Sea Legs (1930) User Reviews (2)

Unwanting the on board life of a sailor, Jack Oakie poorly wise cracks himself into trouble and into the Captain's daughter's heart.

[newsilentcomedy · 6/10 · 18 December 2006]

Obviously this early Paramount talkie was intended as a musical, but due to the overflowing flood of the genre on audiences the only remaining tune left in THIS MUST BE ILLEGAL (It's So Nice)a duet sung by Oakie & Roth and comes very expectedly as a sub plot (that vanishes) of a love interest for Oakie appears.This typical ditty (music by Ralph Rainger (perhaps his first for Paramount) & W. Frankie Harling with lyrics by George Marion jr)is cute but not a standout of this tunefull era. And (Dear Friend Actress June MacCloy referred to her as a real spoiled ****) Lillian Roth's purpose to be cast was that the studio was grooming her as a musical talent ( Example-"The Love Parade" where her song with physical comedian Lupino Lane made the same year was a highlight and in "Animal Crackers") The film features Jewish dialect comedian Harry Green as the "shyster" lawyer, Now I'm not Jewish, I'm also a big fan of Max Davidson, but watching the lengthy antisemetic gags and mocking of the "nebish" and ill at ease speaking (of both the English & French language with a Yiddish drawl) proves most uncomfortable! Possibly as it's original plan as a musical could have been followed thru these fill sections wouldn't have been so prevalent to the central plot of the story, But this is a Early Talkie and any variation of speech was entertaining if not simply a novelty! THERE IS A VERY INTERESTING SEQUENCE OF DIALOGUE THAT MUST BE MENTIONED, it is just prior to the romantic love song between Oakie & Roth and is remenisent to the voice dubbing in Harold Lloyd's first Talkie release "Welcome Danger"(also Paramount) Both actors had to VERY OBVIOUSLY (there was no dubbing as yet) HAD TO RESYNC THEIR VOICES TO MATCH THEIR LIPS for this approx 3 minute moment and TECHNICALLY IT IS A ILLUSTRATION THAT PREHAPS IT WAS ORIGNALLY SHOT SILENT as was the Lloyd picture! I'm independent film maker, preservationist & collector John Carpenter and out of over 3,000 16mm prints I own, This Print I adore as it BEST illustrates the transitional period of silent to sound film production even by a major studio as Paramount! There are Title Cards to introduce scene & local changes like a "Beanie" Walker two reeler in the days of the silent as well as lots of Silent Physical comedy gags & a ending that is a Pie Fight by every sailor from 2 ships demolishing a restaurant and deserts! It is now obvious why MCA removed this Paramount from their TV packages!Yes-It is most interestingly a historic piece of a era that won't ever come along again but to unfilmically educated or interested viewers it tends to limp along as ALL early talkies did! Eugene Palette as Oakie's Pal is a vocally verbal Talkie treat, masterfully diction speaking is Billy Gilbert in a extra on board and Oakie at his youngest (and thinest) still controls the screen while Palette, Roth & Green sputter on aimlessly!

A FUN FILM & A RARELY SEEN ONE it is a must see for early talkie lovers (friend Ron Hutchinson of The Vitaphone Project would love it!) and it is a title illustrating transition into a new medium and a cast at their earliest of screen accomplishments that should not be left forgotten and unpreserved! John Carpenter (NY) [e-mail]

Could Have Done With More Lillian and More Songs!!

[kidboots · 6/10 · 18 October 2015]

Was Jack Oakie in every other Paramount comedy from the early sound period - or did it just seem that way!! He was Paramount's "insurance man" - with him in the cast a sure fire hit was guaranteed. Also co-starring with him in this half baked comedy was Lillian Roth whose career was about to hit the skids!! She added so much to those early musicals with her bewitching dark eyes and a "put over a song" style of singing but she, like a few others, disappeared once the first wave of musicals went and even though she got different opportunities in "Take a Chance" (1933) and "Ladies They Talk About" (1932) she was considered unreliable. Back in 1930 her mother was the problem - one of the stage mother types and Paramount had had enough. "Sea Legs" would have benefited from having more of Lillian and her engaging personality around!!

Jack Oakie played naval boxer "Searchlight" Doyle, a character he had introduced in one of his first movies "The Fleet's In" (1928) - it was also obvious that as a featured player he was great but as a star - a little of him went a long way!!

It is a movie about mistaken identity - Doyle has been offered $100 from con-man lawyer Grabowski (Harry Green) to impersonate a fellow named O'Brien and to go on a sea jaunt. The "sea jaunt" is a year's stay on a Navy boat and Doyle finds out that O'Brien is the most hated man in the service for mocking the United States. Harry Green was Paramount's resident dialect comedian (every studio had one) and with dialogue like "they eat like relatives" he was second billed in the cast although his role was mercifully brief.

This movie could have done with more luscious Lillian and more peppy songs - especially when she takes up the chorus of "This Must Be Illegal (It's so Nice)", her vibrant and snappy personality really put the song across. I agree with the other reviewer, the movie must have been originally going to be a snappy Paramount musical (they certainly had the players to put it across) - songs must have been omitted (there was a scene on the street where the sailors were suddenly joined by some pretty girls and just as suddenly the scene was changed to the boat again)!! Unfortunately 1930 was the year the public tired of the never ending stream of musicals and were staying away with any film with even a theme song!! It's a pity as it's a pretty weak comedy as it stands!!

Charles Sellon makes an appearance as O'Brien's grandfather who is promptly thrown overboard on suspicion of being a civilian spy: this episode prompts most of the men on board to jump into the sea on a rescue mission. Then just to prove that Mack Sennett comedy was alive and well on the Paramount sound stages, there is a custard pie fight at a cake shop near the film's end!!