Sorry, this movie sucks

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Captivating movie !

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

I was really excited to see To the Shores of Tripoli. John Payne in a uniform, Randolph Scott as the hard-as-nails sergeant, and Maureen O'Hara in the middle of a love triangle-what could go wrong? Well, only part of my assumptions going in proved to be correct. To make sure he wouldn't be in contention to get the girl, they grayed up Randy's hair. Still, he's infinitely nicer, more responsible, and has more in common with Maureen, so why would a little gray hair get between them? It doesn't make any sense why she doesn't look twice at him, or why he isn't given his own love interest.John Payne, although incredibly handsome, plays a first-class jerk in this movie. He's mean, manipulative, and doesn't have any respect for the Marines, Maureen, or her status as a lieutenant in the nurses' division. For example, in order to spend time with her, he pretends to get hit by a car-by slamming his hand down on the car and then falling to the ground-so he can spend all night in the hospital. He's incredibly selfish, and didn't care that he would worry and traumatize the driver, or that he was shirking his military duty, or that he was using valuable resources that could have been used on a truly wounded man. I didn't think his gesture was romantic, and I wasn't rooting for him.I didn't really like this movie, and the next time I'm in the mood to see John and Maureen together, I'll pop in Sentimental Journey. Still, it wasn't an entire loss. Randy looked really good with gray hair, a uniform, and a stern expression.

To the Shores of Tripoli is the kind of movie that I generally don't care for. The title may conjure images of Marines fighting and dying on some foreign shore, but you won't find that here. Instead you'll find a flag-waving recruitment film that makes Marine basic training look like a trip to summer camp. The movie makes it seem that the entire eight week training is made up of little more than marching and doing drills in a parking lot. And when these guys aren't in the parking lot, they're pulling pranks and wooing nurses they've been told to leave alone. Abbott and Costello's Buck Privates has more in the way of military realism than To the Shores of Tripoli.Yet despite all its shortcomings, forced patriotism, and light as air plot, I enjoyed To the Shores of Tripoli. I was somehow able to put my brain on hold and go along for the ride. It's harmless, good-natured fun. Most of my enjoyment probably comes from the three main leads. John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, and Randolph Scott do a solid job with what they're given to work with. Much of the comedy works, particularly the hospital scene where Payne fakes an injury to be near O'Hara. And, To the Shores of Tripoli has an innocence to it that you don't find in movies anymore that I find appealing.

After watching this movie, I now know where the "Officer and a Gentleman" screen writers probably got their idea for the character Sgt. Foley. Randolph Scott was the Sgt. Foley of the 1940s. This movie was made during World War Two, but it spares us the jingoistic propaganda associated with most war movies of that era and offers interesting and likable characters, especially Maureen O'Hara as a Navy nurse and John Payne as the recruit. While watching this movie I thought of Richard Gere and how he would have fit in well in this movie. The similarities between this movie and "Officer" must be more than just coincidental. "Officer" was more intense but this movie did not need to rely on such theatrics to maintain audience interest because the star of this movie was the USMC itself.

"To the Shores of Tripoli" is light drama/comedy about new Marine recruits going through boot camp in the 1940's. This movie is made to look like a Twentieth Century Fox musical. There is too much color in the movie. It makes the story look less real. The colors are too bold and bright. You don't see any war scenes, just training scenes. Of course, there is a spoiled, rich Marine recruit (John Payne) in love with two women (Maureen O'Hara and Nancy Kelly), who wants to get out of the Marine Corp. Randolph Scott, who plays the drill sergeant, has the best role in the movie. He trains the recruits and tries to convince John Payne to stay in the Marine Corp. This is a terrific recruiting movie. It is fun to watch. A bit of trivia: both actors have worked with both actresses several times. John Payne made five movies with Maureen O'Hara,and Randolph Scott made three movies with Nancy Kelly. The supporting cast is full of recognizable faces of the 1940's. Only Harry Morgan is known by name because of his fame from television.