Here Comes the Navy (1934)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

Earl Baldwin (screenplay) &
Ben Markson (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 July 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

THE HIT! THE STARS! THE FLEET! All America Wants To See Again! (reissue poster)

Plot:

A cocky guy joins the Navy for the wrong reason but finds romance and twice is cited for heroism.

Plot Keywords:

Uss Arizona | Grudge | Battleship | Sister | Cigar

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

James Cagney	...	Chesty O'Conner
Pat O'Brien	...	Biff Martin
Gloria Stuart	...	Dorothy Martin
Frank McHugh	...	Droopy Mullins
Dorothy Tree	...	Gladys
Robert Barrat	...	Commander Denny
Willard Robertson	...	Executive Officer
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Dance-floor Manager (as Guinn Williams)
Howard C. Hickman	...	Captain (as Howard Hickman)
Maude Eburne	...	Droopy's Mother
George Irving	...	Admiral

Also Known As:

Hey, Sailor! (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #74) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Leo White in the role as "Professor" is in studio records/casting call lists as a cast member, but he did not appear or was not identifiable in the movie.

Quotes:

Wilbur 'Droopy' H. Mullins: [Droopy waves, then blows a kiss to his buddy, Chesty, who's leaving the ship for a new post.]
CPO: [Backs away from Droopy] What are you two guys, a couplea violets?
Wilbur 'Droopy' H. Mullins: Aw, mind your own business.
[Blows Chesty another kiss]

Movie Connections:

Featured in James Cagney: Top of the World (1992) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Colors

an absolute must for historians

This review is so glowing because this film is one of the most important films, historically speaking, I have ever seen. While it is yet another Jimmy Cagney film in many ways, it shocked me when I saw that the film was set aboard the USS Arizona--the famous ship that was completely destroyed with most of its crew at Pearl Harbor just a few years later. Seeing Cagney and crew walking about this doomed ship is a rare opportunity to see the ship that still rests at the bottom of Pearl.

Later, to my utter amazement, the USS Macon (one of the US Navy's dirigibles) makes an appearance as well! This huge airship was to be destroyed in a storm only a year later, and once again the real ship was used in parts of the film. This is once again an amazing opportunity to see the ship.

So, combining the two rare opportunities with a pretty decent Cagney film gives you a film well-worth seeing. For those who don't care about the historical aspects of the film, I give it a 7--it's still pretty good and worth a look.