HotToastyRag Romance on the High Seas is not only my favorite Doris Day movie, but it's also one of my favorite old movies! Everything about it is perfect: the acting, the songs, the premise, the jokes, the costumes-and to top it all off, the two leads fell in love with each other during the movie! I've yet to see a man look at a woman in real life the way Jack Carson looks at Doris Day in Romance on the High Seas. Every time he gazes at her during the song "It's Magic", I swoon-and I've seen the movie close to fifty times!I could spend a paragraph detailing the adorable setup of the plot, but then you wouldn't get to experience every delightful emotion the first time you watch it. Trust me on this one, it's cute, funny, and irresistible. Every character, no matter their faults, is endearing, and you can't help but root for them. And an added bonus is the wonderful chemistry and timing of the cast. Everyone works beautifully off each other, and the natural but tight timing of the jokes is remarkable.It's hard to believe that Romance on the High Seas was Doris Day's first movie; she'd made a name for herself with her singing and Hollywood gave her a break by introducing her in a leading role. She and Jack Carson made three movies together, and after watching any of them-but this first one in particular-you'll refuse to believe any other offscreen tale than their enjoyment of a long and happy life together. They're so sweet, considerate, comfortable, and down-right perfect together. Many times in movies, old or new, the supporting characters aren't very interesting or entertaining. In Romance on the High Seas, everyone has laugh lines, everyone puts their heart into their performance, and everyone gives the audience a warm, fuzzy feeling. S.Z. Sakall has hilarious quips with a mixture of broken English and well-intended awkward comments. Oscar Levant, while as depressing and negative as he always is, still grabs at the audience's heart as he knows he doesn't have Doris Day's heart. Eric Blore's show-stopping turn as an incompetent doctor is easily one of the funniest parts of the entire film. Even Franklin Pangborn makes the most of his few minutes on the screen, and John Berkes who has no lines at all, is a hilarious addition to his scene!There are certain gowns that stand out in one's memory as the greatest gowns in film history. Everyone has their favorites-Gone with the Wind, The King and I, and Atonement come to mind-and Doris Day's metallic blue gown designed by Milo Anderson in Romance on the High Seas is one of my all-time favorite film dresses. Even if the movie were garbage, it would be worth watching just to admire that dress. Thankfully, the movie is nearly perfect, but in all the wondrous moments you'll remember long after you watch it-"It's Magic," "You have principles," "I'm no blabbermouth!"-I guarantee the blue dress will be one of them. Watch it and find out. You're better off buying a copy than renting it, though, as I can't seem to let a few months go by without popping my copy in the DVD player!

Alex da Silva Mr (Don Defore) and Mrs Kent (Janis Paige) suspect each other of having affairs so they set traps to catch each other out. The main part of the film is set aboard a cruise ship where Georgia (Doris Day) is pretending to be Mrs Kent (on Mrs Kent's instruction while the real Mrs Kent stays behind to spy on her husband) and detective Peter Virgil (Jack Carson) is hired to watch who he believes to be the real Mrs Kent by Mr Kent, who thinks that his wife is going on the cruise with someone else. Things get confusing for all those involved but everything works out in the end.There are 9 song breaks with the song "Its Magic" (identical chorus to "That's Amore") repeated 3 times - too much. The 2 songs not sung by Doris Day are terrible, while the other songs span the musical spectrum from bad to sentimental codswallop.As for the cast, they are fine with the acting honours going to Janis Paige. I thought that she was more interesting to watch than Doris Day. S Z Sakall who plays "Uncle Lazlo" is irritating and just precisely who's uncle is he? Oscar Levant who plays "Oscar" seems to be one of those permanently dislikeable people - a bit like Frank Sinatra - arrogant beyond reason - but I kind of like him in this film! The story gets a bit frustrating as every mix up that you can imagine gets thrown in which makes it tedious at times, especially at the end. The film is nothing great - it's a colourful time-filler with some interesting fashion to watch, some amusing dialogue, way too many complications and some rubbish songs. It's lightweight fluff.

