Robert Curtis (Fred Astaire) is a choreographer who is asked by his boss Martin Cortland (Robert Benchley) to cover for him while he lies to his wife Julia (Frieda Inescort). Cortland has been caught out buying a necklace for showgirl Sheila (Rita Hayworth) and he wants Curtis to pretend that the necklace is actually a gift from Curtis and not from Cortland. Then Curtis gets drafted into the army where Sheila turns up again. And so does Cortland. They put on a show.
This film starts well with the deception over the necklace and a tap dance with Astaire and Hayworth - it's the highlight musical piece, far away better than any of the other unremarkable music numbers in the film. However, when Astaire joins the army, the film just chugs along until the end. It's not particularly entertaining. Funny moments include Cliff Nazarro talking gobbledy-gook at the station (although this gets repetitive during the rest of the film) and Astaire pretending to be a captain and........um......that's it. There is also some tedious slapstick thrown in for bad measure in the army dormitory.
The big music numbers (when Astaire leaves to enrol and the finale) are, unfortunately, all choreographed in a military way - you know, lots of marching - and so they are not very good. Unless you like marching. Astaire is good as always but his dances are not memorable - the best, other than the highlight already mentioned, would have to be a solo routine in the Guardhouse accompanied by some dude singing.
It's a shame that the majority of the film focuses on Astaire and his army life as it tries to get humour out of stale stereotypes. There are some mildly amusing moments and a standout, all too brief, tap dance highlight with Astaire and Hayworth at the beginning, but that's your lot on the entertainment front. I'd quite like to have a Chinese back-scratcher, though.
This film starts well with the deception over the necklace and a tap dance with Astaire and Hayworth - it's the highlight musical piece, far away better than any of the other unremarkable music numbers in the film. However, when Astaire joins the army, the film just chugs along until the end. It's not particularly entertaining. Funny moments include Cliff Nazarro talking gobbledy-gook at the station (although this gets repetitive during the rest of the film) and Astaire pretending to be a captain and........um......that's it. There is also some tedious slapstick thrown in for bad measure in the army dormitory.
The big music numbers (when Astaire leaves to enrol and the finale) are, unfortunately, all choreographed in a military way - you know, lots of marching - and so they are not very good. Unless you like marching. Astaire is good as always but his dances are not memorable - the best, other than the highlight already mentioned, would have to be a solo routine in the Guardhouse accompanied by some dude singing.
It's a shame that the majority of the film focuses on Astaire and his army life as it tries to get humour out of stale stereotypes. There are some mildly amusing moments and a standout, all too brief, tap dance highlight with Astaire and Hayworth at the beginning, but that's your lot on the entertainment front. I'd quite like to have a Chinese back-scratcher, though.