The Admiral Was a Lady

A numb comedy with Edmond O'Brien Hillary Brooke has a bit role, as a cool divorcée.There is some slapstick the camera-work has gusto, but occasionally, as in the theater scene (the thrown bottle), and when cars show up.

"The Admiral Was A Lady" is a comedy that I've been meaning to watch for a long time now, mainly because I like that title. However, the film itself is tamer than I expected.

The Hollywood treatment of the problems of returning servicemen after World War 2 took many forms - sob stories, psychological dramas, films noirs, even musicals - but this film is unusual, perhaps even unique, in giving them an irreverent screwball slant. The script sparkles with wise-cracking dialogue, and the action proceeds headlong in unpredictable directions.

The Admiral Was A Lady casts Wanda Hendrix as a recently discharged WAVE who by a curious chain of circumstances gets herself mixed up with four veterans all from a discharged bomber crew. If it were not for the fact that these four who are played by Edmond O'Brien, Richard Erdman, Steve Brodie, and Johnny Sands were combat veterans from the recent war, they'd be seen as deadbeats.

Following service in World War II, four pals - former employment agent Edmond O'Brien (as James "Jimmy" Stevens), boxer Steve Brodie (as Mike O'Halloran), interior decorator Johnny Sands (as Eddie Hoff), and cab driver Richard Erdman (as Oliver "Ollie" Bonelli) - return to civilian life. But, the four men don't want work to interfere with collecting veterans benefits.

Found this gem on a free streaming video site - not likely to see it anywhere else. Really enjoyable movie set just after WWII about a woman ensign (nicknamed the admiral) who falls in with a gang of lovable losers - four ex-GIs who work diligently from dusk to dawn at finding ways to avoid work.

This is a most excellent screwball comedy. A WAV nicked named The Admiral is trying to get her life back together after returning from WW2.

Copyright 4 August 1950 by Roxbury Productions, Inc. Released through United Artists.

This movie is one of those true gems that seems to have slipped through the cracks in time. It wasn't a big hit in its day – most likely because it wasn't made or distributed by one of the major studios.