Follow the Fleet

Movie Review: Follow the Fleet

Year of Release: 1936
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Mark Sandrich
Cast: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott

Plot outline: Two sailors on leave romance a dance-hall hostess and her prim sister (IMDb).

Imperfections in Follow the Fleet, a free adaptation of Hubert Osborne's play Shore Leave, are confined to story, and that's usual with musicals, stage or screen. The major flaw - and it is really a minor one - is the movie's failure to include a few comedians to help carry the picture along when Astaire and Rogers are not in there dancing. Edward Everett Horton would have helped, and so would Eric Blore or Erik Rhodes. Comedy, rather than the minor romance of Randolph Scott and Harriet Hilliard, would have been a more satisfactory order of the day. An admiral's salute is still due for Astaire and Rogers, with a general broadside of approval for Scott, Hilliard and Allwyn. Nevertheless, the story never detracts from the important element - the Astaire-Rogers musical efforts. There are seven songs which is a bit too much - all by Irving Berlin, with "Face the Music", a cross between "Piccolino" and "Lovely Day", easily the leader. The score on the whole is pleasant but save for "Face the Music", the last number, not particularly distinguished. (V)

My judgement: **1/2 out of 4 stars