Sailors on Leave (1941)

71 mins | Comedy | 30 September 1941

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HISTORY

The working titles of this film were Gobs in Blue and Sailor Be Good. According to news items, Jane Frazee was originally set for the female lead but was replaced by Shirley Ross when Frazee was detained by her work in Universal's Hellzapoppin'. A 12 Aug 1941 HR news item stated that former wrestler Sammy Stein was to appear in the picture. Although there is a wrestling match in the film, in which "Mike Haynes" wrestles with "Bonecrusher Blake," it has not been confirmed that Stein played "Bonecrusher." HR noted that the song "Stay Away from the U.S.A.," by Eddie Cherkose and Jule Styne, had been purchased for Bill Shirley, but he does not sing it in the completed film. Songwriter Frank Loesser was borrowed from Paramount for his work in the picture. ...

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The working titles of this film were Gobs in Blue and Sailor Be Good. According to news items, Jane Frazee was originally set for the female lead but was replaced by Shirley Ross when Frazee was detained by her work in Universal's Hellzapoppin'. A 12 Aug 1941 HR news item stated that former wrestler Sammy Stein was to appear in the picture. Although there is a wrestling match in the film, in which "Mike Haynes" wrestles with "Bonecrusher Blake," it has not been confirmed that Stein played "Bonecrusher." HR noted that the song "Stay Away from the U.S.A.," by Eddie Cherkose and Jule Styne, had been purchased for Bill Shirley, but he does not sing it in the completed film. Songwriter Frank Loesser was borrowed from Paramount for his work in the picture.

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SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Box Office
11 Oct 1941
---
Daily Variety
7 Oct 1941
---
Film Daily
22 Aug 1941
p. 5
Film Daily
3 Oct 1941. p. 6
---
Hollywood Reporter
16 May 1941
p. 5
Hollywood Reporter
28 Jul 1941
p. 11
Hollywood Reporter
7 Aug 1941
p. 7
Hollywood Reporter
8 Aug 1941
p. 8
Hollywood Reporter
12 Aug 1941
p. 8
Hollywood Reporter
15 Aug 1941
p. 8
Hollywood Reporter
7 Oct 1941
p. 3
Motion Picture Daily
3 Oct 1941
---
Motion Picture Herald
4 Oct 1941
---
Motion Picture Herald Product Digest
11 Oct 1941
p. 305
Variety
8 Oct 1941
p. 9
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
PRODUCTION COMPANY
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
Asst dir
PRODUCER
Assoc prod
WRITERS
Orig story
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photog
ART DIRECTOR
FILM EDITORS
Supv ed
Film ed
COSTUMES
MUSIC
Mus dir
PRODUCTION MISC
Prod mgr
SOURCES
SONGS
"How Ya Sailor," "Since You," "Sentimental Folks," "When a Sailor Goes Ashore," "I'm Proud I'm a Navy Man" and "Finale," music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Frank Loesser; Sextette from the opera Lucia di Lammermoor , music by Gaetano Donizetti, English lyrics by Frank Loesser; "Come in Love," music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Sol Meyer; "Because We Are Americans," music and lyrics by Emily Robinson Head.
SONGWRITERS/COMPOSERS
+
DETAILS
Alternate Titles:
Gobs in Blue
Sailor Be Good
Release Date:
30 September 1941
Production Date:
began 8 Aug 1941
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Republic Pictures Corp.
30 September 1941
LP10795
Physical Properties:
Sound
RCA Sound System
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
71
Length(in reels):
8
Country:
United States
PCA No:
7659
Passed by NBR:
Yes
SYNOPSIS

Navy sailors and ex-vaudevillians Swifty Hooper and Mike Haynes get their pal Chuck Stephens in hot water when they tell their shipmates that Chuck will inherit $25,000 if he marries before he is twenty-seven years old. Chuck, who believed Swifty and Mike's tale about the inheritance, has borrowed lots of money against it and is furious when he finds out about their deception. When the ship docks in San Pedro, California, it is only four days before Chuck's birthday and his other shipmates determine to find him a bride, even though he is a confirmed misogynist. Swifty, Mike and Chuck are forced to go along with their efforts because of the loans taken out against the supposed inheritance, but they secretly agree that Chuck will refuse all of the women his friend suggest. Swifty and Mike learn that one of their former co-workers, Linda Hall, who hates sailors as much as Chuck hates women, is now employed at Aunt Navy's nightclub and they decide to introduce Chuck to her. Realizing that Linda may be the way out of his dilemna, Chuck tells his friends that he will marry only her, while simultaneously repulsing her with his rude behavior. Linda is intrigued by Chuck's odd behavior, however, and deduces that it is caused by an inferiority complex. One evening, Chuck's friends engineer a romantic date for Chuck and Linda, during which Chuck gives her a stolen bracelet unwittingly purchased by his dense friend Dugan. Worried that Linda is falling for Chuck, Swifty and Mike dress up as the "ex-Mrs. Stephens" and Chuck's "aunt," but Linda sees through their disguises and jumps to the conclusion that ...

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Navy sailors and ex-vaudevillians Swifty Hooper and Mike Haynes get their pal Chuck Stephens in hot water when they tell their shipmates that Chuck will inherit $25,000 if he marries before he is twenty-seven years old. Chuck, who believed Swifty and Mike's tale about the inheritance, has borrowed lots of money against it and is furious when he finds out about their deception. When the ship docks in San Pedro, California, it is only four days before Chuck's birthday and his other shipmates determine to find him a bride, even though he is a confirmed misogynist. Swifty, Mike and Chuck are forced to go along with their efforts because of the loans taken out against the supposed inheritance, but they secretly agree that Chuck will refuse all of the women his friend suggest. Swifty and Mike learn that one of their former co-workers, Linda Hall, who hates sailors as much as Chuck hates women, is now employed at Aunt Navy's nightclub and they decide to introduce Chuck to her. Realizing that Linda may be the way out of his dilemna, Chuck tells his friends that he will marry only her, while simultaneously repulsing her with his rude behavior. Linda is intrigued by Chuck's odd behavior, however, and deduces that it is caused by an inferiority complex. One evening, Chuck's friends engineer a romantic date for Chuck and Linda, during which Chuck gives her a stolen bracelet unwittingly purchased by his dense friend Dugan. Worried that Linda is falling for Chuck, Swifty and Mike dress up as the "ex-Mrs. Stephens" and Chuck's "aunt," but Linda sees through their disguises and jumps to the conclusion that Chuck is using them to propose to her. On their way back to the boat, Swifty and Mike run across another of their old pals from vaudeville who is now using an "electro-magnetic" belt as a scam to sell a strengthening tonic. They borrow the belt and enter Mike in a wrestling match with Bonecrusher Blake in the hope that they can win enough bets to pay off Chuck's debts. Although the belt does stun Bonecrusher at first, the referee discovers the device and Mike is disqualified. Meanwhile, Linda and Chuck learn that the bracelet is stolen, and, wanting to get out of their wedding, which will be held that night at Aunt Navy's club, Chuck tells the police that Linda has the bracelet. Linda is arrested, but Chuck's scheme backfires when his shipmates parade a line of women before him and tell him to marry one of them or else. As the midnight deadline approaches, Chuck realizes that he loves Linda and orders Swifty and Mike to bail her out. Chuck is nearly forced to marry Bessie the Blonde, but Linda arrives and they are married, although their final vows come after the deadline. While Chuck is promising to somehow pay back his friends, an insurance agent arrives and gives him a $5,000 check for helping to retrieve the bracelet. Although Linda is at first furious when she realizes that Chuck was responsible for her arrest, he quickly seals their marriage with a kiss.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.