In 1934 Pat O'Brien costarred with James Cagney in HERE COMES THE NAVY. It seems fitting that, as a fighting Irishman, he is cast as the lead in another Navy war flick, this time at RKO. Instead of Cagney, he is joined by MGM star George Murphy who would go on to make another pic with Mr. O'Brien: 1945's HAVING WONDERFUL CRIME.
The two performers have different yet complimentary acting styles. We can believe they dislike each other yet share a begrudging respect for one another. Complicating matters is the fact that O'Brien testifies against Murphy in the beginning of the story, which leads to Murphy being stripped of his rank and resigning. Added into this professional conflict is a personal matter-- Murphy has been dating O'Brien's sister (Jane Wyatt).
Murphy and Wyatt break up, and Murphy vanishes. But they are all soon reunited when war breaks out. Murphy returns to active duty, now as an enlistee. And, wait for it, he gets placed under O'Brien's command. At the same time Miss Wyatt, who works as a nurse, is sent to the ship when one of the men is critically injured and she must help a doctor patch the guy up.
Wyatt remains at sea with the ship which is cruising the Atlantic on its way to the U. K. During this period there is a tense moment involving a German U-boat in the fog one night. While escaping harm, Wyatt and Murphy recommit their love. Of course, there isn't much time for canoodling. Other German boats approach, there are various explosions and suddenly it's Wyatt's turn to become injured.
On top of all this, there are dangers concerning torpedoes, the taking of German prisoners and Murphy's continued conflicts with O'Brien. A lot happens in this film, and there are no dull moments.
One of the more relaxed moments involves Desi Arnaz as a Cuban-American recruit singing a number in Spanish. There is also a bit where Carl Esmond, playing an Austrian-American with intense hatred against the Nazis, performs a violin solo. These brief musical interludes provide a temporary reprieve from battle before there are more bombs and casualties.
THE NAVY COMES THROUGH was a big hit for RKO, and contemporary critics were sufficiently impressed with the melodrama and action sequences. While there are no surprising plot twists, I do think the film is solid and still holds up nicely. Jackie Cooper has one of his young adult roles as one of the men on board the ship. Around this time, Mr. Cooper joined the Navy, took several years off from acting. And after the war, he remained in the Naval Reserve, reaching the rank of captain.
The two performers have different yet complimentary acting styles. We can believe they dislike each other yet share a begrudging respect for one another. Complicating matters is the fact that O'Brien testifies against Murphy in the beginning of the story, which leads to Murphy being stripped of his rank and resigning. Added into this professional conflict is a personal matter-- Murphy has been dating O'Brien's sister (Jane Wyatt).
Murphy and Wyatt break up, and Murphy vanishes. But they are all soon reunited when war breaks out. Murphy returns to active duty, now as an enlistee. And, wait for it, he gets placed under O'Brien's command. At the same time Miss Wyatt, who works as a nurse, is sent to the ship when one of the men is critically injured and she must help a doctor patch the guy up.
Wyatt remains at sea with the ship which is cruising the Atlantic on its way to the U. K. During this period there is a tense moment involving a German U-boat in the fog one night. While escaping harm, Wyatt and Murphy recommit their love. Of course, there isn't much time for canoodling. Other German boats approach, there are various explosions and suddenly it's Wyatt's turn to become injured.
On top of all this, there are dangers concerning torpedoes, the taking of German prisoners and Murphy's continued conflicts with O'Brien. A lot happens in this film, and there are no dull moments.
One of the more relaxed moments involves Desi Arnaz as a Cuban-American recruit singing a number in Spanish. There is also a bit where Carl Esmond, playing an Austrian-American with intense hatred against the Nazis, performs a violin solo. These brief musical interludes provide a temporary reprieve from battle before there are more bombs and casualties.
THE NAVY COMES THROUGH was a big hit for RKO, and contemporary critics were sufficiently impressed with the melodrama and action sequences. While there are no surprising plot twists, I do think the film is solid and still holds up nicely. Jackie Cooper has one of his young adult roles as one of the men on board the ship. Around this time, Mr. Cooper joined the Navy, took several years off from acting. And after the war, he remained in the Naval Reserve, reaching the rank of captain.