In the Navy (1941) Review

The re-issue trailer for In the Navy:

In the Navy follows Buck Privates in the release order, though initially Hold That Ghost was supposed to fill this spot, as it went into production after Buck Privates. However, after the huge success of Buck Privates, Universal decided to shelve Hold That Ghost and instead make another service comedy with Abbott and Costello, only this time dealing with the Navy instead of the Army. Knowing that this is basically capitalizing off of the success of Buck Privates (to the point that they even make a joke with the title), I find it ironic that I consider this to be a much better put together film.

Tommy Halstead (Dick Powell) is a popular singer under the name of Russ Raymond. One day he decides to join the Navy and his disappearance becomes a huge scandal. Dorothy Roberts (Claire Dodd) is a reporter who tracks him down and attempts to get photographic evidence of where he is. Meanwhile, the Navy also has to deal with the antics of Smokey Adams (Abbott) and Pomeroy Watson (Costello).

The main storyline is a lot more interesting this time around. The romantic interests do a very good job with their acting and the idea behind their romance itself is actually kind of unique. Neither one is really interested in the other at the beginning and are just trying to do their jobs, so it does really feel like it could go anywhere and makes you want to see what happens next.

Abbott and Costello are also much better utilized this time around. The two help both of the romantic leads to the point that their actions do have a long term effect on the plot. Their friendship with Tommy in particular is made clear throughout the film. Little moments like Abbott offering Tommy to go on shore with him are not really necessary but do give a very good idea of collegiality, something that I think is very important in films dealing with the service and is a far cry from Buck Privates and its more cold nature. Yes, the plot of Buck Privates does call for the members to hate the romantic lead at one point, but they really didn’t seem to be all that friendly in the first place.

The Andrews Sisters also have a more important role in this, especially Patty. They actually get to do some acting and do their jobs very well and much like the rest of the characters have a great rapport with people like Smokey and Tommy. Shemp Howard also is upgraded to a larger role in this film and even gets to take part in several of Abbott and Costello’s routines.

Speaking of the routines, that’s another thing that I think is better in this film. Don’t get me wrong; Buck Privates had a lot of funny moments and contains the famous Army drill routine routine, but In the Navy contains more of my personal favorite routines: the lemon bit, the sons of Neptune, the hammock bit, and 13 x 7 = 28. I absolutely love when Costello is pretending to be commanding the rowboat and everyone is hitting him with their paddles; I don’t believe this bit was done anywhere else. There’s also lots of minor moments like Costello drawing a hook for his hat (which had been previously used in Buster Keaton’s The High Sign) as well as Costello mistaking a porthole for a closet.

If there’s one thing Buck Privates has over In the Navy, it’s the songs. Unlike Buck Privates, which had a few standout songs and even a couple that became classics, In the Navy has no particularly great songs, at least none that are original. The songs are fine and the Andrews Sisters’ voices are always pleasant to listen to, but overall the songs can be pretty forgettable. The ending also could have been handled a bit better. Without giving too much away, the climax is portrayed in this film as having been a dream, due to an actual complaint from the U.S. Navy, so the climax ends up feeling entirely pointless!

These minor issues aside, In the Navy is actually a very entertaining film and is definitely worth a look.

9 out of 10