Run Time: 66 minutes. Studio: Paramount Pictures. Director: A. Edward Sutherland. Writers: Monte Brice, John McDermott. Titles: George Marion Jr. Main Cast: Wallace Beery, Raymond Hatton, Chester Conklin, Tom Kennedy, Donald Keith. Cinematographer: Charles P. Boyle.
Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton are names that should be familiar to most film buffs. However, it is forgotten today that these two briefly work as a comedy team. This is the second of four movies that this short-lived comedy team made. The others include Behind the Front (1926), Fireman, Save My Child (1927) and Now We're in the Air (1927). Of all four movies, only Now We're in the Air was not directed by A. Edward Sutherland.
Like many of the great silent comedies, this film has a very simple storyline. Two buddies both end up accidentally signing up for the navy when they take the prize money for a boxing that one lost. While in the navy they get mixed up with a mysterious woman and find themselves in a lot of trouble with the navy.
This movie is exactly what you would want from a silent comedy. It moves by at a fast pace and the time simply flies by. This film offers gag after gag and most of them are quite funny. I honestly laughed more watching this film than I expected to. Even during the parts where I wasn't laughing, I had a smile on my face. Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton worked very well with each other. They have great chemistry, and you get the feeling that they were enjoying making this picture. The Laurel and Hardy-esque dynamic (though this was before Laurel and Hardy) between their characters was also a lot of fun to watch. This film doesn't try to be anything more than a fun little unpretentious film and it is a real success as this.
A. Edward Sutherland is a director who may be familiar to many comedy fans as he directed films with some of the greatest movie comedians. He directed W.C. Feilds in It's the Old Army Game (1926), Tillie's Punctured Romance (1928), International House (1933, which also featured Burns and Allen) and Poppy (1936). He directed Abbott and Costello's film debut, One Night in the Tropics (1940). He also directed the Laurel and Hardy film, The Flying Deuces (1939). When doing that movie, he grew a great dislike of Stan Laurel. He even has been quoted as stating, "I'd rather eat a tarantula than work with Laurel again." He also directed Raymond Griffith in A Regular Fellow (1925) and Eddie Cantor in Palmy Days (1931). Other movies in his filmography include Pointed Heels (1929), Up Pops the Devil (1931), Mr. Robinson Crusoe (1932), Murders in the Zoo (1933), The Invisible Woman (1940) and Beyond Tomorrow (1940).
In a 1929 issue of the Exhibitors Herald World, "Blackie" C. Martin of Woodland theatre in Seattle, Washington wrote about how he advertised this movie. Which you can read below.
"As a sincere applicant for membership in your M.B.I. club, I want to submit what I consider to be 'My Best Idea.' The exploitation campaign that I have in mind was used in the selling of 'We're in the Navy Now,' which broke every house record, and for that reason I believe it to be 'My Best Idea.'
"I realize, of course, that this picture is too old for anyone to be wanting to play it now but the idea that I used at the time can very easily be used in conjunction with any naval or sea comedy.
"First of all I literally filled the foyer with oars, life preservers, a large steering wheel, a couple of anchors, naval flags, pilot lights (used on either side of the box office), a regulation naval compass mounted on a stan, a pair of old-time navy cutlasses, etc. On the oars I placed a card that read; 'Paddle over to the Woodland and see the year's biggest comedy hit.'; on the life preservers, this; 'laugh and grow to a merry old age - Preserve 20 years of your life by seeing 'We're in the Navy Now''; on the steering wheel; 'steer straight to the Woodland to see 'We're in the Navy Now'; on the anchors; 'Weight (wait) for the year's greatest comedy.'; and on the swords a card that read; 'A couple of naval cut ups, Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton in 'We're in the Navy Now'.'
"For street exploitation, we built a truck to represent a comical battleship and manned it with young men dressed in naval uniform, two of whom were buglers. At every shopping center the 'battlewagon' would stop and the 'gobs' on board would come ashore' and distribute heralds 'among the natives.'
"All during the showing of this picture, as well as two days prior, we operated a searchlight from the roof of the theatre as do the naval boats when they are in our harbor. It might appear to you that a campaign of this kind would be too expensive for practical use. However, since Seattle is a seaport with its Naval Recruiting stations, shipyards and marine supply companies we were able to do this at little to no expense, except printing."
The following are some exhibitor's reviews from an issue of Exhibitor's Herald (dated December 18, 1926).
"WE'RE IN THE NAVY NOW: Special cast - 75%. There is nothing that I can say about this one. Just hang out the shingle and they will come to see it. A bigger hit than 'Behind the Front.' Played November 29-30. Six reels - O.B. Junkins, Manzanita theatre, Carmel, Cal. - General Patronage."
"WE'RE IN THE NAVY NOW: Special cast - 55%. A very good comedy but not a woman's picture. It will please everyone who sees it. Little overdrawn but attendance should be above average. Fair business. Paramount looks better this season. Played November 10-11-12. Six reels - H.C. Houston, Gem theatre, Sherman, Tex. - General Patronage."
"WE'RE IN THE NAVY NOW: Special cast - 90%. Here is the greatest comedy of the year, it should make a bigger hit than 'Behind the Front.' It is riot of fun, full of laughs form the beginning to the end, and should be a great box office attraction wherever it is shown. Played November 29. Six reels. - James D. Kennedy, Apollo theatre, Indianapolis, Ind. - General Patronage."
For anyone interested in watching this delightful movie, you can watch it below.
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