The Admiral Was a Lady

1950 "Laugh-Packed Comedy Mix-Up!"
5.8| 1h27m| G| en| More Info
Released: 04 August 1950 Released
Producted By: United Artists
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

Ex-WAVE encounters four fun-loving, work-hating men, all of whom want to marry her.

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Reviews

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment
ChanBot i must have seen a different film!!
Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
MartinHafer I decided to watch this film for one reason...Edmund O'Brien. I love this guy's movies and assumed it would be pretty much like all his films of the era...tough, hard-bitten and entertaining. Imagine my surprise when this turned out to be a comedy! Edmund O'Brien in a comedy!Jimmy (O'Brien) and his three pals who served together during WWII have an odd way of living. They work their hardest NOT to go to work in order to collect Veteran's unemployment benefits. This is a bit off putting when the film begins...four guys who are essentially scamming the system. Later, it becomes more obvious that at least some of them are suffering from what we'd term today PTSD. Well, the quartet meet up with a lady, Jean (Wanda Hendrix), who also is a vet and they take it upon themselves to show her the ropes of how to scam the system. But she doesn't want to be a professional unemployed vet and is waiting for her fiancé to meet her. The problem is, he never shows up...and so the quartet take her on a series of adventures.As I already said, the adventures of men who have been avoiding work for five years makes this a tough sell. Many in the audience will feel annoyed at this...particularly how hard they work to avoid working. They are clearly NOT the most honorable of men. But despite this, the film is mildly interesting and makes a decent time-passer. Clearly not among O'Brien's better films and I was hoping to enjoy it much more than I did.
gridoon2018 "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. It's pleasant, with some nice tips on making (or saving) a little money out of nothing, but the script wanders a little too much. Edmond O'Brien is not exactly the most endearing romantic comedy lead, but Wanda Hendrix is - as some of the old posters of the film call her - Wandafull! What she lacks in height she makes up for in beauty (she has a couple of stunning close-ups) and talent: she's game in comedy and sincere in drama. Although the film treats the WWII veterans' readjustment problems in a mostly comedic manner, it does have some dramatic moments, which are surprisingly strong. ** out of 4.
David Kelsey 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. It is the sort of movie that the phrase "never a dull moment" was coined for. The two leads did full justice to their parts, but they lacked the star status to impress the critics. If Claudette Colbert and Cary Grant had been cast, or Jean Arthur and Jimmy Stewart, they could have performed no better, but this film would now be assured of its place in the annals of screwball comedy instead of being neglected and almost forgotten. Luckily it is not lost. It is available on DVD in eminently watchable condition, albeit without the full restoration that it deserves.
dm032 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. There's a silly subplot about them trying to get her back together with her long lost fiancee, and an even sillier sub-sub plot about a rich millionaire and meddling detectives. The main point of interest is the repartee between the "admiral" and the men. Sometimes she's tough as nails, but at other points it's like Dorothy's relationship with the tin man, the lion and the scarecrow. Would really like to see a computer-enhanced remake with Humphrey Bogart as Jimmy, Marilyn Monroe as Jean and Edward Herrmann as the millionaire. Favorite line - "how can such a nice man be so useless?"