"In the Navy" (1941)

Our next movie starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello is 1941's "In the Navy" from Universal Pictures!

This film followed hot on the heels of "Buck Privates" as Universal wanted another service comedy with the boys as soon as possible. As I understand it, "Hold That Ghost" was put in hold and "In the Navy" was filmed and released quickly.

The unusual opening credits make the connection quite clear!

Bud and Lou are in top form with many very funny routines, so this is a fun movie, although I feel it doesn't zip along as well as "Buck Privates," but few do!

This movie is unusual for A & C as it's really the only one to co-star them with a real actual movie star, in the person of Dick Powell, who's billed above the title with them!

I talk about Dick Powell all the time and about his transition from romantic crooner to hard-boiled tough guy and "In the Navy" is late in the crooner period. Is it a coincidence that Powell's character is a populaur crooner who's tired of being a crooner? Hmmm...

This was probably not the type of role that Dick was looking for in 1941, but he was a pro and does a good job as always.

Claire Dodd plays the love interest and she does a good job with an oddly written part.

It's interesting to see Dick Foran in a similar supporting role as he had in the earlier "Shipmates Forever from Warner Brothers in 1935, a movie that also starred Dick Powell. 

Dick Foran was later the male lead in a couple of A & C movies.

The Condos Brothers dance duo show some fancy steps, but the obnoxious Universal kid comedy team of Butch & Buddy also show up, not helping the proceedings!

The Andrews Sisters return to sing some numbers and they're good while singing, but can't act at all, although Patti has an expanded role as Lou's love interest.

Onto the  songs, which were again supplied by Don Raye, but with Gene DePaul this time.

Dick Powell sings the ballad "Starlight, Starbright" in the movie, but wasn't making records at that time, so we'll hear Dick Jurgens and his Orchestra with vocalist Harry Cool on Okeh records:

I always enjoy the Dick Jurgens band and although I miss star vocalist Eddy Howard, Harry Cool is pretty good too!

The Andrews Sisters get another snappy number, the not-overly-PC "Gimme Some Skin, My Friend," which they recorded for Decca:

That's the sort of song that I don't think was meant to be offensive, and I don't think it really is, but times were different then.

The Decca Band with The King's Men return with the (more or less) title song:

So, some good stuff!