Our next film is the fantastically funny "Out To Sea". This 1997 film stars two of comedy's greatest legends and features them as they join a cruise as dance hosts. The two guys find two gals to fall in love with and a riotous time is had by all. The film's cast includes Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Dyan Cannon, Gloria DeHaven, Brent Spiner, Elaine Stritch, Rue McClanahan, Hal Linden, Donald O'Connor, Edward Mulhare, Estelle Harris, Sean O'Bryan, Alexandra Powers, and Esther Scott.
Charlie (Matthau) and Herb (Lemmon) are two brothers-in-law who couldn't be more different. Charlie convinces Herb to go on an all expense paid cruise with him in an effort to bring him out of the sad state he's been in since his wife's death.
Things don't go well when they find their airplane seats are in the last row. Herb figures they are the seats used to transport criminals. In front of them, they have a baby that throws up.
Once on the cruise ship, the two guys poke around a very expensive stateroom. There, they run into Liz LaBreche and her mother, Mavis, who is not very happy that the guys are there. "I have been on a plane for three hours. I have been in a taxi for an hour and a
half.I need to take a crap and a nap
and I do not need an audience!" says Mavis. To which Herb quips, "Sounds like a party we can miss."
Once they get to their own stateroom deep in the bowels of the ship, Herb begins to suspect that something is up. "A good fart will give you a concussion," he says as he looks around. Charlie has to explain to him that the reason that everything is paid is because they are working the cruise as dance hosts. Herb is furious, but there's nothing he can do. It's either work or pay the full price.
They meet their boss later that night. A strict guy named Gil Godwyn. "I'm your worst nightmare," he says to Charlie and Herb, "A song and dance man raised on a military base."
As they watch his absurd opening number, Herb leans in to Charlie and asks, "What could his parents ever have done to him?"
Appearances on the boat are important, because the ship's owner, Mrs. Carruthers, is aboard.
Charlie gets out of dancing (because he complains of "taking on a lot of water in the forward compartment") and heads off to the casino where he meets up with Liz LaBreche. The two have an instant chemistry.
Herb meets Vivian while dancing. The two also hit it off and spend a good portion of the evening dancing and talking.
The next day Charlie and Liz spend even more time together when he gets out of dancing again and heads into port with her.
Of course, Gil Godwyn corners Charlie and threatens his job. Charlie's got to dance or pay. Charlie prevails upon Herb to teach him the finer points of dancing.
When the time comes for him to dance, Charlie sets his sights (unknowingly) on Mrs. Carruthers, who accepts his invitation gladly.
When Liz comes into the ballroom, Charlie has to maneuver his way around the room without her finding out that he's a dance host. Poor Mrs. Carruthers finds herself in the middle of some unconventional dance moves. When she asks Charlie the name of a particular dance step, he says, "This is called the Brazilian Creep. In Brazil, of course, it's just called The Creep."
After fortifying herself with a drink, Mrs. Carruthers returns to Charlie and says, "I feel ravaged...thank you." Gil is shocked, because he's seen the way that Charlie and Mrs. Carruthers were "dancing".
Also dancing that night are Herb and Vivian. An earlier misunderstanding causes Vivian to behave icily towards Herb, but they soon patch up their troubles.
A hilarious moment in the film comes when Mavis LaBreche enters the ballroom. She points to the dance host of her choice and tells his partner to "take a hike".
The two then proceed to do a rather aerobic dance routine, much to the delight of the other passengers.
Troubles abound for both of our couples during the course of the film. The two guys even have to commandeer a lifeboat and shoot off flares to signal a plane that the ladies have chartered to take them away. Will they succeed? Will love conquer all? Cast rundown:
Jack Lemmon............................Herb Sullivan
Walter Matthau..........................Charlie Gordon
Esther Scott..............................Maria Collins And that's it for Out To Sea. An interesting fact concerns Elaine Stritch and Dyan Cannon. Although they play mother and daughter, Elaine Stritch was only twelve years older than Dyan Cannon. This was the final film appearance of Donald O'Connor and Edward Mulhare. As always, if you wish to leave a comment, please remember our posting rules.
The hostess with the mostest lives in the form of 1953's "Call Me Madam", a film in which Ethel Merman reprises her Broadway starring role as Sally Adams, everyone's favorite socialite as she rises to the rank of ambassador and finds love where she least expects it. The film's cast includes Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Vera-Ellen, George Sanders, Billy De Wolfe, Helmut Dantine, Walter Slezak, Steven Geray, Ludwig Stossel, and Lilia Skala.
We meet Mrs. Sally Adams as she's sworn in as the United States Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Lichtenburg. Sally is very excited to be going, but "where the heck is Lichtenburg?" she asks around the room.
We're given a little of Sally's backstory as it pertains to Washington D.C. society, and we find out that she's "The Hostess With The Mostest On The Ball".
At her farewell party, Sally meets young Kenneth Gibson who volunteers himself to be her press attache. She quickly finds out how valuable his services are.
Kenneth goes ahead to the embassy in Lichtenburg, where he finds out that the charge d'affairs is not happy about Sally's appointment and plans on running things himself. "Like to make a little bet?" asks Ken.
