A couple of guys who had great success in other entertainment media, Alfred Drake and Sid Caesar, star in this musical from Columbia Tars And Spars. Drake
never made another film, but his Broadway success includes Oklahoma, Kismet,
and Kiss Me Kate which are certainly laurels to rest on. Caesar did make other
big screen appearances. But his greatest success is on television in the Fifties
with one of the most successful comedy shows of early TV.
The two of them are Coast Guard enlistees and Drake is trying very hard for sea duty and just can't land it, either on his own or with Caesar scheming on his behalf. But a mistaken impression by Janet Blair makes her think Drake is some kind of war hero. Takes the whole film for these two to get it right.
As for Caesar he's chased the entire film by Jeff Donnell until he decides maybe he ought to settle down. Add Marc Platt for some nice dance numbers and you have the sum and substance of Tars And Spars.
Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn wrote the score. But if they had given Drake and Blair anything as good to sing as Drake had in any of those classic musicals he was associated with he might have had a Hollywood career of sorts.
But Sid Caesar gave us a great example of the sketch comedy he and Milton Berle pioneered in their groundbreaking early TV shows. Caesar really steals this one.
To me Harry Cohn probably thought Drake might be a good musical star and Caesar could be his own version of Danny Kaye. It didn't work out that way, but Tars And Spars is a great chance to see a couple of fine performers in their salad days.
As they say in the Coast Guard, Semper Paratus.
The two of them are Coast Guard enlistees and Drake is trying very hard for sea duty and just can't land it, either on his own or with Caesar scheming on his behalf. But a mistaken impression by Janet Blair makes her think Drake is some kind of war hero. Takes the whole film for these two to get it right.
As for Caesar he's chased the entire film by Jeff Donnell until he decides maybe he ought to settle down. Add Marc Platt for some nice dance numbers and you have the sum and substance of Tars And Spars.
Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn wrote the score. But if they had given Drake and Blair anything as good to sing as Drake had in any of those classic musicals he was associated with he might have had a Hollywood career of sorts.
But Sid Caesar gave us a great example of the sketch comedy he and Milton Berle pioneered in their groundbreaking early TV shows. Caesar really steals this one.
To me Harry Cohn probably thought Drake might be a good musical star and Caesar could be his own version of Danny Kaye. It didn't work out that way, but Tars And Spars is a great chance to see a couple of fine performers in their salad days.
As they say in the Coast Guard, Semper Paratus.