We Joined the Navy

As a fan of old British comedy films I have to say this one fails to float my boat. With its Eastmancolour production and a number of familiar British stars, it looks and feels like one of those mildly amusing Betty Box/Ian St John films from the late 50's, and the whole thing is weak and lacking any punch. It is episodic and relies to a great extent on nice scenery and sunlit japery for its appeal. It's a very average 5 from me.

Kenneth More plays a naval officer on board an American ship and with his small coterie of hapless English seamen, whose incompetence, silly antics and adolescent behaviour never manages to raise a laugh. Watching dim - witted English seamen engaging in puerile frolics, with Kenneth More, whose acting can only be described as wooden, makes this film a tedious experience! It's a very forgettable film and I'm not surprised that Kenneth More's film career went into reverse! This film sadly is a real yawn!

Kenneth More was a great actor. I also have a feeling he was a brave man, bravely looking life in the face and despite physical suffering towards the end coped with everything that was thrown at him. Who could object to the fact that both he and Kay Kendall made an admirable acting couple in ' Genevieve ' ? It surely must make one of the finest pairings in film comedy. He is good in ' We Joined the Navy ' but he deserved a better film. And yet despite the inferior material he shines. Worth watching him and yes there are certain parts of the scenario to enjoy. A film for grown up boys of the early 1960's.

After this feeble comedy Kenneth More didn't make another film for 2 years.There are a number of theories why this happened.After all other contemporaries managed to maintain their careers for years to come.He must have reached slightly desperation stakes to accept this role.It starts off reasonably amusing whilst the film focuses on the British Navy.However when the script takes him to the American navy.Clearly an attempt to sell the film to American distributors highlighted by the parachuting in of two American actors.The only diversion is seeing so many familiar character actors in small parts.The problem for Kenneth More was that he was a one part actor.So when that part disappeared,so did his career.

What an extraordinary cast! Two of the Doctor In The House mob (More and Bogarde), two future Basil Brush sidemen (Fowlds and a blink-and-you'll-miss-him Rodney Bewes), Sergeant Wilson from Dad's Army, Alf Garnett, Captain Beaky, an ex-Goon, Barraclough from Porridge, Slartibartfast, the old bloke from Waiting For God, the even older bloke from Dr Finlay's Casebook, the old woman from The Rag Trade and that mad French-Russian bloke who was in Hellzapoppin and things (Mischa Auer).

Pity the movie's a bit lame. Thurdsday afternoon viewing at its ultimate.