Sailor Beware *** (1952, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Corinne Calvet, Marion Marshall, Robert Strauss, Leif Erickson, Skip Homeier, Vince Edwards, James Dean) – Classic Movie Review 3478

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis are up to their old tricks, this time in navy larks as sailors in a submarine, in director Hal Walker’s 1952 remake of a 1942 Dorothy Lamour-William Holden musical The Fleet’s In.

Lewis plays seaman Melvin Jones, who joins the US Navy despite his many allergies, which include kissing girls. But, through an appearance on a TV show sponsored by a lipstick manufacturer, he gets the undeserved reputation of a being great kisser named ‘Mr Temptation’ and is pursued by amorous women. Then his shipmates bet their pay he can get a sexy French singer (Corinne Calvet) to kiss him, threatening his relationship with girlfriend Hilda (Marion Marshall). Martin plays Al Crowthers.

It is a typical Martin and Lewis comedy, simple, eager-to-please, fast paced and determinedly slapstick. It offers a constant supply of jokes and music, though at 108 minutes it runs about 20 minutes too long for entertainment comfort.

Fans of the stars are likely to pleasantly amused, but Martin and Lewis comedies are a specialised taste and non-fan audiences best beware that they may probably be bored and irritated by their predictably daft antics and especially Lewis’s gormless act.

Martin sings five songs by Mack David and Jerry Livingston. The screenplay is by James Allardice and Martin Rackin, adapting a play by Kenyon Nicholson and Charles Robinson.

James Dean appears briefly in his second film as a sailor boxing opponent’s second. Also in the cast are Robert Strauss, Leif Erickson, Skip Homeier, Don Wilson, Vince Edwards, Dan Barton, Mike Mahoney, Mary Treen, Al Kikume, Louis Jean Heydt, Marshall Reed, Elaine Stewart, Jack Shea and Betty Hutton (uncredited as Hetty Button).

Jerry Lewis celebrated his 90th birthday on March 16 2016. He died on 20 August 2017, aged 91.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3478

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