Another 50s service comedy that seemed like a pilot for a television series. You had the slapstick building of the officers club; the romance between the enlisted man and the nurse officer; the courtship of the native girl and Glenn Ford; the blackmailing of the journalist to repair the new school house; teaching the manufactured hero sailer to clean up his language when going out on Victory bond tours. Reasonabilty well done with a lot of familiar faces. One off-putting scene came towards the end when magazine reporter Eva Gabor sneaks off to experience an island assault. She comes back with her face smudged and cooing about how much she enjoyed the experience and how wonderful it was. I always thought those Pacific landings by Marines and solders were horrific blood baths, particularly if this was supposed to be Okinawa or Iwo Jima. I suppose if it was the first day of the landings, the heaviest fighting might not have begun, but we know that a steady stream of dead and wounded are on the way. There was no mention of casualties in this movie that emphasized the fun side of war.
Review of Don't Go Near the Water
