Meet the Navy (1946)

During World War II, the Canadian Navy gathered a troupe of diverse performers (dancers, comedians, singers, musicians) from its ranks and sent them off to entertain their shipmates, and ... See full summary »

Director:

Alfred Travers

Writers:

Lester Cooper (story), Lester Cooper (screenplay),

Stars:

Lionel Murton, Margaret Hurst, John Pratt

Cast

Credited cast:
Lionel Murton	...	Johnny
Margaret Hurst	...	Midge
John Pratt	...	Horace
Robert Goodier	...	Tommy
Phyllis Hudson	...	Jenny
Percy Haynes	...	Cook
Bill Oliver	...	C.P.O. Oliver
Jeanette De Hueck	...	Gracie
Oscar Natzke	...	Fisherman
Alan Lund	...	Dancer
Mae Richards	...	Dancer
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stuart Robertson

Storyline

During World War II, the Canadian Navy gathered a troupe of diverse performers (dancers, comedians, singers, musicians) from its ranks and sent them off to entertain their shipmates, and the show/revue ultimately played London's Hioopodrome. The acceptance was based more on wartime-London's appreciation of the gallantry of Britain's sons and daughters from over the seas than it was on the artistic value of the show or the talent of the performers. The film is a fictional/fact mixture of the adventures of the troupe members, and the ending, only part filmed in Technicolor, is primarily the Revue as seen at the Hippodrome.

---

Plot Keywords:

performer | troupe | hippodrome | shipmate | dancer | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Musical | War

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 1946 (UK)

Also Known As:

La tournée triomphale

Company Credits

Production Co:

British National Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"In Your Little Chapeau"
Lyrics by R.W. Harwood
Music by P.E. Quinn

User Reviews

Canadian navy on stage

This a filming of a wartime revue produced by the Canadian navy. Its' climax is the cast's performance at a royal command performance in London, England. The cast is made of up mostly amateurs, and their lack of experience shows in the acting. The musical numbers however hold up surprisingly well. There is one fantastic tap dancing sequence in a barber's shop and John Pratt's song "You'll Get Used To It" was a wartime hit. Although the film was made in England there are a few Hollywood names in the credits, which probably accounts for the technical gloss of the musical numbers. Most of the cast were never heard of again but John Pratt made an appearance in a few movies and had a successful career in Canadian politics. The movie still sometimes shows up on television, usually at some unearthly hour of the morning. Most surviving prints seem to be all black and white but in the original the final performance was in color.