Talk:Follow the Fleet

Latest comment: 13 years ago by Bono in topic Bad article

POV removed edit

I have removed the POV tag inserted by 69.118.201.144 because it was not accompanied by an explanation on the discussion page, as required by Wikipedia. As the article is based on the critical commentaries of Arlene Croce and John Mueller, I have added a small edit which I hope clarifies this matter. Dermot 09:32, 10 May 2006 (UTC) DermotReply

Bad article edit

I don't like this article. You get the impression that the movie is lousy, when in contrary it is one of the best Astaire-Rogers movies. It sure has flaws, but its positives are far more. Please improve the article! abelson 07:59, 23 August 2006 (UTC)Reply

I fully agree. Note that the source of the plot and acting opinions of this film are dance critics Croce and Mueller, not film critics. It's true that there are some film critics who call the plots "fragile", like Roger Ebert, but this is a dance musical. The irrationalities of the plot did not seem out of place to audiences at the time. To them it mirrored the irrationalities of real life. Only in our time, with its over emphasis upon courtship negotiation, do people feel this is too light and breezy. But if you look carefully, you can see, that Rogers in fact, turns Fred into a better, less venal, man. This is wonderful, and it's all done is the context of both mutual self esteem and respect. In fact, I think this film presents a very sophisticated perception of male-female relationships, that's lost in today's much colder, solipsistic, and clinical era of "hooking up".

As far as the supporting cast, I think Harriet Hilliard and Randolph Scott are fine foils as the more conventional couple...with Scott playing the architypical male "lug-head". I'm sorry, but it works...and Hilliard does a fine job with her simple and touching renditions of Irving Berlin's music....as opposed to the stilted version of such songs that would have been obtained from Irene Dunne. The premise of this film is middle class...not high class. Critics need to learn to focus their opinion to what is on the screen...not the opinions the they themselves bring to their viewings.

Along with "Top Hat", "Swing Time", "Shall We Dance", and the "Gay Divorcee", "Follow the Fleet" is a great and original film. Fred does very well as a sailor...and the savvy Rogers makes his efforts come alive. The dancing is over the top, first class, and memorable. Part of the problem is that the limited criticism on these films as plots, is so poor itself. So naturally the citing of these sources further compounds the error. This article indeed does "a lousy" job on this great film. bono 09:43, 11 March 2011 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.75.180.179 (talk) Reply