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Awesome Movie

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Blistering performances.

I don't know if it was planned this way, but through the first 6 films including Fred and Ginger, every other one included another developing romantic couple, with the male being classically handsome and charming, contrasting with Fred's emaciated ordinary looks. Gave the women another type of desirable man to relate to, along with Fred's dancing, singing and physical and verbal comedic skills. Tall, handsome, charming Randolph Scott returns in this one, from "Roberta", as Fred's shipboard buddy. It was hoped that Irene Dunn would again be romantically paired with Scott, as in "Roberta", but this wasn't in the cards. Thus, band singer and ex-vaudevillian Harriet Hilliard, now wife of band leader Ossie Nelson, took Irene's place, in her first feature film role. Like Irene, she shared the female solo singing roles with Ginger. Unlike Irene, she got two rather unmemorable songs, in contrast to some memorable songs and dances for Ginger.This is the first major musical I'm aware of with the plot centered on sailors, with much of the action supposedly taking place on a ship. It was fun seeing Fred and buddy Scott(Bilge) clowning around in sailor suits, instead of Fred's typical ballroom tux and, sometimes, top hat, attire. Of course, later, Gene Kelley and Frank Sinatra would play sailor buddies in the musical comedies "Anchors Aweigh" and "On the Town". Other sailor-oriented MGM musicals of this era include "Two Girls and a Sailor" and "Hit the Deck". But, those of you who prefer to have Fred and Ginger dancing in ballroom formal attire and surroundings won't be entirely disappointed. The last musical number, to "Let's Face the Music and Dance" fits this description. The lyrics, initially sung by Fred, had personal relevance to the characters played by Fred and Ginger. You see, Fred was due to spend some time in a military prison, for going AWOL to do this show, to finish fixing up an old private ship inherited by Harriet's character, who is scripted as Ginger's sister. Thus, they will have to 'face the music' and wait until he is released to continue their romantic relationship. But, in the present, they can 'face the music' and dance.The interconnected romantic scenario is not much different from the previous one that included Scott, in "Roberta". Again, we have Fred trying to rekindle a romance with Ginger, after a few year's absence. Again, Scott is trying to juggle two women during part of the film. However, achieving these connections is presented as much more plausible in this film than in "Roberta", or the earlier "Flying Down to Rio", which also had an additional developing romantic couple. True, there are other implausibilities in this film. In this screenplay, Scott is presented as more of a heel, when it comes to women, than in "Roberta". Clearly, unlike Harriet's character, he is not interested in matrimony in the near future, only in hanging out with 'hot' women, as Harriet discovers when the fleet arrives back in SF, Scott made a bee line for the slender blond socialite Iris, rather than her, as anticipated. Since Iris has a chauffeured limo, presumably she is wealthy, which presumably also impresses Scott. But Harriet hasn't quite given up the chase, and Fred cools Scott's infatuation with Iris by staging a date with her, with Iris's puzzling collusion. In revenge, Scott had Fred's leave to perform in a staged show cancelled. Fred jumps ship anyway, and Scott is assigned the duty of bringing him back, to serve some prison time. The crescendo in this drama is reached when Fred tells Scott some info about why the show is being done, and Scott has to decide whether to take Fred back now, or wait until the show is over, risking his own punishment.The film starts right off with a shipboard Fred-led group sing to "We Saw the Sea". The lyrics are rather trivial. However, it's a catchy tune, and effectively expresses the frustrations of the sailors....On the whole, I can't say that the songs and dancing are superior to most of the other Fred & Ginger films. It's more the interactions between the principle characters and superior comedy that makes this one of my favorites of the Fred & Ginger films. Scott's failure to recognize Harriet, after her Ginger-inspired makeover, is but one of many comedic elements.Unfortunately, Harriet's scripted schoolmarmish character, despite a humorous introduction to Scott's character, spends much of the film being inhibited or moping, in contrast to her reported gay private personality, which more fit Ginger's advice in her song "Let yourself Go". Despite considerable dance training , she wasn't given any show dancing role. Although a natural blond, her hair was died dark to provide more contrast with Ginger, and presumably to enhance her schoolmarmish image. Ironically, Ginger, with naturally dark hair, always appeared in films as a blond.Irving Berlin was given the honor of scoring the film, after doing the same for "Top Hat": perhaps the highest rated of the Fred & Ginger films. The Gershwins or Jerome Kerns & Dorothy Fields would score the last two of the classic Fred & Ginger films. Irving then scored the much inferior "Carefree", which RKO didn't put much resources in, sensing that the public was tiring of Fred & Ginger. Of course, Irving also scored the classic Bing & Fred films "Holiday Inn" and "Blue Skies",as well as the Fred & Judy "Easter Parade", in the '40s.

