Dames Ahoy: A Goofy Old Sea Chase 🚢

This one, Dames Ahoy, it's definitely for folks who dig into really old movies. I'm talking pre-code vibes, when things were a bit looser. If you're hoping for deep drama or complex characters, nope. But if you just want to see some familiar faces from back in the day do silly things, it's a perfectly fine way to spend an hour. Modern moviegoers might find it a real slog, though.

The film kicks off pretty quick. We meet our three sailors – Jack 'Tiny' Lipson, Eddie Gribbon, and Glenn Tryon. Tiny's the one who gets bit.

He's got this innocent look, almost too trusting. You just know someone's gonna take advantage, and boy, do they.

And sure enough, Gertrude Astor's character, she’s got a way about her. Not overtly evil, just *opportunistic*. She makes off with half his pay, and the whole adventure starts.

You can almost see her thinking, "Easy money!" right there in her eyes 👀.

The other two, Gribbon and Tryon, they’re the real muscle, but also the comedy. Eddie Gribbon, he’s got that gruff, lovable oaf thing down pat. He's always ready for a scrap, or at least to talk about a scrap.

And then Walter Brennan pops up. He's not in it for a ton of screentime, but even in small doses, he always adds something. Here, he's just some random old guy they run into, offering cryptic advice or something. It feels a bit shoehorned in, but hey, it's Brennan!

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Dames Ahoy (1930) through its definitive frames.

There's this one scene where they're trying to track Gertrude down, and they end up in this *really* crowded dance hall. The way the camera moves, it's like they're trying to show how chaotic it is, but it just looks like everyone's bumping into each other on purpose. A lot of pushing and shoving.

The *physical comedy* is definitely a thing here. People slipping, falling, getting bonked on the head. It’s all very broad. One guy gets hit with a pie, I think? Or something similar. It's that kind of humor. 🥧

Andy Devine also makes an appearance, doing his usual high-pitched, slightly dim-witted sidekick routine. He's got this moment where he tries to disguise himself, and it's just so *bad* it's funny. Like, a fake mustache that's clearly falling off. Classic stuff.

The chase itself, it goes through a few different locations. They’re always *just* missing her. It gets a little repetitive, honestly. You start to wonder if they’ll ever catch up. The whole "will they, won't they" with the money, not the romance, you know?

The ending, it ties up a bit too neatly. But what do you expect? It’s a simple story. You don't walk away thinking about the *meaning* of it all. Just, "Okay, that was a thing."

It’s certainly not a classic you *need* to seek out unless you're a real completist for this era. But if you stumble upon it, it’s not bad for what it is. A small, breezy little picture.

The music, too, it's very much of its time. Swelling when something exciting happens, tinkling for the romantic bits. Nothing you'd hum later. 🎶

Didja notice?

• Tiny's flashback to being swindled is *so* quick. Blink and you miss it.
• The sailor uniforms seem remarkably clean for guys on a multi-day chase.
• Someone in the background of the dance hall scene is clearly just standing there, waiting for their cue to bump into someone.
• Gertrude Astor's character, she manages to change outfits like three times in a single day. How?
• The movie gets noticeably better once it stops taking itself seriously, which happens around the second act.
• One reaction shot lingers so long it becomes funny.
• The crowd scenes have this oddly empty feeling, like half the extras wandered off.
• The amount of times they nearly catch her, but a convenient distraction pops up, it’s a bit much.