Watch It, Sailor! **½ (1961, Dennis Price, Liz Fraser, Irene Handl, Vera Day, Marjorie Rhodes, John Meillon, Cyril Smith) – Classic Movie Review 10,378

Director Wolf Rilla’s 1961 domestic comedy Watch, It Sailor! is the more than adequate farcical sequel to 1956’s Sailor Beware! about a silly sailor named Albert (John Meillon) and his misadventures before his wedding to Shirley Hornett (Vera Day). Dennis Price stars as Lieutenant Commander Hardcastle, the Royal Navy officer who is ordered to interfere with the impending marriage, alongside Liz Fraser as Daphne Pink.

These misadventures mainly revolve around mum-in-law-to-be Emma Hornett (Marjorie Rhodes, taking over from Peggy Mount), Henry Hornett (Cyril Smith), Shirley Hornett (Vera Day) and the bride’s dotty aunt Edie Hornett (the always funny Irene Handl). There are guest appearances from Renée Houston as Mrs. Mottram, Arthur Howard as Vicar, Frankie Howerd as Church Organist, and Bobby Howes as Drunk.

Falkland L Cary and Philip King adapt their own play but the frantic situations and breezy mugging bear the mark of something better suited to theatre. However, it is still more than worthwhile for the exceptionally nice cast, especially Dennis Price, who gives a priceless comedy performance, and the funny women Rhodes, Handl, Fraser and Miriam Karlin, as well as Brian Reece, Graham Stark, Harry Locke, William Mervyn, Diane Aubrey and Marianne Stone.

It is based on the 1960 play Watch, It Sailor! by Falkland L Cary and Philip King, a sequel to their earlier play, Sailor Beware, and was filmed in 1956. However, it is a basically a remake of Sailor Beware! (1956) with different jokes and storyline and a different cast, and only Cyril Smith reprising his role as the hen-pecked father of the bride Henry Hornett.

Made by Maurice Cowan Productions (as Cormorant) for Hammer Film Productions, it is shot at Hammer’s Bray Studios in Berkshire. The sets are designed by the art directors Bernard Robinson and Don Mingaye.

Watch It, Sailor! runs 81 minutes, is released by Columbia Pictures Corporation (UK), is shot in black and white by Arthur Grant, is produced by Maurice Cowan, is scored by Douglas Gamley, Bernard Robinson and Don Mingaye.

After its premiere in July 1961 in London, it was released in the UK on 14 August 1961.

The stage sequel Watch It, Sailor opened in London in February 1960 and starred Kathleen Harrison as Emma Hornett.

Vera Day turned 85 on 4 August 2020. She appeared in Hell Drivers (1957), Quatermass 2 (1957) Too Many Crooks (1959), The Woman Eater (1958), Up the Creek (1958), A Stitch in Time (1963) and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,378

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