Seafaring John Gilbert (as Jack) enjoys the rollicking "love 'em and leave 'em" lifestyle shared with merchant marine buddies like accordion-playing Wallace Beery (as Tripod) and brawling Jim Tully (as Ginger). The trio of rum-swilling womanizers look for saloons and girls in every port. But, when Mr. Gilbert meets blonde Leila Hyams (as Joan), the sailor must choose between manning restless ocean waves, or settling down with Ms. Hyams' shore-bound curves...
The delayed, poorly-edited "Way for a Sailor" was the first of several attempts to restore Gilbert's damaged movie stardom...
Beery essays a typically hammy performance; though second-billed, he was, by now, the bigger box office star. Undoubtedly Beery was present to attract more cinema patrons, who would hopefully give Gilbert a second look. Unfortunately, most viewers had their misgivings about Gilbert reinforced. The picture simply does not serve him well. In their scenes together, re-takes seem to have been inserted to enhance Ms. Hyams' performance, while Gilbert is left looking soppish.
**** Way for a Sailor (11/1/30) Sam Wood ~ John Gilbert, Wallace Beery, Leila Hyams, Jim Tully
The delayed, poorly-edited "Way for a Sailor" was the first of several attempts to restore Gilbert's damaged movie stardom...
Beery essays a typically hammy performance; though second-billed, he was, by now, the bigger box office star. Undoubtedly Beery was present to attract more cinema patrons, who would hopefully give Gilbert a second look. Unfortunately, most viewers had their misgivings about Gilbert reinforced. The picture simply does not serve him well. In their scenes together, re-takes seem to have been inserted to enhance Ms. Hyams' performance, while Gilbert is left looking soppish.
**** Way for a Sailor (11/1/30) Sam Wood ~ John Gilbert, Wallace Beery, Leila Hyams, Jim Tully