"A Girl in Every Port" is one of the few solo efforts of Groucho Marx after 20 years of working almost exclusively with his brothers. It is probably one of the weakest films he was ever associated with. Occasionally his wit and his gift for free-association dialogue shines through, but there are also a couple of moments where his timing seems to have slowed down. The film also suffers from a needlessly convoluted plot (though, to its credit, the script acknowledges this flaw and even uses it as a target for some jokes), and the direction is generally flat. Still, the film is perfectly watchable and occasionally even entertaining. Let's face it, even Groucho at 80% speed is better than most comedians (of all eras) at 100%. And then there is also Marie Wilson. Unlike most comedies of its time where women usually have straight roles, she plays a good-hearted but extremely ditzy girl, with legs that go on for miles and breasts that nearly burst through her outfits. The scene where her bare shoulders keep getting exposed is actually kind of sensual. And Teddy Hart is pretty funny as the gangster "High Life". ** out of 4.
12 Reviews
Impossible to refuse
bkoganbing17 June 2017
For fans of both Groucho Marx and William Bendix, A Girl In Every Port will give some good moments for fans of both. But as a comedy team the two have no real chemistry between them.
I'm sure that Howard Hughes running RKO at the time must have thought these two were very funny so why not get a film property for both. For those who asked how Bendix and Marx could have been in this film you don't need to be a genius to figure it out. Howard Hughes could write checks and make offers impossible to refuse.
The guys are a pair of aged sailors in Uncle Sam's navy and Bendix is left a racehorse, one that's consistently running out of the money. But he's got a twin that's stakes race quality and so the plot begins.
Marie Wilson is at her airhead best and both guys are panting hot and heavy. But she prefers Don DeFore who loves the sport of kings. And in the end he prefers her to cold society fish Dee Hartford.
Also trying to exploit the twin horses are shady trainer Gene Lockhart, shady jockey George E. Stone, and gangster Teddy Hart. They all get their little bits, a chance to strut their stuff.
Like in A Day At The Races which if memory serves Groucho Marx was also in, there's the climatic big race. I'm still trying to wonder where they got a jockey outfit for Bendix. More important how could his horse win with that kind of weight being carried? Secretariat couldn't have handled it.
A Girl In Every Port is a passably amusing comedy, fans of the leads should like it.
I'm sure that Howard Hughes running RKO at the time must have thought these two were very funny so why not get a film property for both. For those who asked how Bendix and Marx could have been in this film you don't need to be a genius to figure it out. Howard Hughes could write checks and make offers impossible to refuse.
The guys are a pair of aged sailors in Uncle Sam's navy and Bendix is left a racehorse, one that's consistently running out of the money. But he's got a twin that's stakes race quality and so the plot begins.
Marie Wilson is at her airhead best and both guys are panting hot and heavy. But she prefers Don DeFore who loves the sport of kings. And in the end he prefers her to cold society fish Dee Hartford.
Also trying to exploit the twin horses are shady trainer Gene Lockhart, shady jockey George E. Stone, and gangster Teddy Hart. They all get their little bits, a chance to strut their stuff.
Like in A Day At The Races which if memory serves Groucho Marx was also in, there's the climatic big race. I'm still trying to wonder where they got a jockey outfit for Bendix. More important how could his horse win with that kind of weight being carried? Secretariat couldn't have handled it.
A Girl In Every Port is a passably amusing comedy, fans of the leads should like it.
The Greatest Post-Bros. Groucho Film with a Horse In it
IEnjoyMovies3 August 2006
"A Girl In Every Port" is the story of two navy buddies who are stuck with a bum horse and try with all of their brilliance to turn a buck in the end.
Although not a great comedy by any means, "A Girl In Every Port" still shines in its own right. We are able, once we acknowledge that this is a vehicle for Groucho, to disregard any technical flaws and view it on its primary aspects: acting and scripting. In terms of acting, this is the intersection of three type-cast performers at the height of their type. Groucho Marx, older than we all remember, had just begun "You Bet Your Life," and was beginning to establish himself as a solo performer. His wise-guy persona, without the foils of his brothers, stands up well on its own. Marie Wilson plays her part as spot on as ever. She is a trite as the "dumb blonde," but she is just so good at it that we can forgive the cliché and embrace the goofiness. Finally, William Bendix plays the dumb but lovable tough that we will always remember him as. Mix up these caricatures with a script full of one-liners in three varieties and we have successful lightness. Bendix and Wilson are able to be dumb together, but, of course, in their own way, and the naïveté of their characters is wonderful against the poison that Groucho Marx brings to the screen. The jokes are wicked, mostly, and the story, although confused, unintelligent, and played out, is decent enough to string along the performances of two great B-listers and one master of comedy.