The charge d'affairs, Pemberton Maxwell, is definitely unimpressed when he meets Sally. "Call the duke and duchess, will you? And tell them I'll drop in around four, sort of get acquainted."
Meanwhile, the charming Lichtenburg Secretary of State comes calling, and Sally is instantly smitten. A feeling that is mutually shared by General Cosmo Constantine.
Warned by the American government not to offer cash poor Lichtenburg any money, Sally succumbs to Cosmo's charm and sings "Can You Use Any Money?". Cosmo tells her he doesn't want any loans. He believes Lichtenburg has enough natural resources to pay its own way. Sally doesn't take him seriously when it comes to the loan. She brushes past the subject and invites him for a future dinner date.
While out shopping, Kenneth inadvertently meets the heir to the throne of Lichtenburg, Princess Maria. Both of them are smitten with each other.
On the evening of Sally's presentation at the palace, we meet the Princess's fiance, Prince Hugo, whom she's in no hurry to marry.
Waiting in an anteroom, Sally is given last minute instructions on greeting the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess. She also struggles to maneuver the train of her gown.
When the time comes, Sally gracefully enters the room and makes her way towards the Grand Ducal family.
However, she falls flat on her keester when making her final curtsy. She also makes a little impromptu speech. "And I want to tell you how happy I am to be in this Grand Duchy of Lichtenburg. I think one reason is it just so happens that one of my ancestors was Dutch. So, you can understand how happy I am to be in this Grand Duchy and to meet all you grand Dutchmen."
When it comes time for dancing, Kenneth whisks Princess Maria onto the floor, while Sally dances with Cosmo.
Sally even dances with the Grand Duke who asks her about the differences between parties in Lichtenburg and in America. "Well, we have a good time," smiles Sally.
She's even prevailed upon to sing "That International Rag" as a way to spice things up. "Real razzmatazz, Highness," she jokes with the Grand Duke as she takes to the stage to belt out her number.
Kenneth and Princess Maria, however, sneak off to the gardens for some more romantic dancing.
Before she leaves, Pemberton Maxwell corners her and puts doubts into Sally's head about Cosmo's intentions and sincerity. She plans to get to the bottom of it.
The next day, Kenneth finds himself pining for the Princess. Sally mentors him with some advice. "You're Not Sick, You're Just In Love," she sings.
At Lichtenburg's annual fair a few days later, celebrations are in high gear as Princess Maria dances the "Ocarina".
Sally meets with Cosmo, though she is on her guard as to his intentions. And Kenneth is thrilled to see Princess Maria for a few moments after her dance. Though, she is cautious about being seen with him. "It is not permitted for me to talk to a young man in public," she tells him. "I'm willing to make it private," he says with a smile.
Prince Hugo interrupts them, and Kenneth is put in his place by the jealous fiance.
That night, Kenneth goes to a local tavern and gets drunk, causing some disturbance. The next day, he apologizes to Sally, who promptly tears up a report on the matter written by Maxwell.
Maxwell confronts Sally about it, but she puts him in his place. She informs him that if things went by regulations, he would've been out a long time ago because of the things he's pilfered from the embassy, things she is supposed to take inventory of.
Sally arranges for Kenneth and Princess Maria to meet in the underground tunnels that connect the palace with the embassy, which leads to some more enthusiastic dancing.
For her dinner with Cosmo, Sally goes over some details with Maxwell. It's funny to watch them later as Maxwell is confused over some signals Sally is not sending him as previously discussed. She gets exasperated and tells him to "Beat it. Get it? Beat it!"
Sally continues to get closer to Cosmo, still dismissing his supposed not wanting any money from America. When the two kiss, Cosmo tells her that they've made history because it was the first time a foreign minister ever kissed an ambassador. "Cosmo, let's make more history," she suggest gladly.
Sally's good-intentioned meddling in the loan business and with Princess Maria and Kenneth is enough to earn her Cosmo's anger and her recall back to Washington.
Upon arrival, Sally does what she does best: throws a party. At the party, Kenneth tells Sally that Cosmo has just been named Lichtenburg Ambassador to the US. Nervously, Sally prepares to receive him.
They patch everything up, and Cosmo presents her with a decoration from the Grand Duke. "This order entitles you to be called a Dame," says Cosmo. "A dame? Say, that's quite a promotion," exclaims Sally.
Kenneth is surprised when he sees Princess Maria. She tells him she's given up Prince Hugo and the throne of Lichtenburg in order that they might be together.
Everyone returns to the ballroom to join in a medley of the film's hit songs. Cast rundown:
Donald O'Connor.............................Kenneth Gibson
Vera-Ellen......................................Princess Maria
George Sanders..............................General Cosmo Constantine
Billy De Wolfe.................................Pemberton Maxwell
Helmut Dantine...............................Prince Hugo
Walter Slezak..................................August Tantinnin
Steven Geray..................................Prime Minister Sebastian
Ludwig Stossel................................Grand Duke Otto
Lilia Skala.......................................Grand Duchess Sophie And that's it for Call Me Madam. Ethel Merman received a Golden Globe for her portrayal of the hostess with the mostest. Sally Adams is actually based off of Perle Mesta, who served as the US Ambassador to Luxembourg, and was a powerhouse society hostess herself. As always, if you wish to leave a comment, please remember our posting rules.
