She Shall Have Music: A Vintage Yacht-Jazz Headache

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, it depends on how much you enjoy watching 1930s band leaders look slightly uncomfortable on a boat. If you’re a fan of British musical comedies where the plot exists only to pause the singing for five minutes, you’ll be fine. If you’re looking for something with actual stakes or, I don't know, a coherent reason for people to get shanghaied, maybe skip this one.

It’s not quite as dramatic as Verdun, souvenirs d'histoire, that’s for sure.

The Jazz Yacht Situation

The whole premise of Freddie Gates hiring Jack Hylton’s orchestra to broadcast from a yacht feels like a fever dream. Who does that? The son, Brian, acts like someone just asked him to eat glass because he hates jazz so much. His disdain is almost impressive in how performative it is.

Then there’s Dorothy Drew, who is tasked with tricking Brian. She does it with the kind of ease that makes you wonder if she’s done this before. It’s all very light and fluffy, but there’s a weird emptiness to the ship scenes. Like, where is the crew? Did everyone just decide to take a nap?

The sabotage part is where things get really weird.

A rival shipowner shows up, pays off the crew, and suddenly everyone is just… drifting? The pacing here takes a nosedive. The band members start acting like amateur sailors, which is about as believable as a cat flying a plane. It’s charming in a 'they clearly ran out of script' kind of way.

• The music is actually decent if you like that era.
• The yacht shots look like they were filmed in a bathtub sometimes.
• Nobody seems particularly worried about being stranded at sea.

I found myself staring at the background extras more than the leads. There’s a guy in the third row of the band who looks like he’s trying to hide a sandwich. It’s those little moments that kept me watching, honestly. Not the romance, which is about as deep as a teaspoon.

It’s a strange little artifact. If you’ve seen The Man Hater, you know that older films often had this weird, stiff way of handling "spontaneous" fun. This movie takes that, adds a boat, and just lets it float away. You don’t need to watch this to be a film buff, but if you’re bored on a rainy Tuesday, it’s harmless enough.

The ending is a foregone conclusion. Of course they get back to London. Of course they get married. It’s all very polite and tidy. Maybe a little too tidy.