Although not a great comedy by any means, "A Girl In Every Port" still shines in its own right. We are able, once we acknowledge that this is a vehicle for Groucho, to disregard any technical flaws and view it on its primary aspects: acting and scripting. In terms of acting, this is the intersection of three type-cast performers at the height of their type. Groucho Marx, older than we all remember, had just begun "You Bet Your Life," and was beginning to establish himself as a solo performer. His wise-guy persona, without the foils of his brothers, stands up well on its own. Marie Wilson plays her part as spot on as ever. She is a trite as the "dumb blonde," but she is just so good at it that we can forgive the cliché and embrace the goofiness. Finally, William Bendix plays the dumb but lovable tough that we will always remember him as. Mix up these caricatures with a script full of one-liners in three varieties and we have successful lightness. Bendix and Wilson are able to be dumb together, but, of course, in their own way, and the naïveté of their characters is wonderful against the poison that Groucho Marx brings to the screen. The jokes are wicked, mostly, and the story, although confused, unintelligent, and played out, is decent enough to string along the performances of two great B-listers and one master of comedy.
An Irwin Allen comedy disaster.
SanDiego12 January 2002
Groucho Marx made this film for his friend, producer Irwin Allen and they would work together again with co-star Marie Wilson in the overblown epic comedy THE STORY OF MANKIND. A GIRL IN EVERY PORT is an unfunny comedy starring funny people (William Bendix included) that perhaps were a bit beyond their prime (products of the studio system which had fallen apart they were dumped into TV with some success and took what ever they could get in low-budget theatrical garbage like this). Irwin Allen, who showed greatness in adventure and science fiction just didn't have the knack for a full blown comedy and had the good sense to quit producing comedies after making just a couple (though some would argue Irwin Allen's LOST IN SPACE became a camp comedy after the first year). Marie Wilson (best known as MY FRIEND IRMA) starred in another horse racing comedy called SWEEPSTAKES WINNER (1939). If you can catch that film on TCM it's a lot funnier and a much better year for movies.
What a Disappointing Waste of Talent
michaelf28 December 1999
Groucho Marx and William Bendix deserve much better material than what they are given here. A bad script with unfunny jokes gives these two talents nothing to work with. Why they ever agreed to do this film is one of the great mysteries of Hollywood!
Underwhelming in every sense
biker4516 July 2002
The racehorse in A GIRL IN EVERY PORT isn't the only thing that's lame. The plot, scripting, pacing and every other facet of this film follow suit. Even the title is misleading, as the ship never sails anywhere, and the only girl involved to any great extent is a stunningly moronic Marie Wilson. This film proves that labored, unfunny "comedies" were being produced long before the current spate of mindless garbage began spewing from our television and movie screens. The characters in this film all appear to have IQ's somewhere in the single digit range. It is indeed sad to see so many talented actors tangled up in this unfortunate yawner. Avoid this film at every opportunity.
comedy duo potential
SnoopyStyle3 October 2020
Benny Linn (Groucho Marx) and dim-witted Tim Dunnovan (William Bendix) are navy sailor buddies. Tim gets conned into buying a lame race horse and Benny is ordered to fix it. The horse has a twin and wacky scheme ensues. Only it gets more and more complicated.
Groucho Marx and William Bendix seem to be a good comedic pairing. They do need better writing and more banter to elevate the comedy. It feels like a missed opportunity. The premise is stupid but I'm willing to go with it for a silly comedy. The problem is that the silliness promises a lot but rarely delivers. It has a couple of fun moments but it's not enough.
Groucho Marx and William Bendix seem to be a good comedic pairing. They do need better writing and more banter to elevate the comedy. It feels like a missed opportunity. The premise is stupid but I'm willing to go with it for a silly comedy. The problem is that the silliness promises a lot but rarely delivers. It has a couple of fun moments but it's not enough.
