Summary
Flagwaving story of a new American destroyer, the JOHN PAUL JONES, from the day her keel is laid, to what was very nearly her last voyage. Among the crew, is Steve Boleslavski, a shipyard welder that helped build her, who reenlists, with his old rank of Chief bosuns mate. After failing her sea trials, she is assigned to the mail run, until caught up in a disparate battle with a Japanese sub. After getting torpedoed, and on the verge of sinking, the Captain, and crew hatch a plan to try and save the ship, and destroy the sub.
Cast
Edward G. Robinson
Steven 'Boley' Boleslavski
Glenn Ford
Mickey Donohue
Edgar Buchanan
Kansas Jackson
Marguerite Chapman
Mary Boleslavski
Regis Toomey
Lt. Cmdr. Clark
Warren Ashe
Lt. Bert Marton
Leo Gorcey
Seaman Sarecky
Edward Brophy
Engineer Casey
Eddy Waller
Marty, a riveter
Roger Clark
Chief Engineer
Curt Bois
Swab with large nose
Kenneth MacDonald
Admiral (Clark's CO)
Charles D. Brown
Doctor, finding Boley unfit for further sea duty
Cliff Clark
Commandant
Richard Loo
Japanese Submarine Commander
Benson Fong
Japanese Sonar Man
Lloyd Bridges
2nd Fireman (uncredited)
Tris Coffin
Doctor #1 (uncredited)
Bud Geary
2nd Ship Fitter (uncredited)
Eddie Hall
Austin (uncredited)
Charles McGraw
Assistant Chief Engineer (uncredited)
Milburn Stone
Radioman (uncredited)
Dennis Moore
Communications Officer (uncredited)
Larry Parks
Ens. Johnson (uncredited)
Shirley Patterson
Bigbee's Girl (uncredited)
Gene Rizzi
Survivor (uncredited)
Frank Beckford
Yeoman
Dean Benton
Moore
Lynton Brent
Doctor
Roy Brent
Sailor
Stanley Brown
Marine / Fireman
George Bruggeman
Cook
Alma Carroll
Sailor's Girl Friend
Eddy Chandler
Chief Gunner's Mate
Edmund Cobb
1st Workman
Eddie Coke
Storekeeper
Eleanor Counts
Sarecky's Girl
Roy Darmour
Pharmacist's Mate
Eddie Dew
Survivor
Lester Dorr
1st Ship Fitter
John Estes
Helmsman
Jerry Franks Jr.
Pharmacist's Mate / Bridge Talker
Jack Gardner
Sailor
Lloyd Hanson
Collins
Al Hill
Knife-Eating Sailor
David Holt
Sobbing Sailor
Bobby Jordan
Sobbing Sailor
David S. Horsley
Thomas
Mauritz Hugo
Survivor
Stephen Keyes
Seaman Guard
George Magrill
Marine
Don McGill
Survivor
Robert McKenzie
Justice of the Peace
David McKim
Signalman
Frank Melton
Doctor
John Merton
Chief Quartermaster
Gertrude Messinger
Girl
Bob Milton
J.V. Talker
Pat O'Malley
Postman
Paul Perry
Doctor
Don Peters
Helmsman
Neil Reagan
Lt. J.C. Randolph
Mickey Rentschler
J.V. Talker
Addison Richards
Ship Building Foreman
Ronald R. Rondell
Survivor
Clark Ross
Pharmacist's Mate
Virginia Sale
Kansas' Dance Partner
Charles Sherlock
Chief Machinist's Mate
George Sherwood
Workman
Mel Shubert
James
John Tyrrell
Marine
Dale Van Sickel
Sailor
Dorothy Vernon
Justice of the Peace's Wife
Pierre Watkin
Admiral
Frank Wayne
Pharmacist's Mate
Craig Woods
Bigbee
Billy Young
Storekeeper
Crew
Director
William A. Seiter
Screenplay
Lewis Meltzer
Screenplay
Borden Chase
Screenplay, Story
Frank Wead
Reviews
Geronimo1967
April 4, 2022
6
It's really just a bit of wartime propaganda this - extolling the sterling efforts of the US Navy destroyer. From the build, through it's launch and maritime trials, this film follows "Boley" (Edward G. Robinson) who served on the last "USS John Paul Jones" and is determined to serve on this one. That determination causes upset with the younger "Donohue" (Glenn Ford) who is bumped of that gig - and the two men just don't get along. "Donohue" takes up with the older man's daughter "Mary" (Marguerite Chapman) and that just adds to their tensions. At sea - where this film spends nowhere near enough time - the ship has more than a few teething problems and the crew start to think more of "Boley" as a Jonah. Of course, it can't end that way - we know that the first half hour is merely a preamble to some rousing sea action from their beleaguered vessel. Were it to have been more of an adventure film, then I would probably have enjoyed it better, but it's really not much of anything. Ford doesn't impose himself at all, and though Robinson has a pugnacity to his character, the message just sort of gets lost in the weakly directed and written delivery. Fair-to-middling.
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00
