Product Details

• Actors: Eleanor Powell, Red Skelton, Bert Lahr, Virginia O'Brien, William Post Jr.
• Directors: Edward Buzzell
• Writers: Bert Kalmar, Bradford Ropes, Harry Clork, Harry Kurnitz, Irving Brecher
• Producers: Jack Cummings
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: February 24, 1995
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302747244
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,472 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  #28 in	Video > Comedy > Musicals
  #71 in	Video > Classics > Musicals

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Miss Winters is a dancer with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and is asked to secretly transport a prototype magnetic mine to Puerto Rico. She thinks that she is working for the US Government, but fails to see why she would be involved. The enemy agents got the plan from a pulp novel written by Kibble, who is also on the ship and falls for her. But then she overhears his new novel and believes that he is talking about her. So when they leave the boat, she ignores him, but somehow, the bags get switched and he gets the magnetic mine--which she must later retrieve. It is mainly a Tommy Dorsey showcase with Sinatra singing--Powell dancing--and a small plot.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eleanor Powell's BEST, July 27, 2000

By	David E. Lobosco (Glenshaw, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It is such a pity that Eleanor Powell, the fastest dancer in the world, did not make more musicals. However, this gem of a musical ranks as her best movie. Two of her best numbers, "I'll Take Tallulah" and "Hawaiian War Chant", are with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. It was great to see the star members of the Dorsey organization as well, like trumpeter Ziggy Ellman and drummer Buddy Rich. As well as his star vocalists like:Jo Stafford,the Pied Pipers, and Frank Sinatra.

The plot is a flimsy story about espionage, but the cast helped to support Powell like:Red Skelton,Bert Lahr, and the dead pan diva Virginia O'Brien. O'Brien and Lahr are great together, and their number "Poor You" is almost a show stopper. Unfortunately, the movie runs only 95 minutes...which is not long enough. "Ship Ahoy" showcases some amazing talent-and swings to the Bing Band beat of its time.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I'd rate it 4 stars, except for the rotten sound on this VHS, June 23, 2002

By	Scaramouche (Redlands, CA United States) - See all my reviews

My two-star rating is for this particular VHS version, not for the movie. This is a fun musical comedy with Eleanor Powell, Burt Lahr, Virginia O'Brien, Red Skelton, and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra at their best. It opens with the band performing "Hawaiian War Chant," featuring spectacular solo playing by trombonist Dorsey, drummer Buddy Rich, and trumpeter Ziggy Ellman. Unfortunately, the sound quality on this VHS is so poor that only about 25 percent of the dialogue is understandable. This is no exaggeration--it's so bad it needs subtitles. The musical numbers are also diminished by the poor sound. I recently saw the movie on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), and the sound was fine. My recommendation: Don't waste money on this VHS version. Wait for it to show again on TCM, or until it's reissued on a quality DVD.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A must for Red Skelton fans, December 23, 1999

By A Customer

If you've ever wondered what Red Skelton did before television, this is your answer! Not only does Red utter his famous "I dood it", but he also does impressions of George Raft, Edward G. Robinson, and Chester Morris. This film also stars Bert Lahr, the cowardly lion from "The Wizard of Oz", in a supporting role. The real surprise is an unbilled appearance by Frank Sinatra! Eleanor Powell has some nice musical numbers, but the real star is Red Skelton!