The plot for this film is a bit odd...but funny. W.C. Fields plays two roles--two identical twins who own a cruise line. One is a crafty businessman and the other a guy who always seems to have things around him fall apart. The smart brother arranges to have the dopey jinx ride aboard the Colossal because it's own by a rival company and he hopes some disaster will befall the ship--especially since one of their ships, the Gigantic, is racing to Europe with the Colossal. Unfortunately, the dopey brother lands on the wrong ship--the one owned by him and his brother. Due to his actions, the ship seems destined to lose! Things appear to get worse when the ship picks up some shipwrecked people--as one is the jinxed brother's daughter (Martha Raye) who is even more of a walking disaster area than her father! In addition to the main plot, there are a variety subplots involving various people aboard the boat as well as quite a few acts that play aboard the boat to entertain the guests. It comes off like a short movie padded with a variety show. One of the most prominently featured is Bob Hope (in his first full-length film) as the emcee of the bizarre variety show that seems to always be taking place through the cruise. There's a lot more to the film--including a couple romances for Hope (including one with Dorothy Lamour) and a bizarre golf game with Fields that is rather reminiscent of his short "The Golf Specialist" and "International House" (in regard to how he leaves the game and arrives at the boat). Overall, there are so many disparate plot elements and TONS of singing that the film seems like a weird melange that doesn't always work. It has lots of nice moments (mostly with Fields) but many more that fall flat (most of the musical numbers are, at best, adequate and a few of Fields' antics are a bit tiresome).
For lovers of Fields or Hope, their appearances are a bit diluted by the crazy patchwork style of the film. While the film IS interesting, it's not especially good and is best described as a time-passer. Hope, Fields and the rest clearly have done better films than this one, though it isn't particularly bad, either.
For lovers of Fields or Hope, their appearances are a bit diluted by the crazy patchwork style of the film. While the film IS interesting, it's not especially good and is best described as a time-passer. Hope, Fields and the rest clearly have done better films than this one, though it isn't particularly bad, either.