Hit the Deck (1955)

Touches You

The Worst Film Ever

A Disappointing Continuation

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Movie slows down whenever they do a stage production number --modern dance plewasant but very forgettable songs jealous brother bizarre spook house numbe4By 1955, the long run of MGM musicals had nearly run their course...and "Hit the Deck" was its last gasp. Unfortunately, changing tastes and this mediocre film combined kill off musicals at MGM.The plot of "Hit the Deck" is pretty simple. The Admiral (Walter Pidgeon) has a daughter (Jane Powell) who wants to make it big on stage...but the man promising to help her is a lecher. When her brother (Russ Tamblyn) finds out, he decks the guy and the brother spends most of the rest of the story avoiding the Shore Patrol. After all, this could hurt his chances to get into the Naval Academy and won't reflect well on the Admiral. Along for the ride are a variety of navy men and their girlfriends.While many of the songs in the film are pleasant, none are memorable. Combine that with a plot that is too simple and not altogether exciting as well as some big stage productions with very modern dance, the movie never really kept my attention. Fair...but nothing more.

Some observations. Dancers I love. Ann Miller. Russ Tamblyn. Debbie Reynolds. Jane Powell. Singers I love. Tony Martin. Vic Damone. Naish a hoot as always. Damone's mother very nice and good singer. Raymond long in the tooth.Shades of On the Town. Annie again. Amusement park again. Three sailors again. Three women again. Sailor looking at picture of woman again. No female taxi driver here? Great to see Russ Tamblyn soon after Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and before Tom Thumb. Good to see Debbie Reynolds after Singin' in the Rain. Same for Jane Powell some years after Royal Wedding with Fred Astaire. Annie of course had earlier been in Kiss Me Kate. Walter Pidgeon was not with his classic co-star Greer Garson. Martin signing reminding me of Till the Clouds Roll By.Military critique: after Korean War. Way after WW II. Sailors are trained to get trained to defend their country and possibly get killed aboard ship or in the waters in some foreign land, but here they are happy and non-stop singing and dancing on stage, and chasing the dames ashore. They are worried about being grabbed by the shore patrol. War and military movies about WW II kept on for decades after that war ended in 1945 -- even up to and during after the Vietnam War. Army soldiers are not the only military personnel killed in wars, however. I see more singing, dancing sailors in the musicals, however, such as Anchors Aweigh, On the Town, Hit the Deck, etc. one singing, dancing Army guy movie was the one in which Army veterans are dancing with trash can lids.10/10

Hit the deck This film is a poorly written script. The Musical numbers are okay, but not impressive. Of course Ann Miller is good looking, but what a waste of talent. In this film they put musical numbers where there should be none. The songs are annoying and it looks like a last attempt to revive musical. If any one wants to make a musical they better have a darn good script and great musical numbers to compete with the great musicals of all time. If you want to see a good musical rent Singing in the Rain or An American in Pairs or Seven Brother for Seven Brides. Save your money and DON'T RENT HIT THE DECK!

While not a huge fan of old-time musicals, I have sure come to appreciate the classics, including many from Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and of course Fred Astaire. "Top Hat," "On The Town," "Anchors Aweigh" and "Singin' In The Rain" are some of my favorites. I watched this on TCM because it featured the great Ann Miller and Debbie Reynolds, and I had never seen Jane Powell before. These three fine ladies' talents were wasted on a film with very weak writing and pedestrian direction. Vic Damone's acting was terrible, and Russ Tamblyn was going through an awkward stage, but did provide some fine acrobatic dancing. But Tony Martin, who I'd never seen before, was unbelievably, embarrassingly bad in every possible way. Who remembers this guy today? His singing was melodramatically pseudo-operatic, he wasn't good-looking, and appears to have had no acting talent whatsoever. What was he doing in front of a movie camera? I honestly believe it's possible that Martin, in this film, KILLED the MGM movie musical. I probably shouldn't say this is the worst musical ever made---didn't Monogram pictures make one once? Or maybe Edward D. Wood Jr. directed one?