You're in the Navy Now
You're in the Navy Now | |
---|---|
20th Century Fox | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $1.6 million (US rentals)[1][2] |
You're in the Navy Now is a 1951 American
Filmed in black-and-white aboard the active Navy patrol craft PC-1168, You're in the Navy Now featured the film debuts of Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin and Harvey Lembeck in minor roles as crewmen. Screenwriter Richard Murphy was nominated by the Writers Guild of America for "Best Written American Comedy", basing his script on an article written by John W. Hazard in The New Yorker. Hazard, a professional journalist and naval reservist, had served during World War II as executive officer of the PC-452, a similar craft that served in 1943–44 as a test bed for steam turbine propulsion.
Plot
At
The crew of the
After badly damaging the
The officers hit upon a scheme to enter a crewman in the base boxing championship to unite the crew. They train an engine room sailor, Wascylewski, to represent the ship. The crew bets heavily on their shipmate, and to ensure that the "Teakettle" does not fail a sea trial scheduled for the day of the fight, smuggles distilled water aboard. Wascylewski breaks his ribs during the sea trial, forcing Barbo to stand in, but surprisingly he wins the championship.
The film climaxes with the Official Sea Trial of the "Teakettle" in which the crew improvises a successful run. Even so, the trial ends in humiliation for the crew when the ship rams an aircraft carrier — again. At the board of inquiry that follows, Admiral Tennant reveals to Harkness that the selection of his crew was no fluke. The Navy already knew that experts could run the system; it needed to see if novice sailors, who made up the overwhelming percentage of the wartime Navy, could quickly learn to operate it.
As a reward for the trials and tribulations of the USS "Teakettle," to the delight of Chief Larrabee and the relief of Captain Harkness, the experimental steam power plant is replaced with a marine diesel. The PC-1168 is then assigned to convoy escort duty in the North Atlantic.
Cast
- Gary Cooper – Lieutenant John Harkness
- Jane Greer – Ensign Ellie Harkness
- Millard Mitchell – Chief George Larrabee
- Eddie Albert – Lieutenant (j.g.) Bill Barron
- John McIntire – Commander W.R. Reynolds
- Ray Collins – Rear Admiral L.E. Tennant
- Jack Webb – Ensign Tony Barbo
- Richard Erdman – Ensign Chuck Dorrance
- Charles Bronson – Wascylewski [Waszylewski?]
- Harry von Zell – Captain Danny Eliot
- Ed Begley – Port commander
- Harvey Lembeck – Seaman Norelli
- Lee Marvin – signalman
- Jack Warden – Helmsman Morris
- Henry Slate – Engineer Ryan
Production
Development
The screenplay was based on the article "The Flying Teakettle" by John W. Hazard, printed in the January 21, 1950 issue of The New Yorker. This humorous piece recounted incidents from Hazard's own World War II experience as captain of a diesel-powered warship. Though both Hazard and his crew had little experience at sea, they were selected to participate in a Navy experimental program that ultimately ended in failure.[3]
Upon purchasing the rights, 20th Century Fox changed the title to U.S.S. Teakettle. Though neither director Henry Hathaway nor screenwriter Richard Murphy was adept at comedy, the studio relied on the "potential absurdities" of the storyline about inexperienced reservists "guiding an unreliable vessel through treacherous waters" to carry the film.[3]
Casting
Studio contract player William Lundigan was initially considered for the lead role of Lieutenant John Harkness. When the budget was increased to include location filming at U.S. Navy yards in Virginia, the studio hired Gary Cooper to increase the audience appeal and bankability of the project.[3] The film marked Cooper's first starring role for 20th Century Fox, which had hired him as an extra in the 1925 silent film The Lucky Horseshoe. Joanne Dru was the studio's first choice for the character of Ensign Ellie Harkness, but when she declined to sign a long-term contract, Jane Greer was cast instead.[4]
The film marked the screen debuts of Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, and Harvey Lembeck, and the second film appearance of Jack Warden.[4]
Filming
You're in the Navy Now was filmed in black-and-white in 1950 on location in
Release
U.S.S. Teakettle premiered at the Roxy Theater in New York City on February 23, 1951.[5] 20th Century Fox launched a nationwide promotional tour featuring Cooper, who also agreed to appear in the film's trailer.[4]
Reception
Critical reviews
The film received positive reviews from critics.
Box office and re-titling
Despite glowing reviews, the film did not attract audiences. Rather than re-edit and re-release the film, 20th Century Fox gave it a new title, You're in the Navy Now, in March 1951[5] and continued its run.[4] With the new title, the film fared slightly better at the box office.[4] It eventually lodged a net loss of $122,000.[5]
Modern reviews
Modern reviews are less complimentary. Craig Butler of AllMovie calls You're in the Navy Now "a disappointing naval comedy that seems to have played much better when it was originally released. ... Seen today, it's labored and frequently boring". Butler critiques Hathaway's direction as "workmanlike and uninspired", and Cooper's "attempts at comedy are too often forced".[8] Erickson agrees: "Viewed today, You're in the Navy Now doesn't seem quite as funny as many observers thought it was in 1951, hampered by the cut-and-dried 'factory' look common to most 20th Century Fox releases of the era".[9]
Lawsuit
Arthur Curtis, author of the 1944 novel Hey, Mac! You're in the Navy Now, sued 20th Century Fox for $100,000 in March 1953, claiming the film title infringed on his book's title. The case was decided in the studio's favor by a California superior court in July 1953; a California District Court of Appeals upheld the lower court's decision in April 1956.[5]
See also
- You're in the Army Now, a 1941 comedy film
References
- ^ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1951', Variety, January 2, 1952
- ^ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century-Fox: A Corporate and Financial History Rowman & Littlefield, 2002 p 224
- ^ a b c Erickson 2012, p. 199.
- ^ a b c d e f Erickson 2012, p. 200.
- ^ a b c d e "You're in the Navy Now". American Film Institute. 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
- ^ "U.S.S. Teakettle". Variety. December 31, 1950. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (February 24, 1951). "'U.S.S. Teakettle,' Fox Comedy About Navy Men Starring Gary Cooper, at Roxy". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
- ^ "You're in the Navy Now (1951)". AllMovie. 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
- ^ Erickson 2012, pp. 200–1.
Sources
- Erickson, Hal (2012). Military Comedy Films: A Critical Survey and Filmography of Hollywood Releases Since 1918. McFarland. ISBN 9780786462902.
External links
- You're in the Navy Now at IMDb
- You're in the Navy Now at the TCM Movie Database