Down Periscope (1996)

Lt. Cmdr. Tom Dodge is assigned as Captain to the USS Stingray, an old diesel driven submarine that has seen better days. With a crew that consists only of weird guys (and a gal), he's ... See full summary »

Director:

David S. Ward

Writers:

Hugh Wilson (story), Hugh Wilson (screenplay),

Stars:

Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kelsey Grammer	...	Lt. Cmdr. Thomas 'Tom' Dodge
Lauren Holly	...	Lt. Emily Lake, Diving Officer
Rob Schneider	...	Executive Officer Martin T. 'Marty' Pascal
Harry Dean Stanton	...	CPO Howard, Chief Engineer
Bruce Dern	...	RAdm. Yancy Graham
William H. Macy	...	Cmdr. Carl Knox (Orlando)
Ken Hudson Campbell	...	Seaman Buckman
Toby Huss	...	Seaman Nitro 'Mike'
Duane Martin	...	Planesman 1st Class Jefferson 'R.J.' Jackson
Jonathan Penner	...	Seaman Stanley 'Spots' Sylvesterson
Bradford Tatum	...	Engineman 1st Class Brad Stepanak (Winslow)
Harland Williams	...	Seaman 2nd Class E.T. 'Sonar' Lovacelli
Rip Torn	...	Vice Adm. Dean Winslow
James Martin Jr.	...	Orlando Radioman
Jordan Marder	...	Orlando Ensign

Storyline

Lt. Cmdr. Tom Dodge is assigned as Captain to the USS Stingray, an old diesel driven submarine that has seen better days. With a crew that consists only of weird guys (and a gal), he's headed against the atomic powered USS Orlando, with the mission to destroy a dummy battleship.

---

Plot Keywords:

submarine | navy | war game | torpedo | box office flop | 

---

Taglines:

A rusty sub. A rebel commander. A renegade crew. When destiny called, they should have hung up.

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some crude language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Touche pas à mon periscope

Filming Locations:

Alameda Naval Air Station, Alameda, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$25,800,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the very end of the movie, when the U.S.S. Stingray is tied up to the pier and the crew is marching off, a white-hulled vessel is visible in the background. This vessel is a 95 foot retired Cape-class U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (U.S.C.G.C. Cape Romain), which was at the time operated by Sea Scout Ship 17 (youth program similar to Boy Scouts), based out of San Mateo, CA. The ship was requested to be on-location at a pier in San Francisco (most of the harbor footage was shot in the Bay Area; the mothball fleet depicted early in the movie really exists and is near Benicia, CA) to make it appear more like a military base. The Cape Romain is currently operated by Sea Scout Ship 51 (S.S.S. Intrepid), based out of Palo Alto, CA.

---

Goofs

In the opening scene when Captain Knox gets up out of his chair to congratulate Dodge on his promotion, Dodge is clearly seen folding up his orders to shake Knox's hand. As he turns to walk out of the Captain's cabin, the orders are unfolded in his hand again.

---

Quotes

Lt. Comd. Dodge, Stepanek, "Sonar" Lovacelli, Planesman 1st Class Jefferson 'R.J.' Jackson, Seaman Buckman, Seaman Stanley 'Spots' Sylvesterson, Seaman Nitro 'Mike': [singing] It's a short little walk bound for eternity/ Yo-ho and blow the man down.
Seaman Nitro 'Mike': [Sinatraish] Blow that nutso kooky punk back downtown!

---

Crazy Credits

As the credits begins to roll, The Village People and several cast members start singing "In The Navy."

---

Connections

Edited into Stealth Fighter (1999)

---

Soundtracks

"Louie Louie"
Written by Richard Berry

User Reviews

A very funny and relaxing movie

Being an ex-submariner on both diesel and nuc boats, I wasn't looking for a true to life Navy movie. I have enjoyed Down Periscope over and over again. Sure, some if not most of the realism of life on a submarine is skimmed over, but this adds to the appeal by creating a simplistic story line that is easy and fun to follow. I swear I knew most of the crew of the Stingray. The excellent cast made for an even more enjoyable movie. I don't want to get into specifics about little things that may not have been correct because that would only serve to detract from what I feel is an excellent movie to enjoy for its entertainment. So sit back, relax and "Let's kick this pig"