Follow the Fleet Review: Sailor Suits and Perfect Taps

Is this movie worth your time today? Yes, but mostly if you have a high tolerance for 1930s fluff and people breaking into song in the middle of a boat. It is definitely for the crowd that loves watching Fred Astaire move like he has no bones. If you want a fast-paced plot or a serious war movie, you will probably hate this one.

I forgot how weird it is to see Fred Astaire in a sailor uniform. He looks a bit like a pencil dressed up for Halloween. The baggy white pants are doing a lot of work when he starts tapping. ⚓

The story is pretty thin, even for an RKO musical. Fred plays Bake Baker, who is in the Navy but really just wants to dance. He meets up with his old partner Sherry (Ginger Rogers) in San Francisco. They have this easy, bickering chemistry that just works every single time. It feels less like acting and more like two friends who know exactly how to annoy each other.

The Weird Parts

There is a lot of focus on the secondary couple, Bilge and Connie. Randolph Scott plays Bilge, and he is... well, he is very tall and very handsome, but his character is kind of a jerk? He spends a lot of the movie making Ginger’s sister cry. Connie is played by Harriet Hilliard, and she has this very soft, operatic voice that feels like it belongs in a different movie entirely. 🚢

One scene that really stuck with me is the gum-chewing contest. It’s so specific and strange. Ginger is just aggressively chewing gum while trying to look classy. It’s a small thing, but it’s genuinely funny in a way that feels improvised.

• The sailor outfits are incredibly white. How do they keep them so clean on a ship?
• Lucille Ball shows up for a few minutes! She’s got this sharp energy even back then.
• The piano playing bit goes on way too long. We get it, he's talented.

The Dancing (The Real Reason We Are Here)

The "Let Yourself Go" number in the dance hall is great because it feels crowded and real. You can see the other extras watching them like they can't believe what they're seeing. It’s high energy and feels a bit less polished than their usual ballroom stuff. It’s more like a street fight but with shoes.

"I’d rather be a sailor on a ship that’s sinking than a guy on land who’s always thinking."

That line is basically the whole philosophy of the movie. Don't think too hard. Just watch the feet.

The climax is this big show they put on to raise money to fix a boat. It’s a classic "let's put on a show" trope that was already getting old in 1936. But then we get to Let’s Face the Music and Dance. This is the one where Ginger wears that heavy beaded dress. 👗

If you look closely during that final dance, you can actually see the sleeve of her dress smack Fred in the face during a spin. He doesn't even flinch. That’s a pro. The whole mood shifts from goofy comedy to something really sad and beautiful for about five minutes. It’s the best part of the whole two hours.

It’s a bit longer than it needs to be. At nearly two hours, you start to feel the weight of the scenes where they aren't dancing. Some of the dialogue is just filler to get them from one room to another. It lacks the tight snap of something like Chickens Come Home or the earnestness of Little Lord Fauntleroy.

I noticed a weird shadow in one of the ship scenes that looked like a boom mic, but I might have just been squinting too hard. The sets are clearly soundstages, but they have this cozy, fake charm to them. It makes me want to live in a black-and-white version of San Francisco where everyone knows a dance routine. 🌉

Is it as good as Top Hat? No. The songs aren't quite as catchy, and the Navy theme feels a bit forced. But Fred and Ginger are still Fred and Ginger. Even when the script is lazy, they are electric. It’s a nice Sunday afternoon movie when you don't want to think about your taxes or the dishes. 🥤

One more thing: the way Randolph Scott says his lines is so stiff. It’s like he’s reading off a teleprompter that’s just slightly too far away. It makes the romance with Connie feel even more awkward. You just want to skip back to the sailors tapping on the deck.

If you like this era, check out Don't Be Nervous for a similar vibe, though it doesn't have the same star power. Anyway, Follow the Fleet is a solid B-movie that thinks it’s an A-movie, and honestly, I respect the hustle.