The Fleet's In
The Fleet's In is a 1942 movie musical produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by Victor Schertzinger, and starring Dorothy Lamour and William Holden. Although sharing the title of the 1928 Paramount film starring Clara Bow and Jack Oakie, it was not a remake. It was actually the second film version of the 1933 Kenyon Nicholson–Charles Robinson stage play Sailor, Beware!, enlivened with songs by Schertzinger and lyricist Johnny Mercer. The score includes the popular hits "Tangerine", and "I Remember You".
| The Fleet's In | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Victor Schertzinger |
| Produced by | Paul Jones |
| Screenplay by | Walter DeLeon Sid Silvers Ralph Spence |
| Story by | Monte Brice J. Walter Ruben |
| Based on | Sailor, Beware! by Kenyon Nicholson and Charles Robinson |
| Starring | Dorothy Lamour William Holden Eddie Bracken |
| Cinematography | William C. Mellor |
| Edited by | Paul Weatherwax |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,650,000 (US rentals)[1] |
Jimmy Dorsey and his band are prominently featured in the movie. Supporting cast members include Eddie Bracken, singers Betty Jane Rhodes and Cass Daley, and Betty Hutton in her film debut.
The former silent film actress Barbara Kent is uncredited by name in this film, but the uncredit-credit belongs to another younger English actress called Barbara Kent, born 1921.
This was the final film of Schertzinger's long directorial career. He died in October 1941, before this production's release.
Premise
When unassuming sailor Casey Kirby goes backstage for a famous actress' autograph, he winds up kissing her for a publicity photo. The photo circulates, and Kirby earns a reputation as a ladies man among his fellow sailors. They bet on the chances of him kissing the stand-offish star "The Countess" of the Swingland club during a four-day leave in San Francisco. When they arrive in San Francisco, Kirby attempts to win the bet and finds that he has earnestly fallen in love with the Countess and wants to marry her. Their romance is complicated by the Countess finding out about the bet and assuming that his advances are only to win the bet, although she finds that she has fallen in love with him.
Cast
- Dorothy Lamour as the Countess
- William Holden as Casey Kirby
- Eddie Bracken as Barney Waters
- Betty Hutton as Bessie
- Betty Jane Rhodes as Diana Golden
- Barbara Britton as Eileen
- Jimmy Dorsey as Himself
- Cass Daley as Cissie (uncredited)