JohnHowardReid Frank Tashlin's last movie (he died in 1972) is certainly not one of his best. In fact, it could justly be described as a somewhat disappointing effort. None the less, it is not as bad, in my opinion, as some people rate it. Of course, ratings all depend on the viewer's expectations. If you've paid out good money and your expectations are high, you would be inclined to give the film the lowest marks possible. But if you're a professional reviewer, you don't pay out any money and you have only a few expectations. You avoid reading what's published in the New York and Los Angeles press, and you prejudge the movie from what you have seen of the artists' previous work. On this basis, this "Private Navy..." is a good Bob Hope comedy. Not superlative, not wonderful. not a scream... but not the pits either! Admittedly, it has a lot going wrong for it. Although writer Tashlin's gags are fair enough, director Tashlin's sloppy approach with his pointless use of close- ups is to be deplored. And his direction of the players is also none too hot. Admittedly, Lolo comes across well. She's had to deal with more than a few bum directors in her time and she knows how to handle them. Mylene, on the other hand, should have threatened court action if her woefully directed footage was not removed. On yet another hand, there are some good cracks at the expense of Bing Crosby, who appears in an extract of his rendition of the title song of "Pennies from Heaven".

karenmichele1968 I own this movie and I really did not think that it would be all that great. But I was pleasantly surprised. It's GREAT and Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller work great together. I highly recommend it. I love the two of them together. I have to say that I consider Bob Hope to be in the top 10 of funniest comedians.

aesgaard41 I'm a big fan of Bob Hope's movies. Some of his earliest works are superior to even his Road films with old what's his name. By the time this movie came around, you could tell he was running out of material. With a nod from the series, McHale's Navy, he plays a sergeant who just about runs his own military base, but when a state of prohibition hits the island, he takes it upon himself to get beer to his buddies with the help of a Japanese deserter hiding out on the island. Now that the men have beer, they start looking for another male vice: women. With another nod to Paint Your Wagon, they lure several female nurses to an island along with Phyllis Diller who pursues Hope like a love-sick school girl. It's an underestimated comedy as he tries to stay ahead of his superior and love-starved Diller. The movie drags a bit in some places, but I'm sure only die-hard fans of Bob Hope will enjoy it.

Stefan Kahrs Many people cannot stand Bob Hope and his mannerisms, and, to be honest, I am one of them. Most of his films are little more than an extended stand-up routine of his with mostly rather predictable jokes.But sometimes he pulled off a better film, like his Paleface movies, and this one here is even better - it must surely be the best film of his career, although most critics failed to notice it. Apart from having better jokes and a better cast than the usual Hope effort, this film even comes with a message. It is anti-racism and anti-war but it does not wear this attitude on its sleeves, it merely subverts it under the cover of slapstick comedy into the mind of the viewer. I'll be hard pushed to name another anti-war movie which brings across its message so effectively, and this is an amazing thing to say about a Bob Hope flick, given the stiff and famous competition in this field.