In the Navy

Starring: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Dick Powell, Claire Dodd, The Andrews Sisters, Shemp Howard, Dick Foran
Directed by: Arthur Lubin
Rating: Passed
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance
1941

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: The most famous singer (Dick Powell) in America vanishes from the spotlight and secretly joins the Navy. There, he must avoid a noisy reporter (Claire Dodd) as he befriends two bumbling shipmen (Bud Abbott, Lou Costello).

Review:

Tim: Confession: I can't think of this film's title without singing the absurd Village People song in my head. That's my cross to bear, though. Let's get to the review. In the Navy (see, I just did it again) is the 2nd film starring Abbott & Costello and their 3rd film together. It was actually filmed after their 4th film, but released earlier. This makes their second military-themed movie, following their stint in the Army in Buck Privates. I actually think this film is a little better than their previous effort, although I'm not completely sold on the formula of these movies. Still, I have to admit I had a fun time watching this movie.

The biggest draw of these films is certainly the different Abbott & Costello routines. I felt like they showed a little more creativity and variety in the bits this time, which greatly helped the overall film. The Lemon Bit shell game routine was perhaps the highlight. They had this routine down brilliantly and it was great fun to keep your eyes on everything that was going on as Abbott and Costello tried to one-up and out con each other. I really, really enjoyed that bit and it was likely the highlight of the movie for me. It was hilarious. The math routine was pretty predictable, but it elicited a few laughs. I actually thought the hook on the chalkboard gag at the close was funnier than the whole routine. Still, I appreciate the diversity of their bits. The water initiation scene felt a little overrated, but it was genuinely funny to see Costello break character by laughing and spitting his water on the deck. I'm glad they kept that moment in. Even though it's not especially funny, it was enjoyable seeing Costello running back and forth with the water in his mouth.

I still struggle a bit with how Abbott & Costello are portrayed. They get top billing and are clearly the main attraction, yet they really play supporting roles. The main storyline involves Dick Powell as a famous singer trying to disappear into the Navy and avoiding getting his picture taken by Claire Dodd. That's the main story and it's what propels everything forward. The bits with Abbott & Costello are sideshows, pauses in the main story. Like previous films, the pauses are more effective than the story, which hurts the quality of the film. I felt like this might have been just slightly less of a concern here, although it worries me for future films. I'd love to see a story that revolves around Abbott & Costello, rather than having them be supporting players in their own movie.

I thought both men did a good job here. I was glad to see Costello get a few wins over Abbott- that helped a lot to make Abbott more approachable and not seem like quite a jerk. Their chemistry together is undeniable and it's great, great fun seeing them go back-and-forth together.

I believe I'd likely rank In the Navy ever so slightly above the previous two Abbott & Costello films. This movie didn't completely solve some of my previous complaints, but at least it took steps in the right direction. The bits were mostly clever and fun to watch. I didn't care much for the climax (interesting story about why that decision was made) and the Andrews Sisters once again felt like they were forced into the story, but for the most part, this is a good movie. I do have a slight concern that future Abbott & Costello movies will start to blend in together. I think it's definitely time to change things up a bit.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: One Night in the Tropics, Buck Privates