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I have complex feelings about Follow The Fleet. From my initial burst of Fred & Ginger films, it struck me as the most inessential, and from a certain perspective that's true. Plot-wise, there's not much compelling to drive the central romances at stake here. Further, I'd even argue that the script and sequence of events is so muddled here that neither core relationship registers an emotional beat.

But then, this is perhaps the most ungraceful way to evaluate Follow The Fleet. In its proper context, this was a blockbuster film released at the zenith of the central pair's popularity. Audiences were already familiar with the pair, and eager for more in any context. It's at this point, like any star headliner, that the limits of what people would accept could be tested.

Fred Astaire as a... soldier? Sure! And this time, Ginger is an aspiring singer who already knows him, but they didn't work out before, and they have to find their groove back? Sounds like a transparent twist to keep the formula from getting stale, but yeah, let's go with it!

And if you do go with it - like, truly let yourself 'follow the fleet' and don't get caught on such minutiae as pacing or good storytelling - then you'll find it's not a bad little picture when all is said and done. It's sold, of course, by Fred & Ginger, whose established rapport and chemistry here is rock-solid. But impressive, too, is Randolph Scott on loan from Paramount. Scott brings a boyish and bisexual machismo to his role that makes him compelling to watch, charming and puckish without ever coming across as emasculated.

Less compelling is Harriet Hilliard, who I just found to be a tremendous drain on the film overall. She's fine enough in ensemble scenes, but her solo number sag the film and, frankly, I think it's a questionable decision to give her two songs but only give Ginger one solo track that isn't even plot relevant. Lucille Ball is here for fits and starts, and she's a tremendous talent that I would've liked to see more use of. Hilliard isn't a bad actress, but she gives a flat and reserved performance in a film full of big characters. It's a bad match.

Of course, the bigger sequences save the overall production. 'Let's Face The Music And Dance' is one of the absolute best pairings of the two, bar none. Astaire's lead-in is pantomimed greatness, and the crescendo of silence that ends as Ginger's character is about to 'leap' from an on-stage bridge is brilliance. After the singing portion, the duo's final dance is smoldering, with an extravagant bead dress thrashing and twirling as Ginger locks steps with Fred. It's mesmerizing.

A lesser offering in a modern blockbuster run can be catastrophic. This is because the standards are, across the board, lower. Less is expected of actors, less money is spent on costuming and sets, and increasing control is either given to ego-tripped auteurs or corporate boardroom types. But Follow The Fleet, even as a lesser picture, is a more compelling and interesting film than most 'good' big-budget tentpoles by virtue of the raw talent and charisma on display. Truly, they do not make 'em like they used to.