Such a frustrating disappointment

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Co-produced and directed by Michael Curtiz, with a screenplay by Julius & Philip Epstein and additional dialogue from I.A.L. Diamond, this slightly above average musical comedy was Doris Day's first film. In it she sings the Oscar nominated Song "It's Magic", which would become one of her trademarks; Ray Heindorf's Score was also nominated. However, my favorite song in the film is "It's You or No One".The plot itself is the kind of fluff one used to see regularly on TV episodes of The Love Boat in the late 70's and early 80's, though this one features a single storyline with multiple characters. A busy executive (Don DeFore) is worried about his wife (Janis Paige) straying on a cruise she's taking by herself such that he hires a private detective (Jack Carson) to keep tabs on her. What he doesn't know is that his wife has hired a singer (Ms. Day) to pretend to be her on the cruise such that she can stay home to see if her husband is cheating on her with his secretary (Leslie Brooks).A recognizable supporting cast that includes Oscar Levant, S. Z. Sakall, Eric Blore, Fortunio Bonanova, Franklin Pangborn, and even Grady Sutton (uncredited) makes this one fun to watch.Married three years and having yet to take a trip since their honeymoon, Mrs. Elvira Kent (Paige) is determined that the third time will be a charm. She books an extended cruise vacation for her and husband only to be disappointed yet again. Her husband Michael (DeFore), who is the top executive in her Uncle Lazlo's (Sakall) pharmaceutical company, says he can't make it yet again because of something that just came up, a potential merger. Elvira discovers that Michael had just hired a brand new secretary (Brooks) that morning, and suspects the worst regarding what's just come up. Earlier that day, while having her passport picture taken, she'd met a singer at the travel agency who always plans trips, but can't afford to go. So, she has an idea.Elvira and her uncle go to Georgia Garrett's (Day) place of work with the aforementioned proposition, which she accepts. She tells her cynical piano player Oscar (Levant), who's infatuated with her, only that she's going away on a cruise ship. When Michael realizes he can go on the cruise if Elvira will only wait 4 days, he's surprised that she's unwilling and then suspects the worst. So, he hires detective Peter Virgil (Carson) to tail his wife and see what she's up to on the ship.Of course, Peter falls for Georgia, who he thinks is his client's wife Elvira ... and the feeling is mutual. Blore plays the ship's sick doctor; Sutton appears as the ship's nosy telegraph operator. Things get more complicated when lonely, and financially dependent Oscar arrives to join the voyage. But that's only the beginning.Once the ship finally docks in Rio, Michael and Elvira, both in New York, get worried and/or suspicious enough to fly down there themselves. Lazlo, aware that Elvira is on her way, learns that Michael is about to such that he tags along; the men actually arrive first. Bonanova plays the Rio hotel's show director, Pangborn its clerk (naturally).The ending, which is predictable, takes a little too long to come about, in my opinion. Ms. Day's songs are excellent, and even Carson sings a local flavor one in Trinidad (as does Avon Long).

The name stars are Jack Carson, Janis Paige, Don deFore, Oscar Levant and Cuddles Szakall who acts for the first time with debut star Doris Day. There seems something stilted about the place as Doris shines yet seems unpolished. The movie is far from nonsense comedy which at least makes no sense scene by scene ending with something implausible tacked on yet fun along the way. There are just too many mix ups of Doris not really acting a great scene with Cuddles as she usually does as well as not liking Oscar Levant though people think she is running off with him. Don DeFore and Janis Page each think the other is cheating on them and Jack Carson as the detective who thinks he can unravel the plot can't. On the surface Hollywood gold with an award winning song yet too dated and too stilted to make its mark when viewed through the rose colored gasses of limited 1948 editing and photography.

This is Doris Day's first film appearance, and her star quality is very much in evidence; she is a startling, natural film performer. Though she varied her screen performances from time to time, she could always recall this natural, comic-based persona. She is sexy, too; I wonder, though, did her figure "improve" over the years? Ms. Day has some fine songs, especially "It's Magic". The plot is very contrived, and Day is an unconvincing selection to "play" socialite Janis Paige. I suppose, if she stayed in her room, it might have been believable? The movie is enjoyable for Day's entertaining debut, and some well-selected songs. Hey, what's up with the guy singing the "Tourist Trade" song? ****** Romance on the High Seas (1948) Michael Curtiz ~ Doris Day, Jack Carson, Janis Paige

It is hard to believe that this is Doris Day's first film. She was terrific. I have been a fan of hers since junior high, but had never seen this movie until today (8-30-2003). It is all as good as her more popular movies (Pillow Talk, That Touch of Mink, Send Me No Flowers, etc.)