joke, but it's the 50's. The story is a mess and I don't care much about it. Gordon MacRae is still not star material as far as I'm concerned. I do love Jane Powell. All in all, this is a borderline musical.