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.

Cristi_Ciopron 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 dialogs aren't very witty, and the movie seems to have been written as a sentimental comedy, perhaps it even acquires some warmth; the storyline, suitably episodic, has even a boxing match (as another occasion for slapstick, perhaps a bit rancid), the crew spends a couple of days with the admiral, so there result a few vignettes (on sea, at the theater, at the boxing match). O'Brien exhaled hopelessness and disheartening, and the role behaves him; he looks creepy and disappointed, but his role requires this, and the movie is essentially a vehicle for him, as the other male players are either bland or unlikable (Vallee). His crew, though, isn't very appealing.The comedy is unusual (and a bit joyless, a bit gloomy, though it wasn't meant as such; but, to be just, this joylessness can't be attributed solely to mediocrity, as the plot reveals the dramatic situations of the crew: only that it does it not gradually, from the beginning, the gleam of dread shows already in the lead's style, and also, though unintentionally, in the vapid cast): a sentimental plot reminding of the '30s, and slapstick gags, and surprising ideas, like the boxing scene. The directing is mediocre, the script: unusual, the cast: variegated and inexpert; the crew should of been colorful, but comes across as indifferent, and almost creepy and untrustworthy, for a girl to team up with them spontaneously, trustingly: for scoundrels and blunderers, the crew is bland, and for bruised guys, they are underplayed. Deeply, O'Brien isn't a comedy actor.To a certain degree, it builds, despite the numbness; it grows on you. By the end, there is an impression of thoughtful plot.Wanda Hendrix was A. Murphy's wife.Here at least, she seems a mediocre actress.

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.

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?"