vert001 Suicide Fleet will appeal to those interested in historical naval equipment, indeed, it provides us with nearly documentary footage of several types of contemporary nautical ships. Unfortunately for me I'm not all that interested in what the navy was like during World War One, and the drama (and comedy) in Suicide Fleet comes up lacking in every respect.We get what amounts to about a twenty minute prologue introducing us to three friends (William Boyd, Robert Armstrong and James Gleason) who are all smitten with the same girl (Ginger Rogers). Then the United States enters the Great War as it was called at the time, the three men all enlist and Ginger practically drops out of the picture. The rest of the movie alternates the exceptional documentary footage with weak comedy concerning our protagonists that reminds one of a poor episode of Gomer Pyle. From time to time we also receive some well-done action scenes, but a definite lack of audience involvement with any of the characters (Armstrong and the sometimes excellent Gleason are too frivolous and too hammy, Boyd is too stiff, and Rogers has simply disappeared) keeps us from caring very much about any of it.Hard to recommend for other than historical purposes, or if one is trying to follow the arc of Ginger Rogers' career (which is why I watched it). While she's around she's darned cute as a girl plying salt water taffy at Luna Park.

Neil Doyle Three carnival workers romance the same girl until WWI interferes with their plans. They join the Navy and the plot meanders all over the place with tiresome effect.WILLIAM BOYD (later "Hopalong Cassidy") spouts his dialog in a slow-moving way, and ROBERT ARMSTRONG and JAMES GLEASON mug their way through some silly shenanigans as sailors looking for a good time. Boyd is the Chief Petty Officer who comes out of retirement to rejoin the service. GINGER ROGERS is the carnival gal who can't seem to decide whether to get serious about Boyd or not, until the finale.It's hopelessly contrived and full of hokey situations, dated dialog and interesting only for a glimpse of the Naval ships.Summing up: Totally unsatisfying from almost every standpoint.

heartfan There were two sailing ships used in this film: "Bohemia" and "Indiana" Both were part of the de Mille "fleet". Both were built on the Kennebec River, at Bath, Maine, in the 1880s. The Indiana was built by and for the Sewell Family. The Bohemia was built by and for the Houghton Bros. and sailed for them until 1897, when she was sold to Alaska Packers. Bohemia sailed the West Coast for 20 years before acquired by Hollywood.Bohemia was used in "Wreck of the Hesperus", "Blood Ship" and "Yankee Clipper", all 1927. ("Yankee Clipper" also starred "Indiana"; William Boyd and his real-life Wife, Eleanor Fair.)Bohemia is the ship destroyed in "Suicide Fleet".One of the "four-piper" destroyers used in "Suicide Fleet" was built by Bath Iron Works, which bought the former Houghton yard during World War I.

lexdevil The threesome of Bill Boyd, Robert Armstrong, and James Gleason play Coney Island carnys vying for the hand of Ginger Rogers, a working gal who sells salt water taffy. With the outbreak of World War I, the threesome enlist and pursue Ginger from afar. The first half of this RKO Pathe production is hard going, with the three male leads chewing up the scenery with overcooked one-liners and 'snappy' dialogue that quickly grows tiresome. The second half concentrates on action sequences as the US Navy pursues both a German merchant cruiser and a U-boat. These sequences are lively and well-filmed, but overall this is an overlong and unsatisfying comedy-drama with a flat ending. For fans of the stars only.