Oh, Sailor, Behave!

About the production

The film was originally conceived and filmed as a lavish all-Technicolor musical production. However, by the time of its release in late 1930, public interest in musicals had plummeted so sharply that Warner Bros. made the last-minute decision to release it entirely in black and white to avoid the 'musical' stigma. This transition resulted in a disjointed final product where musical numbers felt shoehorned into a farce. The film was based on the 1929 Broadway play 'See Naples and Die' by Elmer Rice, but the script was heavily reworked to accommodate the vaudeville antics of Olsen and Johnson.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Made in 1930, in United States, under Archie Mayo, Oh, Sailor, Behave! belongs to musical film filmmaking as studio systems and national cinemas competed for audiences. Oh, Sailor, Behave!

Why this film matters

Within musical film history, Archie Mayo's name attaches to the work; 1930 film by Archie Mayo; is a 1930 American pre-Code musical comedy film produced and released by Warner Bros..

Making of

The production was a victim of shifting industry tides. Director Archie Mayo, known for his efficiency, had to balance the sophisticated wit of Elmer Rice's play with the lowbrow, chaotic energy of Olsen and Johnson. The duo was 'shoehorned' into the script to provide commercial appeal, but their scenes often felt like they belonged to a different movie entirely. The decision to scrap the Technicolor sequences was a financial blow, as the process was expensive, but Warner Bros. feared that a color musical would be 'box office poison' by August 1930. The film's soundtrack was recorded using the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system, which required actors to stay relatively stationary near hidden microphones, contributing to the 'lumbering' feel of some scenes.

What critics said

Contemporary reviews of Oh, Sailor, Behave! are sparse in open sources; later catalog entries chiefly summarize plot and credits.

Did you know?

• This film marked the screen debut of the comedy duo Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson, who would later achieve immortality with 'Hellzapoppin'.
• Despite being based on a play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Elmer Rice, the film is often cited as one of the least faithful adaptations of his work.
• The character of Mitzi, played by Elise Bartlett, is listed in the opening credits but does not appear in the final cut of the film, suggesting significant post-production editing.
• Charles King, a major star of early talkie musicals like 'The Broadway Melody', effectively ended his film career after this movie due to the genre's decline.
• The film features a rare onscreen political assassination used as a plot device for a 'happy ending' in a musical comedy.
• The original stage play featured Claudette Colbert in the role that Irene Delroy plays in the film.
• Promotional materials for the film were printed in color, reflecting the studio's original plan to release it in Technicolor.
• The film was one of the first to be affected by the 1930 'musical backlash' which saw many studios stripping color and songs from their upcoming releases.

Visual style

The film was shot by Devereaux Jennings. Because it was originally intended for Technicolor, the lighting is notably flat and bright, which was necessary for early color processes but looks somewhat harsh in the surviving black-and-white prints. The camera work is largely static, typical of early Vitaphone productions where the equipment was housed in soundproof 'icebox' booths.

Innovations

The film utilized the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system, which was nearing the end of its dominance. It is notable for its attempt to integrate large-scale musical numbers with a farcical plot, a technical challenge in the early days of synchronized sound.

Music

The score was composed by Al Dubin and Joe Burke. Key songs include 'When Love Comes in the Moonlight,' 'Highway to Heaven,' 'Leave a Little Smile,' 'The Laughing Song,' and 'Tell Us Which One Do You Love.' Charles King recorded several of these for Brunswick Records, though they failed to become hits.

Famous quotes

Charlie Carroll: 'A fish may fight in broad daylight, but he makes love in the moonlight!'

Simon: 'I tell you, I'm positive! But you better prove it, I don't want to get in no trouble now!'

Memorable scenes

• The 'Moonlight' musical number featuring Charles King and Irene Delroy, which showcases the era's romantic operetta style.
• Olsen and Johnson's 'cocktail making' routine, where they use increasingly absurd ingredients including 'poison ivy' (mint).
• The chaotic finale involving a political assassination that is treated with surprising levity for a musical comedy.

What audiences thought

Initial audiences were largely indifferent, and the film failed to recoup its production costs. The 'musical fatigue' of 1930 meant that even the presence of popular vaudeville stars couldn't save it from being a box office disappointment. However, it found a small cult following decades later among fans of early sound-era oddities.

Film connections

Influenced by

• See Naples and Die (Stage Play by Elmer Rice)
• The Love Parade (1929)
• Vaudeville tradition of the double-act

This film influenced

• Hellzapoppin' (1941)
• Fifty Million Frenchmen (1931)
• The Marx Brothers' comedies (in its use of anarchic humor)

Film restoration

The film survives intact and is preserved in the Turner Classic Movies library and the Library of Congress. While the original Technicolor footage is considered lost, the black-and-white release version is available. The complete soundtrack also survives on the original Vitaphone discs.

Where to watch

• Warner Archive Collection (DVD)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
• Rare film archives/Museum of Modern Art