Groucho Marx guarantees some good time
Petey-1015 August 2006
Groucho Marx and William Bendix play two navy buddies, Benny Linn and Tim Dunnovan, who get a race horse that turns out to have a twin.They try to make a little money with the help of the twin horses.Chester Erskine's comedy A Girl In Every Port from 1952 isn't all that bad of comedy, if you ask me.It has got Groucho Marx in it, who can safe any movie.If course this doesn't reach near the classic stuff he did with his brothers Harpo and Chico, but he still gets to deliver some witty lines that safe a lot of this movie.William Bendix doesn't stay too much behind.He and Groucho make a great team.Marie Wilson plays Jane Sweet, a dumb blonde and isn't at all dumb in her role.Don DeFore does also good job as Bert Sedgwick.This movie may not be a masterpiece, but pretty good anyway.It made my Sunday afternoon a little better.
"Well, brains and brawn. America's secret weapon!"
classicsoncall6 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The title of the film is a little misleading. There was only one port to speak of, and only two girls of any consequence in the story, and both of them had eyes on Bert Sedgwick (Don DeFore), who wasn't a principal in the story. On paper, the teaming of Grouch Marx and William Bendix would suggest a laugh riot, but they were merely humorous as Navy buddies confined to a ship's brig until Tim Dunnovan (Bendix) inherited fourteen hundred fifty dollars. At which point Benny Linn (Groucho) smothered his pal with all kinds of ideas to grow it all out of proportion. On that score, the theme was somewhat typical of a Marx Brothers flick. Which in a way it was, hearkening back to their 1937 film, "A Day at the Races".
Caught between two opposing forces, Benny and Tim find themselves in a no-win situation, now the owners of a crippled horse with a twin (how does that work?) who's proved a winner. Stealing Little Shamrock to fill in for the lame Little Aaron, the boys find themselves in a quandary. If Shamrock loses, the boys could make a quick buck from Millicent Temple (Dee Hartford), whose continuing romance with Bert Sedgwick depends on his giving up gambling on the ponies. But if Shamrock loses, mobster High Life (Teddy Hart), who muscled his way into a partnership with Benny and Tim, will most likely have them both eliminated!
Not to worry. With Tim aboard Little Shamrock, and Benny astride Little Aaron, somehow they finish first in a dead heat, but because of the questionable finish, and with race announcers curiously unable to distinguish between the two horses, both are disqualified! And to top things off, the former brig mates are now credited for saving their ship when they threw a concealed bomb overboard without even realizing it! How any of this related to the title of the movie is anyone's guess, so my advice is not to think about it too much.
Caught between two opposing forces, Benny and Tim find themselves in a no-win situation, now the owners of a crippled horse with a twin (how does that work?) who's proved a winner. Stealing Little Shamrock to fill in for the lame Little Aaron, the boys find themselves in a quandary. If Shamrock loses, the boys could make a quick buck from Millicent Temple (Dee Hartford), whose continuing romance with Bert Sedgwick depends on his giving up gambling on the ponies. But if Shamrock loses, mobster High Life (Teddy Hart), who muscled his way into a partnership with Benny and Tim, will most likely have them both eliminated!
Not to worry. With Tim aboard Little Shamrock, and Benny astride Little Aaron, somehow they finish first in a dead heat, but because of the questionable finish, and with race announcers curiously unable to distinguish between the two horses, both are disqualified! And to top things off, the former brig mates are now credited for saving their ship when they threw a concealed bomb overboard without even realizing it! How any of this related to the title of the movie is anyone's guess, so my advice is not to think about it too much.
A Girl in Every Port was a pleasant enough Groucho Marx solo vehicle
tavm23 September 2020
After years of knowing about this movie, I just now finally watched this online. It stars Groucho Marx without either of his brothers with William Bendix, Marie Wilson, and Don DeFore, the latter two I previously saw in My Friend Irma when DeFore was potentially romantically paired with the other leading lady, Diana Lynn. The movie's about a couple of sailors dealing with a horse. I think that's all I'll say about the plot which can be quite confusing but is still quite funny considering some of the lines and the delivery of especially Groucho. By the way, this was only the second of producer Irwin Allen's movies starring that Marx brother, the previous one being Double Dynamite. He'd cast Groucho one more time in The Story of Mankind which also featured his siblings Harpo and Chico, all in separate segments.
