Hit the Deck (1955)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Memorable, crazy movie

Lack of good storyline.

Brilliant and touching

Some observations. Dancers I love. Ann Miller. Russ Tamblyn. Debbie Reynolds. Jane Powell. Singers I love. Tony Martin. Vic Damone. Naish a hoot as always. Damone's mother very nice and good singer. Raymond long in the tooth.Shades of On the Town. Annie again. Amusement park again. Three sailors again. Three women again. Sailor looking at picture of woman again. No female taxi driver here? Great to see Russ Tamblyn soon after Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and before Tom Thumb. Good to see Debbie Reynolds after Singin' in the Rain. Same for Jane Powell some years after Royal Wedding with Fred Astaire. Annie of course had earlier been in Kiss Me Kate. Walter Pidgeon was not with his classic co-star Greer Garson. Martin signing reminding me of Till the Clouds Roll By.Military critique: after Korean War. Way after WW II. Sailors are trained to get trained to defend their country and possibly get killed aboard ship or in the waters in some foreign land, but here they are happy and non-stop singing and dancing on stage, and chasing the dames ashore. They are worried about being grabbed by the shore patrol. War and military movies about WW II kept on for decades after that war ended in 1945 -- even up to and during after the Vietnam War. Army soldiers are not the only military personnel killed in wars, however. I see more singing, dancing sailors in the musicals, however, such as Anchors Aweigh, On the Town, Hit the Deck, etc. one singing, dancing Army guy movie was the one in which Army veterans are dancing with trash can lids.10/10

This is a really fun musical with all likable character. Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds & Ann Miller play the girls and Tony Martin, Vic Damone & Russ Tamblyn play the guys. The great Walter Pidgeon plays the father of Jane and Russ. Tony tries to win back his old gal Ann. Russ romances Debbie and Jane is stuck with a womanizer until she meets up with Vic. I liked all three pairings in the film, they fit perfectly. Ann & Russ show their talents as great dancers. Jane, Tony & Vic show off their wonderful voices and Debbie does both well. Ann and Debbie have some number to show off their great pair of legs. I just love the blue dress Debbie wears at the end. Her legs are gorgeous. I think they gave Debbie the best three musical numbers. I felt Jane was underused a little bit. Jane does a cute number with a penguin and does a couple of nice duets. I would have liked to see Jane's legs showcased. She also has a great body. I don't know why some people pick on this film. The cast is just wonderful and there are some nice songs and the devil's fun house dance number with Debbie and Russ is a highlight. It's not my favorite musical, but it is one of the better ones.

The play Shore Leave was given another and final musical adaption in 1955 serving as a great showcase for some mighty talented stars at MGM. Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar wrote the original musical Hit the Deck for Broadway in the twenties and an film adaption was done in 1930 starring Jack Oakie. Then Irving Berlin did his own version for the screen in Follow the Fleet for Fred and Ginger. Come 1955 and we have still another script retaining some of the Youmans-Caesar songs and adding several Youmans numbers from other shows. The songs are well integrated into the story since it involves some sailors on shore leave in San Francisco involved with some musical performers.The sailors are Tony Martin, Vic Damone, and Russ Tamblyn. Martin and Damone are two of the best voices around and Tamblyn is a good dancer. They pair off with Ann Miller, Jane Powell, and Debbie Reynolds. Martin is having trouble with Miller, they have a Nathan Detroit/Adelaide relationship long distance and she's tired of it. In the mean time Powell who is Tamblyn's sister is involved with a Broadway wolf played with relish by Gene Raymond. Both are the offspring of Admiral Walter Pidgeon.Anyway our sailors rescue damsel in distress Powell and spend most of the film hiding from the Shore Patrol. One of the two Shore Patrolmen is played by Alan King who was appearing with Martin in his nightclub act and Martin got the part for him in Hit the Deck. Powell and Damone had already been a screen team in Rich, Young and Pretty and also had appeared in Deep in My Heart together in a musical number. They do a two nice duets with a couple of noted Youmans songs I Know that You Know and Sometimes I'm Happy. Martin's big solo number is the famous More Than You Know trying to win Miller back. And our Ann dances to Keeping Myself for You, Bayou, and the Hallelujah finale number. Up till Showboat, musicals in fact had thin plots for stories and were just an excuse for singing and dancing. Hit the Deck is a throwback to those days. But a nicely done throwback.Of course Ann Miller is just fine, but why oh why didn't MGM cast Cyd Charisse opposite her husband? Missed another opportunity.Look for Richard Anderson who has a small role as the aide to Walter Pidgeon. In a very understated way he's the one who brings about a satisfactory conclusion to one and all.

.,, except for the underrated Ann Miller who breathes a little life into this leaden musical. Miller's "bayou woman" number is fun, but Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Walter Pidgeon, Vic Damone, and the god-awful Tony Martin and Russ Tamblyn just lie there like dead fish. The Fun House number with Reynolds and Tamblyn is a pale copy of the one in A Damsel in Distress, which featured Fred Astaire, Gracie Allen, and George Burns. Powell is at her sugary worst; Damone looks embarrassed throughout. Even dependable Gene Raymond, Jane Darwell, and J. Carrol Naish don't add much zip. Lousy production numbers abound, and the set decoration looks like a yard sale. Stinker!