Scott LeBrun Gary Cooper stars in this WWII comedy, released several years after the wars' finish, about the various experiments that the Navy conducted with machines and equipment. Cooper plays John W. Harkness, a Reserve officer assigned to commandeer a ship that's been outfitted with a steam engine. He's basically as inexperienced as his misfit crew, and dealing with them occupies practically as much time as trying to make their infernal steam engine work.Likeable and lively, "You're in the Navy Now" was scripted by Richard Murphy, based on a New Yorker article by John W. Hazard, and directed by Henry Hathaway. While it may never be truly uproarious, it generates enough modest chuckles to keep it watchable. The "misfits make good" formula has been a part of cinema for a long, long time, and here it makes for a decent story, as we come to respect and admire these men when they learn how to work together, and keep that engine running. A subplot about beefy sailor Wascylewski (Charles Bronson) selected to represent the ship in a boxing match also takes up some of the running time.Cooper gets to do something a little different here, in contrast to the more accomplished heroes he'd played before. Here he is rather overwhelmed, and plays it just right. The lovely Jane Greer gets a handful of scenes as his supportive wife, but what is most impressive is the roster of actors filling out roles: Jack Webb, John McIntire, Ray Collins, Millard Mitchell, Eddie Albert, Richard Erdman, Harvey Lembeck, Ed Begley, etc. Real-life WWII veterans Bronson, Lee Marvin (in a bit part as a radio man), and Jack Warden made their film debuts here, along with Lembeck.Filmed with full military cooperation, the film does have the feel of authenticity, and moves along well to an amusing climax with a LOT of near misses.Seven out of 10.

lannie1 Today,13 June 2007, was my first viewing of the movie and I was really excited since I never knew that it had been made. The PC476 was in the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Australia to New Guinea to Leyte in the Philippines. I was Signalman 3rd Class and worked on top with the signal lamps. Our PC had two GM 1600HP diesel engines and we also had equipment to desalinate water which just barely sufficient to meet our daily needs except for showers. I spent two years aboard from Oct 1943 to Oct 1945. I really enjoyed the movie and it did capture the essence of the required intimacy of the 60 enlisted and 5 officer crew on a vehicle 173 feet long and 21 feet wide at the beam.

doc659 My father did a cruise on the "Teakettle". I would like to know either the hull number or the actual name of the ship that was used in the movie. If anyone has this info. both my father and I would be grateful. He did a cruise down to the V.I. before going to war college, right before Korea,but just right after WW II. I understand we sold it to the Nat. Chinese(?).He had stated to me that it that the rust was the armor on it. LOL It was a PC stationed, when he was on board, at the Washington D.C. Navy yard. He did tell me that when they were on this cruise that a Destoryer was passing fuel to them and the whole ship was "like being on a roller coaster". They made down there, and back. In one piece!! LOL. Thanks,HMCM(SS) M.F.Combs Jr. UDT/SEALS USN.(Ret)

F Gwynplaine MacIntyre 'You're in the Navy Now' is painfully bad: very likely the worst movie Gary Cooper ever made. It's supposedly based on a true story, but the incident which inspired this film doesn't seem to have enough plot to sustain a feature-length script.I saw this movie on local television while I was house-sitting for my mother-in-law in Long Island, New York. There was a raging blizzard outside, and I was literally snowbound. If I'd been able to get out the door, I definitely would have stopped watching this movie.There are some interesting names in the supporting cast, notably Charles Bronson (under his original name), Lee Marvin, Harvey Lembeck, Jack Webb and Jack Warden. Forget it. Everybody stinks in this movie. Even the usually reliable Millard Mitchell is awful. Lee Marvin and Jack Warden are onscreen so briefly, there's no point in your watching for them.Gary Cooper plays an obscure naval officer who is assigned to command a ship which is powered by a new, experimental steam turbine: basically, the whole ship is a giant teakettle. Cooper realises that the assignment is not a prestigious one: if it were, it would have gone to a better officer.Cooper was a good actor in dramatic roles, but he simply had no ability for comedy. He made several bad comedies, and this one is his worst. Jane Greer has always bored me, and she bored me more than usual here. This ship went down with all hands, and sank without a trace. Have I mentioned that this movie stinks? I'll rate 'You're in the Navy Now' one point out of 10. Toot! Toot!