Give Me a Sailor (1938)

Jim and Walter are two brother sailors in the United States Navy. Walter tells Jim as soon as they get home he is going to ask his beautiful girlfriend, Nancy Larkin to marry him. But Jim ... See full summary »

Director:

Elliott Nugent

Writers:

Anne Nichols (play), Doris Anderson (screenplay),

Stars:

Martha Raye, Bob Hope, Betty Grable

Cast

Credited cast:
Martha Raye	...	Letty Larkin
Bob Hope	...	Jim Brewster
Betty Grable	...	Nancy Larkin
Jack Whiting	...	Walter Brewster
Clarence Kolb	...	CaptainTallant
J.C. Nugent	...	Mr. Larkin
Bonnie Jean Churchill	...	Ethel May Brewster
Nana Bryant	...	Mrs. Minnie Brewster
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kathleen Lockhart	...	Mrs. Hawks (scenes deleted)

Storyline

Jim and Walter are two brother sailors in the United States Navy. Walter tells Jim as soon as they get home he is going to ask his beautiful girlfriend, Nancy Larkin to marry him. But Jim is also in love with Nancy so he begs Nancy's ugly duckling sister, Letty to help break Walter and Nancy up. Letty agrees only under one condition, he help her to win Walter!

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Plot Keywords:

brother | sailor | navy | photograph | pickle | 

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Taglines:

3 CHEERS! RAYE! RAYE! RAYE! (original poster-all caps)

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 August 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Folia a Bordo

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

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Soundtracks

"It Don't Make Sense"
Music by Ralph Rainger
Lyrics by Leo Robin

User Reviews

Pleasant characters, some good scenes

Martha Raye and Betty Grable are sisters. Martha can cook like nobody's business; Betty mainly just wants to go dancing, and is not above stealing Martha's new dress if she thinks she will look better in it.

Meanwhile, out at sea, Bob Hope and Jack Whiting are brother sailors on their way into port to visit the sisters. It's a bit tangled but soon becomes clear that while both of the sisters have a crush on Whiting, both of the brothers think they're in love with Grable. The plot of the picture involves what happens when the boys get to town.

Martha Raye is essentially the lead here, or at least has the strongest role; she and Hope are fun as the couple who don't know they are a couple. Grable is good as the spoiled sister: the scene where she serves broiled (and I mean broiled!) fish is hilarious. Jack Whiting does a nice dance with Grable, and is adequate if not spectacular otherwise. Clarence Kolb is quite charming as the superior officer, a confirmed old bachelor who appreciates a well-cooked egg.

Favorite scene: when Martha comes into the house wearing a fur coat and pretending to be upper crust: "Have you finished dinnah?" she begins.

Moderately amusing, overall….a scattered handful of excellent scenes make this picture worthwhile if never brilliant.