Evening star., 1952-05-23

OR LII xCC1I11lCO1OI Al WIl1C11 O11C II
count upon the solicitude Of the
handsomest and most congenial
officers.
There is one shot, for instance.
Of a mattress on an unmade bunk
and if 1t does not run Esther Will
lians a close race as the most
alluring thing in the picture. one
male spectator is crazy. The thing
probably cost $500.
Skirts Ahoy." in which Miss
Williams is star, is not surprising
in its luxurious and beautiful at
mosphere, however. It is a musical
produced by Joseph PaSternak.
Pasternak musicals are famous for
picturing life as idyllic. They make
fairy tales look harsh and brutal
by contrast. One always leaves
them with a twinge of regret that
no political party ever gave
Pasternak a chance to try his hand
rs President Of this country.
He. alone of all Americans,
might be the one to put reality in
its place.
It is Pasternak's theory that all
q movie needs to be entertaining
is to glow with youth, health and
high spirits. skirts Ahoy!"
abounds in these. When it is not
singing, dancing or making jokes,
1t adjourns to the swimming pool
that is prettier than Lake Lucerne.
Obviously. there could not be any,
thing repulsive in any of these
but it does leave a suspicion that
it Is not a complete picture OF
WAVE life.
There is a story to carry Miss
Williams and her gorgeous CO.
sailors through Skirts Ahoy!" tt
was written by Isobel Lennart who
decided that it should have three
characters. The first. Miss Will
liams, is a jaded heiress who has
just Tilted blue book suitor. The
second is a healthy. good time
girl played by Vivian Blaine. Com
pleting the set is Joan Evans in
the role of a tender sprig who has
Just been Tilted by a timid lover.
Before their boot training is
over, each is destined to discover
that the Navy has made man.
sorry. a woman of her.
This is an agreeable sight, If
not altogether convincing.
The spirit of fun dominates
every moment of Skirts Ahoy!"I
It deals very little with the baserI
details of basic WAVE training. It
concentrates rather on the shows
the girls put on. the high spirited
dates in which they find them
selves involved, and their oft-duty
hours generally.
Best of the ideas which Director
Sidney Lanfield is given are those
which mix Miss Williams and the
swimming pool setting. Here she
is allowed to show that she is the
best acquatic actress in Hollywood.
In one water ballet passage. and
probably the best in Skirts
Ahoyr, she comes up with two
ideal partners.
These are talented sprites, ap-i
proximately 6 and 8 years old.
who surely must have been born
in the hydrotherapy rather than
the obstetrical ward. Not other
wise could they perform, the
comedy capers Of the films bal
let. Comedy also colors Miss Viii
liams' big solo number, in which
she impersonates a lonely WAVE
keeping a swimming date with a
toy sailor.
There is a deal of singing in
"Skirts Ahoy!" and in this Miss
Williams Is competently assisted
by the bubbling Miss Blaine and
the DeMarco Sisters.
Not a single element Of the
Pasternak formula is skimped in
making it cover the life of a
WAVE.
X
Blues Singer Ella Mae Morse
headlines the Capitol'S stage show
with comedian George Kaye as
her co-laborer. The Dancing Bar
tons and Park and Clifford round
out the bill which is in the light
hearted mood Of the screen fea-
ture.
\ y X
BULLETIN BOARD: Seats go
on sale Monday at the Nationals
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