7/10
The Great Race all over again
16 April 2021
Two rivals competing in a marathon contest, with the usual comic thrills and spills, only this time it's a yacht-race across the South Pacific.

A slightly inebriated Terry (Gardner McKay) bets his old mate Josh (Fred Clark) that he can beat him from California to Tahiti with an all-girl crew. Josh's roar of derision - a truly horrible sound, repeated throughout - signals that the bet is on, and next morning Terry realises you shouldn't make plans over drinks. But he's an honourable man (as his rival turns out not to be) and he sets about advertising for female shipmates in the paper. The headline 'Wanted 5 girls' would not normally have attracted the bevy of beauties who turn up for selection, clearly based on glamour rather than seamanship, but one can't have everything.

Under the test, the girls actually turn out much more useful on-board than we expect, but with their attention centred on one notably handsome young ship's captain, there's going to be trouble in paradise - especially when he discovers that a sixth one has managed to stow away too. The hectic action does not allow us to get to know any of the girls in depth, but a convenient stopover in Honolulu manages to drive the plot in a satisfying way. And a clownish character from the boondocks, who keeps popping-up and boring everyone with his endless conversation, turns out to have more significance than we thought.

Although the production values are not great (the music sounds like an ice-cream commercial), there's enough to keep us amused and occasionally intrigued, until the surprise ending which cannot be revealed here. There's another ending too, though, as this turns out to be the last film for both McKay, who quits acting in favour of the writing life, and Clark who dies all too soon after the wrap.
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