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The Lady Takes a Sailor

The Lady Takes a Sailor (1949)

December. 16,1949
|
5.9
|
NR
| Comedy Romance

Jennifer Smith heads a "Consumer Reports"-type company and her reputation for honesty is her greatest asset. While out boating one day she encounters a secret prototype submarine piloted by Bill Craig. Trying to explain her absence after her boat sinks becomes very difficult as Bill and his cohorts attempt to discredit her story.

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Colibel
1949/12/16

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

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Exoticalot
1949/12/17

People are voting emotionally.

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Hadrina
1949/12/18

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

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Janae Milner
1949/12/19

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

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michaeljhuman
1949/12/20

I got stuck, in my brain with the constant feeling the government could have admitted that some details were true with a simple statement and come to an agreement with her to eliminate all of the ensuing problems. Which made it a bit hard to solider on watching itThe leading man and lady were both fine. Dialog is strictly average, but delivery of dialog is good.I very much liked the lady's independent nature and tenacity. It's marred by the standard Hollywood Dislike to love switch that seems to happen quickly and not for very good reasonsAnyway, it's amusing in spots, and mildly interesting to see how it's all going to end so 5/10.As I personally see this as a bit of a screwball comedy, if you like that sort of thing, you might prefer to watch the movie What's Up Doc, which is better in every way :)

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theowinthrop
1949/12/21

I saw this about thirty years ago, late at night and have never seen it revived. This is understandable, for despite a good cast and director (Michael Curtiz, of all people)it is not a great comedy but a passingly acceptable one.Jane Wyman is a woman whose reputation for honesty is important regarding her job on a magazine that is run by Robert Douglas (here not playing one of his politically ambitious historical villains for a change). She is enjoying a day on a boat when she is sunk by an experimental craft being tested by Dennis Morgan. Morgan tries to keep her from exposing this little secret, but she does not see that a government project is involved - only her credibility. So Morgan and the U.S. government do everything they can think of to get her branded a liar. And Wyman fights back to save her reputation.One highpoint (noted in another of these reviews) is the brief appearance of William Frawley to present an award to Wyman. She expects it to be in recognition of her magazine work. Instead, it turns out to be an award from "THE LIAR'S CLUB" for best lie of the year.The film's weakness is that it probes a subject gingerly - probably because it was the first time anyone ever considered it. The subject is government use of "misinformation" to hide activity that it does not wish to advertise at all. In the years since 1949 we are fully aware that all levels of government use misinformation - that they deny events happened or brand witnesses as liars, or frame the witnesses with evidence or other unknown/unexpected witnesses. But here it was limited to Wyman who fights without an assist by her magazine, and Morgan, who does what he can to discredit her, but finds he is falling in love with her.As an original in tackling this government vice, I mark that the movie is a "6" for being original. But on it's own, based on comic entertainment value, it is lucky to be a "5".

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Ray Faiola
1949/12/22

Okay, it's forgettable fluff but Curtiz at least gives it some pep. Best of the whole magilla is Max Steiner's score. Worst of all is Robert Douglas. What in heaven's name was Warners thinking by casting him in a knockabout farce. He just sinks the whole ship. They were trying to build him up (he played another incongruous role in THE DECISION OF CHRISTOPHER BLAKE) but this was a misstep. He faired MUCH better in ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN and THE FOUNTAINHEAD. They really needed a blowhard comedian (Raymond Walburn, Thurston Hall). Come to think of it, studio regular Sydney Greenstreet would have been perfect. Hmmm... I wonder if Douglas was a substitute. Watson - The Memmos!!The David Butler unit was doing much better comedies at Warners during this period. But, still, it's worth one look (and listen).

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style_grrl
1949/12/23

This is a very cute classic movie. A woman meets a guy in a very unusual circumstance, however her professional career is on the rocks soon afterwards! I noticed that William Frawley aka Fred Mertz from the "I love Lucy" show makes a quick appearance here. Anyways I would reccomend it for anyone who's into classic movies.

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