Steffi_P The screen musical changed a lot during the 1940s. Thanks to Rodgers and Hammerstein's successes on Broadway, and the popularity of pictures like The Wizard of Oz and Meet Me in St Louis, we moved permanently from the backstage, diagetic-singer musicals of the 30s to the bursting-into-song, integrated musicals that we most commonly think of in the genre today. It took a while however for the new format to fully establish itself as the norm, and so in the late 40s we still get these odd little pictures that are neither one thing or the other.Romance on the High Seas, like virtually all musicals up until the 1960s, is a romantic comedy, and as romantic comedies go its credentials are pretty impressive. The screenplay, a rather neat comedy of errors, was penned by Julius and Philip Epstein (Casablanca!), with additional dialogue by IAL Diamond (Some Like it Hot!!). But perhaps this is its first failing. It comes across as the kind of comedy that could be built up to stand on its own. The decision to do it as a musical slows the comedy down somewhat, making it only fairly funny when it could have been hilarious. Add to this the fact that no-one seems able to have agreed what kind of musical it's supposed to be. At times it is a Doris Day showcase, at others an anyone-can-joiner, with Jack Carson piping up for a calypso number, and then there is "Tourist Trade", sung by Avon Long and choreographed by Busby Berkely, which is a nice little addition but sits oddly with the rest of the production.This was the screen debut of Doris Day, in a role originally intended for Betty Hutton. More relaxed than Hutton, Day brings out the feeling of the song with her face more than her body, which probably more than anything else helps to give her songs a natural feel, flowing out of her understated acting style. Like virtually all musical stars from this period, she has a certain eye-catching raunchiness, but the major difference being that you can't really believe she could be fooling around with men. In this respect she is one of the few stars who really seems to fit in with the straight-laced Production Code. While it came across that someone like Betty Grable has sex on the brain even if she doesn't say it out loud, you really get the impression that Day expects nothing more than a few kisses followed by a walk up the aisle.The trouble with Day here is that she wasn't really a great comedy actress. She could pull her weight in a funny environment, but she wasn't really funny in her own right. Her co-star Carson was a great comedy actor, but the role doesn't really demand much of him, and seems to have been written for more of a standard romantic lead. Still, it's nice to see jolly Jack get the girl for once. The more typical comedy stooge part goes to Don DeFore, but while he seems to know what he is doing he is just a little bit boring. Janet Paige plays a stereotypical society lady, but like DeFore is rather dull. The standout performances come from the smaller roles, as we see Oscar Levant at his cynical best, or the brief but welcome appearance by 30s regular Eric Blore.The director is Michael Curtiz, not a man one would associate with musicals or comedies, and yet he got assigned a fair few of them around this point in his career. Curtiz was very skilled at bringing out clarity in plot and character, using his camera to lead us through the story. His introduction of Day involves one of his trademark manoeuvres. We see Paige go into the travel agents, after which a group of people walk across the screen. The camera then follows these people, coming to rest on Day looking in the window. Our attention has been drawn to her, although because the camera was "carried" with that group of extras the move doesn't seem obtrusive. But Curtiz's approach to the story seems a little too mechanical, as if he were actually filming a serious marital drama. He doesn't give enough time or pacing to the comedy scenes, and this is especially apparent at the finale in Rio where the characters all begin bumping into each other.In short Romance on the High Seas is bit of a mess, at least structurally. It's perhaps best then to focus on the nuts and bolts of the production. Few contemporary-set pictures at this period were in Technicolor, the medium normally being reserved for period pieces. Still, a nice job has been done with contrasting light shades of grey, brown and turquoise, bringing some harmony to the stark 1940s interiors. An honourable mention must also go to the bizarre and extravagant costume design of Milo Anderson, as usual setting standards in surreal womenswear (Paige's assortment of hats can resemble everything from lampshades to liquorice allsorts). And finally there are some nice tunes here by that slightly bluesy musician Jules Styne, with memorable Sammy Cahn lyrics. They may be rather jumbled as far as the whole picture is concerned, but each one is nicely presented, and a couple such as "It's Magic" and "Throw 'em in the Deep Blue Sea" really stick in the mind. Indeed, Romance on the High Seas is a picture whose parts are greater than the whole would have us believe.

crispy_comments So this film was originally offered to Judy Garland and Betty Hutton? Although the script is certainly beneath them, I would've much preferred to see either of these actresses in Doris Day's place, as I find Day's perky/cutesy mannerisms to be cartoonish and irritating. Her pout annoys me. Her big toothy grin annoys me. Ditto the bug-eyed stare. Even the way she walks, with these mincing little bird-like baby steps... bugs me. Her voice is alright, but nothing special, certainly no match for Garland or Hutton, or a dozen other singers I could name. I guess I'll never understand Doris Day's popularity.Anyway, "Romance On The High Seas" has a tired mistaken-identity plot, with none of the charm you'll find in other movies that use this plot device (Astaire/Rogers films, for instance). The story just plods along predictably. And the trying-to-be-zany-madcap finale, with all the characters' paths almost crossing as they just miss running into each other in elevators and hotel rooms...well, it's a bore. Hilarity does NOT ensue at watching The Husband enter the same room over and over, finding a different person in his wife's bed each time (um, not *with* the wife though, after all this was still 1948 - although there is some risqué humour that seems to be a precursor to Day's I'm-so-wholesome-but-tee-hee-maybe-I'll-be-corrupted 60's sex comedies). The ending is rushed and the deceptions aren't really explained to the appropriate parties, but the obvious couples end up in eachothers arms anyway. Ho hum.Oddly, Jack Carson actually plays the Desirable Romantic Lead in this film, which leaves Oscar Levant to play the wisecrackin' shmuck who doesn't get the girl. Levant's dry line delivery is the best thing about this movie - I'm *convinced* he improvised his own lines because they seem so much more clever than the rest of the dialogue. Or maybe it's all in the delivery. It's also nice to see S.Z. Sakall and Eric Blore, briefly, although their comic bits fall flat.Nothing else to recommend here - I don't even remember the songs, despite the fact that some were repeated. "Put 'em in a Box, Tie 'em with a Ribbon, and Throw 'em in the Deep Blue Sea" was the highlight, if I have to choose. Too bad Janis Paige didn't sing any of them, just to mix things up & give us a break from Doris (whose songs were sometimes only a few minutes apart!) Paige *could* sing, contrary to the claims made by her hubby in the film. Remember that awesome "Stereophonic Sound" number from "Silk Stockings"? Some of that kind of energetic belting would've been very welcome here and provided nice contrast to Day's ballads. Oh well.I was actually surprised how little we saw of Janis Paige in general, since she had top billing and all. Guess the studio was already grooming Doris for stardom and wouldn't let another actress share the spotlight. Personally I find Janis more likable, a better comedienne and, incidentally much prettier than Doris Day. But talent and merit have nothing to do with success...sadly, it really is all about who you know. Who knew Jack Carson had so much pull back then? But he was in Day's corner (to quote her, they were "going together"), and apparently that did the trick.By the way, I notice Janis Paige's IMDb bio calls her a "joyous scene-stealer", and I must agree! She totally upstages Doris with her supporting role in the film "Please Don't Eat The Daisies". I wanted David Niven to dump Doris and go for her. Ah well. That movie was much better written than this one, (and Niven far more charming than Carson), but you still have to watch Doris bird-walk across the screen. Is it worth it? You decide.