Don't Go Near The Water (1957)

Set on a small island in the South Pacific during WWII, a public relations unit for the Navy sits out the war while its commander (Fred Clark) seems oblivious to the boredom of the officers under his command. Based on a popular best seller by William Brinkley, this is one of many military service comedies that were popular in the 1950s. Indeed, WATER's leading man Glenn Ford starred in several of them. TEAHOUSE OF THE AUGUST MOON and IMITATION GENERAL come to mind. Directed by Charles Walters, the film is episodic going from one humorous incident to another, often dropping characters and storylines as it moves on to the next. As far as service comedies go, it's passable entertainment though it doesn't rank with the best (like OPERATION MAD BALL). It's more akin to MISTER ROBERTS though I much preferred WATER. The MGM sound stages do fairly well passing for a South Pacific island although the rear projection shots are fairly obvious. The large cast includes Gia Scala as a native island girl who catches Ford's fancy, Anne Francis, Earl Holliman, Eva Gabor, Keenan Wynn, Russ Tamblyn, Jeff Richards, Mary Wickes, Mickey Shaughnessy and Jack Albertson.