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movie review of Ship Ahoy (1942) starring Red Skelton, Eleanor Power, Burt Lahr, Virginia Mayo
Ship Ahoy is the title of a 1942 musical-comedy motion picture produced by MGM. The film stars Eleanor Powell as Tallulah Winters, a dancing star who is hired to perform on an ocean liner. Before she leaves, she is recruited by what she believes is a branch of the American government and asked to smuggle a prototype explosive mine out of the country. In fact, she is unknowingly working for Nazi agents who have stolen the mine. Meanwhile, Merton Kibble (Red Skelton), a writer of pulp fiction adventure stories but suffering from severe writer’s block, is on the same ship and soon he finds himself embroiled in Tallulah’s real-life adventure. Also appearing in the film were Bert Lahr, Tommy Dorsey, Buddy Rich, and Virginia O’Brien This was the first of two films in which Powell and Skelton co-starred. Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell next paired up in 1943’s I Dood It. In that film, they appeared with Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy’s brother.
Editorial review of Ship Ahoy starring Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell—courtesy of Amazon.com
Miss Winters is a dancer with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and is asked to secretly transport a prototype magnetic mine to Puerto Rico. She thinks that she is working for the US Government, but fails to see why she would be involved. The enemy agents got the plan from a pulp novel written by Kibble, who is also on the ship and falls for her. But then she overhears his new novel and believes that he is talking about her. So when they leave the boat, she ignores him, but somehow, the bags get switched and he gets the magnetic mine--which she must later retrieve. It is mainly a Tommy Dorsey showcase with Sinatra singing--Powell dancing--and a small plot.
Trivia for Ship Ahoy starring Red Skelton, Eleanor Powell, Bert Lahr
- The title was changed from I’ll Take Manila to Ship Ahoy because the Philippines had already fallen to the Japanese in the war. The ship destination was changed from Manila to Puerto Rico, and the song “I’ll Take Manila” was changed to “I’ll Take Tallulah”.
- One song I Fell In Love (With the Leader of the Band), by Jule Styne and Herb Magidson, was filmed but not used. The footage was used in The Great Morgan (1946).
- Frank Sinatra makes his film debut as a singer with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Also look quickly for Broadway star John Raitt as a young sailor.
Funny movie quotes fro Ship Ahoy starring Red Skelton, Eleanor Powell, Bert Lahr, Virginia O’Brien
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Let’s go where there’s soft lights and low music, and I’ll let myself go.
Fran Evans (Virginia O’Brien): You can let yourself go right now.
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): If you go to Puerto Rico, I’ll be devastated, like a ship without an udder.
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): [kissing girl’s hand and begins to go up arm] Oh, sorry - its the salmon in me trying to run upstream.
Nurse: It’s time for your vitamin, Mr. Kibble.
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): Which one this time?
Nurse: Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin.
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): I’ve taken so many of these I’m starting to peel.
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): I’m a broken weed, chafe in the wind.
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): [phone to doctor] He’s a hull of a man. [pause] No, hull, Hull!
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Your red corpuscles get full of sea air and they’re feelin’ hep. Why, they’re feelin’ so hep they drive your white corpuscles right out of your blood stream.
Fran Evans (Virginia O’Brien): I’m looking for a name.
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): How about Agnes, that’s a nice name.
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Lady Turgot’s party—what a gay, mad caprice. I drank wine from your slipper; two quarts.
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): I have every ailment known to man. A medical student can walk around me just once and earn a medical degree.
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): You know, I once went 4 days and nights without sleeping.
Tallulah Winters (Eleanor Powell): What happened?
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): I fell flat on my face.
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Hey babe, how about knockin’ off for a beaker of punch?
Fran Evans (Virginia O’Brien): Might as well, there’s none in your dancing.
[at a masquerade ball]"Robin Hood”: Who am I to argue with Adam?
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): Oh I’m not Adam, I’m a cave man.
“Robin Hood’: You’re pretty pale for a cave man.
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): I didn’t get out of my cave much.
Fran Evans (Virginia O’Brien): Skippy, how about some wine?
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Wine? Your lips are nectar, your cheeks are burgandy, your eyes are port ... that left one’s a little starboard.
Fran Evans (Virginia O’Brien): There’s sure Scotch in you.
Fran Evans (Virginia O’Brien): Hey steward, do you know anything about radios?
Steward: Yes, miss, a little.
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Then fix this one! [throws him the radio]
Fran Evans (Virginia O’Brien): Stop, Skip, don’t forget there’s a gentleman present.
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Where? Oh, him.
Steward: What seems to be wrong with it?
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Nothing important ... nothing important [chuckles] it doesn’t play.
Steward: Maybe it’s your tubes.
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Never mind about me, you fix the radio!
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Steward, bring us up a couple of pheasants and a bottle of champagne.
Steward: Yes, sir, what year?
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): This year; I ain’t gonna live forever, you know.
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Look at me.
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): That’s the most gruesome suggestion you’ve had yet.
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): What is this?
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Napoleon Brandy.
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): Can you take vitamins with it?
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Napoleon took Josephine with it!
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): You hear that? She’s not dancing, she’s tapping out a message.
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): My brandy wore off.
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): Say, this is an American sub!
Commander: Of course it is! Yom Ferson, commander-in-charge!
Merton Kibble (Red Skelton): Merton Kibble, officer in distress!
Skip Owens (Bert Lahr): Skipper Owens, tax payer in arrears!
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About the Author
Tom Raymond, aka. Raynbow the Clown, is a professional clown working out of Madison, Wisconsin, and is available for ministry events, conventions and conferences.Reviews • Red Skelton reviews • (0) Comments - what's your opinion?• Permalink
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