Watch The Fleet's In For Free

Why so much hype?

Memorable, crazy movie

Fantastic!

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Casey Kirby (William Holden) is a nice guy sailor who is very, very slow with women. However, after a female starlet grabs him and kisses him as part of a publicity stunt, the other sailors think he's some sort of stud. Later, the sailors all have a bet that he'll be able to get a kiss from a pretty singer called 'the Countess' (Dorothy Lamour). However, Casey doesn't care about the bet and behaves like a gentleman when he goes out on a date with the Countess. However, when her friend Bessie (Betty Hutton) finds out about the bet, she tells the Countess who becomes furious with Casey--even though Casey's done nothing wrong nor did he have any evil intentions. What's to become of Casey and the Countess? Will he kiss her and will they fall in love after all?While the plot to this film is agreeable fluff, the film is hindered by being too packed full of songs. Every time the plot starts gaining momentum, there are several songs to derail the movie. Now the songs might have worked if it wasn't for the fact that they were all inserted in as production numbers and were naturally integrated into the film-- but they weren't. It also didn't help that Lamour's character went from being a nice lady to an angry jerk like the drop of a hat! On top of that the film is hindered by having Betty Hutton--a very brash and obnoxious actress whose appeal I have never understood!! Subtle, she ain't! And, practically every time she delivered a line, she screamed it!! It also didn't help that her character was also so broadly written that I practically hated every scene in which she appeared! Had they killed Hutton and eliminated a few songs, the movie would have been a cute little romantic comedy. But, as it is, it's not one of Holden's finer moments. In fact, I'd probably skip this one.By the way, the only actor in this film who actually came off well was Holden. He was agreeable and pleasant--unlike practically everyone else.

This is an awful film. Usually, the thin thread of a musical comedy plot links up with an Astaire, a Ginger, an Eleanor Powell, an Alice Faye. This one, with a plot even more gossamer than most, leads to some excruciating exhibitions of non-talent. The harmonica sequence and the parody ballroom dance performance are radically unfunny. Holden has nothing to do but be yanked like a puppet on the strings of Dorothy's sudden changes of mind. She plays a profoundly self-interested performer who, of course, falls in love with the puppet. The other women -- the raucous Hutton and the over the top Dailey play insulting stereotypes. As, of course, the rest of the sailors are. But some good sailor flicks do exist -- 'Follow the Fleet' and 'On the Town' for example. We do get to see Helen O'Connell, who towers over Dorsey and Eberly, and do, too briefly, hear Jimmy on the clarinet. He was one of the best clarinet players in an era that featured Goodman, Shaw, and Barney Bigard. At one point, Jimmy's band appears in a sudden pavilion on the street below Dorothy's aerie. How'd they get there? At the end, the four couples are all in a taxi getting married. How'd they get there? The film, made before Pearl Harbor, was already an anachronism when it was released (with Holden believing that his enlistment was just about up just as his battle wagon heads for Pearl). Robert Osborne on TCM said that he'd been trying for years to get the film on TCM. Never would have been too soon.

The Fleet's In is a wonderful wartime musical that was the last effort of director Victor Schertzinger. You can't really go wrong with a film that stars William Holden, Dorothy Lamour, Betty Hutton, and Eddie Bracken. That together with one of the most popular bands of the era Jimmy Dorsey's Orchestra with vocalists Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell.It's a really slim plot to hang a lot of nice songs on. William Holden is a shy sailor, the type that Frank Sinatra would play over at MGM in a few years. He gets a picture taken with movie star Betty Jane Rhodes while he was just asking for an autograph. Immediately he gets the reputation of a wolf. And a challenge comes with it, to see if he can get to first base with 'The Countess' as USO entertainer Dorothy Lamour is known for her unapproachable demeanor. A lot of money is riding on this including money from Holden's pal Eddie Bracken.If you don't know where this is going you haven't seen too many musicals. But the plot's not important here, just sit back and enjoy the numbers.William Holden after his war service which started next year looked to get out of parts like this which he described as his 'Smiling Jim' roles. It's hard to believe this is the same guy who is the opportunistic Joe Gillis from Sunset Boulevard, the cynical Sefton from Stalag 17 or the resourceful Shears from The Bridge on the River Kwai. Yet at the beginning of his career these nice kid roles were all that his two studio masters, Paramount and Columbia, saw him in.Director Victor Schertzinger died suddenly right after completing this film in 1941. It was not released until the following year. Note there are no references to any war per se. Schertzinger not only was a film director, but a talented composer. He may have done his best work however in this film in collaboration with lyricist Johnny Mercer. Besides the numbers here he wrote One Night of Love for Grace Moore for that same titled film which he directed and he wrote for Dorothy Lamour in The Road to Singapore, The Moon and the Willow Tree. He directed both The Road to Singapore and The Road to Zanzibar and learned early on to just let Crosby and Hope have a loose rein.Betty Hutton got her first notice in this film with the song Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In A Hurry. This was her first feature film role and she was a star after The Fleet's In. She was paired with Eddie Bracken and I've no doubt that Preston Sturges saw them together and had the idea to team them again for The Miracle of Morgan's Creek.Jimmy Dorsey had one of the best bands of the era and this may have been his best showing on the big screen. The band sang Amapola which was already big hit for them, but also they introduced Tangerine and I Remember You from this score. Tangerine was very popular in its day, a big hit for Jimmy Dorsey and his band singers Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly. But I Remember You has had a lasting popularity down to this day. If you remember it was used as the theme song for James Caan's character in the Bette Midler film, For The Boys. I think The Fleet's In is worth watching for the Dorsey band alone.But if you like all the other performers in it so much the better. Though The Fleet's In is not one of those films that Bill Holden would have liked to have been remembered for, still seeing him as 'Smiling Jim' is something different than most. And seeing Betty, Dotty, and Eddie in the same film is also a blessing.

Typical 40s musical nonsense without a real plot, but this one is fun and boasts an interesting cast.Gorgeous Dorothy Lamour stars as The Countess of Swingland, a singer at a local dance spot (and she's excellent). She rooms with Bessie (Betty Hutton in her feature film debut), who provides comic relief. Along come a coupla sailors: shy William Holden and geeky Eddie Bracken. Through a series of errors the guys on the ship think Holden is a major Romeo so they bet a bundle that he can't thaw out The Countess--a famous iceberg.Lots of songs and variety numbers enliven this silliness plus the stars are all good. This is the film that introduced "Tangerine" here sung by Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly (in Jimmy Dorsey's big band). Lamour and company also sing the very nice "I Remember You," which was remade into a semi-hit by Frank Ifield (I had the record). Hutton sings the comic "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry." Cass Daley (I had never seen her before) is sort of a cross between Martha Raye and Judy Canova but can sure sing. Lots of familiar faces here with Dave Willock, Leif Erickson, Robert Warwick, Jack Norton, Barbara Britton, Betty Jane Rhodes, and the odious Gil Lamb (a B version of Ray Bolger). And then there's a dance specialty called Lorraine and Rognan--very funny.Certainly worth a look for Lamour, Hutton, and Holden.