HIT THE DECK
1955 – NR – 112 Min.
D: Roy Rowland
S: Walter Pidgeon – Ann Miller – Tony Martin – Debbie Reynolds – Vic Damone – Russ Tamblyn – Jane Powell – More.
Warner Home Entertainment DVD – Newly released as part of the Classic Musicals From The Dream Factory: Volume 3 collection.
Anamorphic Widescreen (Cinemascope) / Dolby Digital 5.1 And 5.0 / Dolby Digital 5.1 Music Only Track
Extras: Comedy Short – Classic Cartoon – Outtake Song – Theatrical Trailer
Three sailors on a 48-hour shore leave fall in love, get into trouble, and must sort out their relationships with family, embittered girlfriends and the Navy itself. Will it all work out in the end? What do you think!? Bright and attractive Cinemascope title features a lot more singing and dancing than plot. What there is to the story will bring a strong sensation of deja-vu to just about any fan of Hollywood musicals. Redundancy aside, Hit The Deck’s many catchy set-pieces are fun, though they feel somewhat reserved, and certainly offer less to take in than many of the more popular MGM musicals that preceded it. There are several bright spots as well; the fun house number and just about any of the comedy scenes that feature Kay Armen are notable standouts. This is the sort of movie that improves a little as it rolls along. A definite slow starter, it’s above average at best, mundane and predictable at worst, but never takes itself altogether too seriously and that’s a good thing. Though it would serve most fans of the genre better to revisit On The Town instead, Hit The Deck is still an agreeable way to pass a couple of hours as long as expectations aren’t very high to begin with.