***
edwagreen22 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Groucho and William Bendix made such a wonderful team that it's just too bad that they weren't paired in more films.
In this one, they're two navy guys who become involved with horses and horse racing.
Working with twin horses can be confusing enough, but when it becomes both advantageous and disadvantageous for the one horse to win and or lose, the film may dip somewhat but is funny to watch nonetheless.
Marie Wilson is along as the rightful owner of the horses and she is also a waitress. It's always a joy to watch her confusion and especially what she is able to do to the English language.
Don De Fore plays a former horse owner drawn in by the duo in their plot to benefit from the well horse. His fiancé will go to any lengths to prevent him from his horse habit, even if that includes throwing a race and paying off Bendix and Marx in the bargain.
In this one, they're two navy guys who become involved with horses and horse racing.
Working with twin horses can be confusing enough, but when it becomes both advantageous and disadvantageous for the one horse to win and or lose, the film may dip somewhat but is funny to watch nonetheless.
Marie Wilson is along as the rightful owner of the horses and she is also a waitress. It's always a joy to watch her confusion and especially what she is able to do to the English language.
Don De Fore plays a former horse owner drawn in by the duo in their plot to benefit from the well horse. His fiancé will go to any lengths to prevent him from his horse habit, even if that includes throwing a race and paying off Bendix and Marx in the bargain.
Almost like an Abbott & Costello movie...without Abbot or Costello!
planktonrules18 May 2023
In many ways, the plot to "A Girl in Every Port" plays like an Abbott & Costello movie. William Bendix plays Tim...a rather dim sailor who is bossed around by his friend, Lucky (Groucho Marx). As for Lucky, he's a con man...and a fast-talking one at that.
The story begins with Lucky and Tim, once again, in the brig on the ship where they serve. It seems that despite being real rogues, the US Navy is apparently hard up and this alone would explain why they weren't discharged. After Tim foolishly buys a bum horse with his inheritance, their captain gives them time off duty to get Tim's money back for the horse. However, instead of just asking for the money, the scheming Lucky comes up with a plan to not only get Tim's money back...but a bit more for their trouble. This plan includes the help of a ditzy blonde (Marie Windsor) and her lookalike horse.
When the film was made, Groucho was 62 years-old...way too old to be a common seaman in the Navy. But considering how silly the plot is, this is the least of the plot problems in the film. Switching horses like they do isn't possible due to tattoos and other means the racetracks have to make sure horses aren't switched. But again....with a comedy like this, you can overlook all this.
So is it any good? Well, Bendix is just okay...and he doesn't really contribute a lot to the story. Instead, the movie seems much more a Groucho vehicle and he dominates the film. As for Marie Wilson, she's not as one-note and annoying as she often could be with her dumb blonde routine. The best thing the film has going for it, apart from Groucho, is energy and silliness. Not a great comedy but a very enjoyable one.
The story begins with Lucky and Tim, once again, in the brig on the ship where they serve. It seems that despite being real rogues, the US Navy is apparently hard up and this alone would explain why they weren't discharged. After Tim foolishly buys a bum horse with his inheritance, their captain gives them time off duty to get Tim's money back for the horse. However, instead of just asking for the money, the scheming Lucky comes up with a plan to not only get Tim's money back...but a bit more for their trouble. This plan includes the help of a ditzy blonde (Marie Windsor) and her lookalike horse.
When the film was made, Groucho was 62 years-old...way too old to be a common seaman in the Navy. But considering how silly the plot is, this is the least of the plot problems in the film. Switching horses like they do isn't possible due to tattoos and other means the racetracks have to make sure horses aren't switched. But again....with a comedy like this, you can overlook all this.
So is it any good? Well, Bendix is just okay...and he doesn't really contribute a lot to the story. Instead, the movie seems much more a Groucho vehicle and he dominates the film. As for Marie Wilson, she's not as one-note and annoying as she often could be with her dumb blonde routine. The best thing the film has going for it, apart from Groucho, is energy and silliness. Not a great comedy but a very enjoyable one.
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