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The Fleet's In
The Fleet's In
	Theatrical poster
Directed by	Victor Schertzinger
Screenplay by	Walter DeLeon; Sid Silvers; Ralph Spence
Story by	Monte Brice; J. Walter Ruben
Based on	Sailor, Beware!; by Kenyon Nicholson and Charles Robinson
Produced by	Paul Jones
Starring	Dorothy Lamour; William Holden; Eddie Bracken
Cinematography	William C. Mellor
Edited by	Paul Weatherwax
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	January 24, 1942;
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1,650,000 (US rentals)

The Fleet's In is a 1942 movie musical produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by Victor Schertzinger, and starring Dorothy Lamour and William Holden. Although sharing the title of the 1928 Paramount film starring Clara Bow and Jack Oakie, it was not a remake. It was actually the second film version of the 1933 Kenyon Nicholson–Charles Robinson stage play Sailor, Beware!, enlivened with songs by Schertzinger and lyricist Johnny Mercer. The score, under the musical direction of Victor Young, includes the popular hits "Tangerine", "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry" and "I Remember You".

Jimmy Dorsey and his band are prominently featured in the movie. Supporting cast members include Eddie Bracken, singers Betty Jane Rhodes and Cass Daley, and Betty Hutton in her film debut.

This was the final film of Schertzinger's long directorial career. He died in October 1941, before this production's release.

Plot

When unassuming sailor Casey Kirby goes backstage for a famous actress's autograph, he winds up kissing her for a publicity photo. The photo circulates, and Kirby earns a reputation as a ladies man among his fellow sailors. They bet on the chances of him kissing the stand-offish star "The Countess" of the Swingland club during a four-day leave in San Francisco. When they arrive in San Francisco, Kirby attempts to win the bet and finds that he has earnestly fallen in love with the Countess and wants to marry her. Their romance is complicated by the Countess finding out about the bet and assuming that his advances are only to win the bet, although she finds that she has fallen in love with him.

Cast

Dorothy Lamour as the Countess
William Holden as Casey Kirby
Eddie Bracken as Barney Waters
Betty Hutton as Bessie
Betty Jane Rhodes as Diana Golden
Barbara Britton as Eileen
Jimmy Dorsey as himself
Cass Daley as Cissie (uncredited)

The Score

Victor Schertzinger (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics) wrote ten songs for the movie, only eight were used.

The songs used are:

”The Fleet's In" Betty Jane Rhodes. Reprised by Eddie Bracken and male chorus
"Tangerine" Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
"When You Hear the Time Signal" Dorothy Lamour and Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
"If You Build a Better Mousetrap" Betty Hutton with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra. Reprised by Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
"Not Mine" Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken, Bob Eberly with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
"I Remember You" Dorothy Lamour, Bob Eberly, Helen O'Connell with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra. Reprised by Lorraine and Rognan, dancers, with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
"Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry" Betty Hutton with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
"Tomorrow You Belong to Uncle Sammy" Cass Daley with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra

Three of these songs have lived on and become part of the Great American Songbook — "Tangerine", "I Remember You", and "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In a Hurry".

Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra released recordings of these three and "Not Mine" — "Tangerine" and "Not Mine" with Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell, "I Remember You" with Bob Eberly and "Arthur Murray Taught M Dancing in a Hurry" with Helen O'Connell.^[2]

References

^ "101 Pix Gross in Millions" Variety 6 Jan 1943 p 58
^ "The Fleet's In", Robert Kimball, Barry Davis,Miles Krueger, Eric Davis, The Complete Lyrics of Johnny Mercer, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2009, pp. 121-125