Sailor Beware (1952)

Although allergic to kissing girls, Seaman Melvin Jones, through a fluke TV appearance, gets the undeserved reputation of a great kisser dubbed "Mr. Temptation" and is pursued by amorous young females.

Director:

Hal Walker

Writers:

James B. Allardice (screenplay) (as James Allardice), Martin Rackin (screenplay)

Stars:

Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Corinne Calvet

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dean Martin	...	Al Crowthers
Jerry Lewis	...	Melvin Jones
Corinne Calvet	...	Corinne Calvet
Marion Marshall	...	Hilda Jones
Robert Strauss	...	CPO Lardoski
Leif Erickson	...	Cmdr. Lane
Don Wilson	...	Mr. Chubby
Vince Edwards	...	Blayden (as Vincent Edwards)
Skip Homeier	...	Mac
Dan Barton	...	'Bama
Mike Mahoney	...	Tiger
Mary Treen	...	Ginger

Storyline

Because of a misunderstanding Melvin Jones is inducted into the Navy despite his numerous allergies. When appearing on a TV show sponsored by a lipstick manufacturer, fluke circumstances cause him to be perceived as an irresistibly great kisser by viewers, and he is undeservedly hyped in the media as "Mr. Temptation." His shipmates bet their pay that he can get Corinne Calvet, a sexy French chanteuse, to kiss him. Despite his allergy toward kissing girls, he tries not to let them down even though it threatens his relationship with girlfriend Hilda.

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Plot Keywords:

dancing | slapstick comedy | tap dancing | navy | undeserved reputation | 

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Taglines:

Man the laugh-preservers ... lower the roar-boats ! Everybody's going overboard ... for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The boxing scene was "written" by Jerry Lewis, who demanded an extra $50,000 for it, which he then donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

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Goofs

Near the beginning of the film, the recruiting officer gets squirted and the stain jumps around 3 or 4 times.

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Quotes

Naval Doctor: [Unable to find a heartbeat] Be a good boy now and tell the doctor where your heart is.
Melvin Jones: You'll find out. I'm no stool pigeon.

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Connections

Remake of The Fleet's In (1942)

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Soundtracks

MERCI BEAUCOUP
Lyrics by Mack David
Music by Jerry Livingston

User Reviews

Amazing and curious

When I see these old Martin and Lewis films again, I'm always amazed and curious. Curious as to why I found them so funny when I saw them at the time of their release and amazed that I enjoyed them so much. Martin was always the essence of Mr. Cool. Good looks, smooth with the chicks and that soft Italian voice. Lewis was always a loose cannon, with his goofy slapstick and sentimental shifts. This film is typical with an implausible story and lots of crazy situations but memorable mostly for (later-to-be) screen legend, James Dean's first film lines, "That man's a professional!"

You can't judge these films on the same level as today's comedy. Martin had a style of his own and showed he could act in later films. Lewis just kept being Lewis, which if you enjoyed him, you caught his later films (I'd outgrown him by then and thought Geisha boy was one of the silliest films I've ever seen). He could never do a prat-fall like Peter Sellers nor be as genuinely goofy as Robin Williams, but he could tickle your funny bone at times.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 February 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

At Sea with the Navy

Filming Locations:

Naval Training Center, San Diego, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wallis-Hazen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1