Follow the Fleet is a lot of fun and very charming. It isn't quite as good as Top Hat and Swing Time, but fans of Fred and Ginger won't be disappointed and will be enthralled instead. Like with almost all of their outings the story is somewhat silly and plays second fiddle to everything else and Harriet Hilliard, apart from her two wonderfully done solos(especially But Where are You?), is a little dull. However, while perhaps not as audacious or sophisticated as Swing Time, it is beautiful to look at with the photography particularly pleasing, the standout being Let's Face the Music and Dance. Irving Berlin's score and songs are not quite as consistent as his ones for Top Hat but are still wholly memorable and put a smile on your smile. Let's Face the Music and Dance is the jewel of the crown, helped also by Fred and Ginger's best ever dance routines, but Let Yourself Go and I'd Rather Lead a Band also stand out among the songs. The choreography is energetic and poised, Let's Face the Music and Dance once again comes to mind but Let Yourself Go positively makes you want to tap your toes. The dialogue is smart, funny and sweet, while charmingly swaggering Fred Astaire and sassy Ginger Rogers, in their graceful and full-of-personality dancing and in their performances, are entirely captivating. Randolph Scott is appropriately virile and doesn't look too out of his depth(considering that he's better known for his westerns), one wishes though that he had a stronger partner in Hilliard, who comes to life in her musical numbers but is lacking elsewhere. In conclusion, great fun and easy to like. 9/10 Bethany Cox

....but it all ends well! Bake (Fred Astaire) and Bilge (Randolph Scott) belong to the US navy. At the end of the film, they don't........Let me start with something that didn't need to happen - the extra story time given to Connie (Harriet Hilliard). The film could have survived with Bake and Sherry (Ginger Rogers) carrying the story. Hilliard is a bit of a soppy, wet fish. And as for Randolph Scott.....my goodness me. How's this for an intro to a girl you like - "Hey, babe..."....what class! The film goes on for a little too long but the songs and dances are all good value.

Follow the Fleet, an RKO production in 1936, stars Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in a complex romantic comedy. Although Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers have had many similar romantic movies together, RKO helped them to once again create a worth-while storyline that incorporates relevant situations to society at the time it was made. The narrative of Follow the Fleet relies heavily on the use of layered story lines between the two sets of main characters to create a satisfying romantic comedy.The general plot of the movie revolves around Bake Baker, a Sailor in the U.S. Navy played by Fred Astaire, and Sherry Martin, Bake's former love and dance partner who is now a singer and dancer played by Ginger Rogers. Their story begins when Bake is on the ship and his shipmate Bilge Smith finds a photo of the two of them together, and Bake reveals that the last time he saw her he had asked her to marry him, so Bilge suggests that they try and meet up with her when they are on land, in hopes that she might have a friend. The next major scene begins the second plot of the movie when Connie Martin, Sherry's sister, is refused entry into Paradise where her sister works unless she is escorted by a gentleman. She turns around to find Bilge behind her with a bag full of beverages, so she plays it off like she was waiting on him and buys his entrance into Paradise as well. Connie then finds Sherry and tells her that she is depressed because she cannot have the luck Sherry does with men, so Sherry suggests she get a makeover from her friends while she is performing on stage. Connie gets made over, and enters the ballroom once again, and approaches Bilge again, who is awestruck by the sight of her. This commences the second romantic storyline between Bilge and Connie.Throughout the remainder of the movie the story and rising actions are transitioned between altering comedic reliefs of the two couples' troubles that create several mini rising and falling actions within the overall plot. Bake and Sherry hit it off their first moments together as they compete in a dance competition and end up winning it, reminding them of the success and pleasure the two have when they are together. Similarly, Bilge is able to swoon Connie through his romantic attempts of pleasing her, and they retire to her house. This series of happy events is soon followed by unsettling measures that brings the rising action back down. Bake left Sherry the previous night to retire to the ship before midnight, and told her that he would come for her in the morning. Unfortunately the ship sets course after the shipmates have returned, upsetting Sherry and leaving her to think Bake was still being a typical sailor looking for a good time when he's on land. The mood is again changed as another subplot is entered into the film when a "party of big shots" is taking a tour of the ship. This alternate storyline is used to create a buffer between the stories of the two main relationships of the film, as well as help build confidence and fondness of Bake's overall good intentions. The party is interrupted by the oblivious music playing coming from Bake and his companions when they missed the sounding to report on deck for the company. The ladies are intrigued and ask to hear them play, and Bake gladly begins to entertain them with some dancing, which ultimately helps brighten the mood of the film, as well as bring happiness to the sailors. After returning to the couple's intertwined stories, Sherry is trying to prove to Bake that she does not need his help with landing a job. Unfortunately Bake is unaware that she is auditioning, and goes to put in a good word for Sherry when he overhears his friend at the studio talking about the remarkable lady auditioning. Bake takes it upon himself to help Sherry out by tampering with her water, making her unable to sing correctly and destroying her audition. In addition to Bake's mistake, Connie spent all of her money to repair a ship that she was hoping Bilge would take over as captain. She had also planned a remarkable dinner date for him when he was supposed to come over, but Bilge was aware of her intentions and hopes of soon marrying and was no longer interested, so he stood her up. The remainder of the movie continues in the same format of mini rising and falling actions until the climactic point is reached between the two couples, ending the movie with the happiness of both couples. The use of the altering stories helps to build interest and emotion within each couple as they deal with both happiness and pain through each of their struggles. The intertwining stories are also able to relate with one another, as well as incorporate other unrelated subplots to help carry the narrative through to the concluding scenes. Although Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers have countless films together that incorporate romance, comedy, song, and dance, Follow the Fleet is a unique film for the two actors that successfully use the technique of subplots to aid the narrative between the two main characters.