Don't Give Up the Ship (1959)

John Paul Steckler was the Junior Officer aboard a destroyer when WWII ended. He gets stuck with the job of sailing the ship to the states to be decommissioned. Now years latter, no one ... See full summary »

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Herbert Baker (screenplay), Edmund Beloin (screenplay),

Stars:

Jerry Lewis, Dina Merrill, Diana Spencer

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jerry Lewis	...	John Paul Steckler I / John Paul Steckler IV / John Paul Steckler VII
Dina Merrill	...	Ens. Rita J. Benson
Diana Spencer	...	Prudence Trabert Steckler
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Stan Wychinski
Robert Middleton	...	Vice Adm. Philo Tecumseh Bludde
Gale Gordon	...	Congressman Mandeville
Mabel Albertson	...	Mrs. Trabert
Claude Akins	...	Lt. Cmdr. Farber
Hugh Sanders	...	Adm. Rogers
Richard Shannon	...	Cmdr. Cross
Chuck Wassil	...	Cmdr. Craig

Storyline

John Paul Steckler was the Junior Officer aboard a destroyer when WWII ended. He gets stuck with the job of sailing the ship to the states to be decommissioned. Now years latter, no one knows where the ship is. He has a choice. Find the ship, or pay for it, Now! If only Prudence, to whom he just got married, could understand why he isn't there for his Honeymoon.

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Taglines:

Officer and gentleman by Act of Congress -- man, somebody goofed!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 July 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Keiner verläßt das Schiff

Filming Locations:

United States Capitol - 545 Seventh Street SE, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Wallis Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The US Navy made use of the time ship and crew were filming Don't Give Up the Ship by conducting training maneuvers cruising through Western and Central Carolines, the Bonins, the northern Marianas, and the Volcano islands, parts of the Trust Territor of the Pacific Islands administered by the Navy.

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Goofs

Ensign Steckler and Chief Wychinski go to explore an island after their ship has run aground. While exploring the island, a background shot of the ship shows it rolling in the sea swells.

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Quotes

Prudence Trabert Steckler: John, how COULD you!
John Paul Steckler VII: It wasn't easy!

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Connections

References The Caine Mutiny (1954)

User Reviews

The Quest For The Kornblatt

The destroyer USS Kornblatt has been missing since World War II and Congressman Gale Gordon wants to know where it is. It's several million dollars worth of taxpayer's money from Uncle Sam. The last guy in charge was a career Navy man who since World War II has risen from Ensign to Lieutenant John Paul Steckler VII played in every generation by Jerry Lewis.

Don't Give Up The Ship deals precisely with a guy who apparently did just that and can't find it now. In a brief prologue to the film we see how Jerry playing several members of his family served their country in a kind of homage to Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts and Coronets. Despite a Steckler serving in the Navy for seven generations, the USA still became a superpower.

As VJ Day was celebrated the USS Kornblatt was given orders to sail to San Diego and be decommissioned. Every other officer had enough points for discharge so command devolved on Jerry Lewis. The Kornblatt stopped at an island where Lewis was captured by some Japanese soldiers left there who weren't told the war was over. His men left him there, thinking he was killed. That was the last he saw of his ship.

With this renewed interest in the Kornblatt and Navy appropriations on the line, Admiral Robert Middleton has given Lewis a special assignment to find his lost destroyer. Aiding him is Ensign Dina Merrill from Naval Intelligence.

On top of everything else Jerry's planning to get married to Diana Spencer and the wedding has to be postponed. Diana's not understanding her beloved working in close quarters with Merrill. Romantic complications are the last thing Jerry needs.

I think Don't Give Up The Ship was one of Jerry Lewis's funniest solo films since breaking up with Dino. It's got a lot of good physical comedy that Lewis excelled at and many opportunities to overact outrageously and with gusto.

It's a must for Jerry Lewis fans.