Don't Give Up the Ship (1959)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Herbert Baker (writer)
Edmund Beloin (writer)

Release Date:

3 July 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Wedding night or not...Jerry's gotta find his "mislaid" ship!

Plot:

John Paul Steckler was the Junior Officer aboard a destroyer when WWII ended. He gets stuck with the...

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

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

According to first hand reports, Jerry Lewis gave the crew of the USS Vammen an expensive "Hi-fi" set for their participation in the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: 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.

Movie Connections:

References The Caine Mutiny (1954)

The Quest For The Kormblatt

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.