''Don't Go Near the Water'' is a 1957

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

about a U.S. Navy public relations unit stationed on an island in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. It is an adaptation of the 1956 novel of the same name by

William Brinkley William Clark Brinkley (September 10, 1917 – November 22, 1993) was an American writer and journalist, best known for his novels '' Don't Go Near the Water'' (1956), which Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer adapted to an eponymous 1957 film, and '' The La ...

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-offi ...

and Gia Scala star. This is the first of several service comedies that Ford appeared in after the huge success of '' The Teahouse of the August Moon''. The movie was very successful and further solidified Ford's reputation as an adept comedic actor.

Plot

Lieutenant (j.g.) Max Siegel (

) and other US Navy personnel are stuck in a public relations unit far from the fighting. Lieutenant Commander Clinton T. Nash (

Fred Clark Frederick Leonard Clark (March 19, 1914 – December 5, 1968) was an American film and television character actor. Early years Born in Lincoln, California, Clark was the son of Fred Clark Sr. He attended Stanford University with plans to become ...

), their commanding officer and a stockbroker in civilian life, refuses to allow anyone to transfer out. Much of Siegel's time is spent showing war correspondents (like obnoxious Gordon Ripwell (

Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in most ...

)) and visiting Congressmen around the island. One day, Siegel spots beautiful local schoolteacher Melora Alba ( Gia Scala). Despite some formidable obstacles, he eventually wins her love. However, they break up when he wants to live in New York City to further his career, while she feels she is needed on the island. Meanwhile, Siegel's

yeoman Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...

, Adam Garrett ( Earl Holliman), falls in love with Navy nurse Alice Tomlen (

Anne Francis Anne Francis (also known as Anne Lloyd Francis; September 16, 1930 – January 2, 2011) was an American actress known for her ground-breaking roles in the science-fiction film ''Forbidden Planet'' (1956) and the television action-drama seri ...

), which constitutes a serious breach of Navy regulations, as Tomlen is an officer while Garrett is only an enlisted man. However, Siegel pretends to be dating her himself in order to give Garrett the opportunity to spend time with her. This couple also fall in love. When Nash finds out, Siegel suggests a fitting punishment would be a transfer to a fighting unit (something Garrett very much wants). With the Army hogging the news headlines, Nash comes up with the idea to take an ordinary sailor and send him on a morale-boosting tour, all highly publicized. He chooses Farragut Jones ( Mickey Shaughnessy) (a fine naval name). Unfortunately, Jones turns out to be foul-mouthed and heavily tattooed, not exactly what Nash had hoped for. He assigns Siegel to smooth out Jones's rough edges, with limited success. Later, Siegel has to escort another war correspondent, the shapely and blonde Deborah Aldrich ( Eva Gabor), when she finagles her way aboard a

heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval T ...

on its way to a combat operation, much to Admiral Junius Boatwright's ( Howard Smith) disapproval. With the end of the war, Siegel realizes that he cannot live without Melora, and decides to remain on the island.

Cast

as Lieutenant (j.g.) Max Siegel * Gia Scala as Melora Alba * Earl Holliman as Adam Garrett *

as Lieutenant (j.g.) Alice Tomlen *

as Gordon Ripwell *

as Lieutenant Commander Clinton T. Nash * Eva Gabor as Deborah Aldrich *

Russ Tamblyn Russell Irving Tamblyn, also known as Rusty Tamblyn (born December 30, 1934) is an American film and television actor and dancer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Tamblyn trained as a gymnast in his youth. He began his career as a child actor f ...

as Ensign Tyson * Jeff Richards as Lieutenant Ross Pendleton * Mickey Shaughnessy as Farragut Jones * Howard Smith as Admiral Junius Boatwright * Romney Brent as Mr. Alba, Melora's father *

Mary Wickes Mary Wickes (born Mary Isabella Wickenhauser; June 13, 1910 – October 22, 1995) was an American actress. She often played supporting roles as prim, professional women, secretaries, nurses, nuns, therapists, teachers and housekeepers, who made ...

as Janie, a nurse who enjoys the attention resulting from being one of the few American women on the island * Jack Straw as Lieutenant Commander Gladstone * Robert Nichols as Lieutenant Commander Hereford * John Alderson as Lieutenant Commander Diplock *

Jack Albertson Harold Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981), known professionally as Jack Albertson, was an American actor, comedian, dancer and singer who also performed in variety. Albertson was a Tony, Oscar, and Emmy winning actor. For his perfo ...

as Rep. George Jansen * Charles Watts as Rep. Arthur Smithfield

Reception

According to MGM records, the film earned $4,265,000 in the US and Canada, and $1,875,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $1,004,000.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Don't Go Near The Water (Film) 1957 films 1957 romantic comedy films CinemaScope films American romantic comedy films Films based on American novels Films directed by Charles Walters Films scored by Bronisław Kaper Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Military humor in film Pacific War films Films about the United States Navy in World War II 1950s English-language films 1950s American films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links