The Fleet's In
1942 film by Victor Schertzinger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Fleet's In is a 1942 musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger. Produced and released by Paramount Pictures, it stars Dorothy Lamour, William Holden and Eddie Bracken. Although sharing the title of the 1928 Paramount film starring Clara Bow and Jack Oakie, it is not a remake. It is instead the second film adaptation of the 1933 Kenyon Nicholson and Charles Robinson stage play "Sailor, Beware!".
.jpg)
Sid Silvers
Ralph Spence
J. Walter Ruben
| The Fleet's In | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Victor Schertzinger |
| Screenplay by | Walter DeLeon Sid Silvers Ralph Spence |
| Story by | Monte Brice J. Walter Ruben |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Paul Jones |
| Starring | Dorothy Lamour William Holden Eddie Bracken |
| Cinematography | William C. Mellor |
| Edited by | Paul Weatherwax |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,650,000 (US rentals)[1] |
Enlivened with songs by Schertzinger and lyricist Johnny Mercer. The score, under the musical direction of Victor Young, introduced the songs "Tangerine", "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry" and "I Remember You", which all went on to become hits and have become part of the Great American Songbook.
Jimmy Dorsey and his band are prominently featured in the movie. Supporting cast members singers Betty Jane Rhodes, Cass Daley, and Betty Hutton in her film debut. This was the final film of Schertzinger's long directorial career. He died in October 1941, before this production's release.
Plot
When unassuming sailor Casey Kirby goes backstage for a famous actress's autograph, he winds up kissing her for a publicity photo. The photo circulates, and Kirby earns a reputation as a ladies man among his fellow sailors. They bet on the chances of him kissing the stand-offish star "The Countess" of the Swingland club during a four-day leave in San Francisco. When they arrive in San Francisco, Kirby attempts to win the bet and finds that he has earnestly fallen in love with the Countess and wants to marry her. Their romance is complicated by the Countess finding out about the bet and assuming that his advances are only to win the bet, although she finds that she has fallen in love with him.
Cast
- Dorothy Lamour as the Countess
- William Holden as Casey Kirby
- Eddie Bracken as Barney Waters
- Betty Hutton as Bessie
- Betty Jane Rhodes as Diana Golden
- Leif Erickson as Jake
- Cass Daley as Cissie
- Gil Lamb as Spike
- Barbara Britton as Eileen
- Roy and Lorraine Rognan as Themselves
- Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra as Themselves
- Bob Eberly as Vocalist
- Helen O'Connell as Vocalist
Soundtrack
Victor Schertzinger (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics) wrote ten songs for the movie, only eight were used.
The songs used are:
- ”The Fleet's In" — (Music by Victor Schertzinger & Lyrics by Johnny Mercer) Performed by Betty Jane Rhodes and reprised by Eddie Bracken with Male Chorus
- "Tangerine" — (Music by Victor Schertzinger & Lyrics by Johnny Mercer) Performed by Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
- "When You Hear the Time Signal" — (Music by Victor Schertzinger & Lyrics by Johnny Mercer) Performed by Dorothy Lamour with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
- "If You Build a Better Mousetrap" — (Music by Victor Schertzinger & Lyrics by Johnny Mercer) Performed by Betty Hutton with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra and reprised by Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell
- "Not Mine" — (Music by Victor Schertzinger & Lyrics by Johnny Mercer) Performed by Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken, Bob Eberly with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
- "I Remember You" — (Music by Victor Schertzinger & Lyrics by Johnny Mercer) Performed by Dorothy Lamour, Bob Eberly, Helen O'Connell with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra. Reprised by Lorraine and Rognan
- "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry" — (Music by Victor Schertzinger & Lyrics by Johnny Mercer) Performed by Betty Hutton with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
- "Tomorrow You Belong to Uncle Sammy" — (Music by Victor Schertzinger & Lyrics by Johnny Mercer) Performed by Cass Daley with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
Three of these songs have lived on and become part of the Great American Songbook — "Tangerine", "I Remember You", and "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In a Hurry".
Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra released recordings of these three and "Not Mine" — "Tangerine" and "Not Mine" with Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell, "I Remember You" with Bob Eberly and "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry" with Helen O'Connell.[2]