USS VD: Ship of Shame (1942) User Reviews

A Paramount Picture

[sbibb1 · 3/10 · 17 April 2005]

This film was made by Paramount Pictures during the war for the U.S. Navy. The biggest star in the film is Keefe Braselle, who never was a major star. The film has nice sets and was a bigger budget production for a war training film.

Basically the Navy ship is going into port for a few days of leave and the sailors all wind up getting a venereal disease, all of which could have been prevented had they listened to the ships doctor, or used protection. There is a great deal of nudity in this film, which was never made to be seen by anyone but those in the Navy. It is a gem, especially when you realize that a major movie studio helped to put this film out.

Watch at your own risk!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 8 May 2010]

"Don't forget...put it on before you put it in." So is the the message of this film made for the US Navy! This is one of those films meant to warn soldiers about the dangers of VD as well as how to avoid it by using the doctor's advice and a little bit of common sense. Seen today, some of this is still a bit shocking--after all, the film is pretty blunt and it's difficult to imagine our parent, grandparents and great-grandparents doing THAT back then! Well, interestingly enough, the outbreak of sexually transmitted diseases among WWI troops was so widespread that Hollywood helped out with the war effort by making this film--and as a result, STD rates were lower during the Second World War.

Now this is NOT a film for the squeamish, as it is very explicit and shows some amazingly disgusting images--such as a close up of a guy's penis with a discharge of pus due to Gonorrhea as well as open sores--yuck!! And, despite being a Hollywood-produced film, the language is very blunt--but they knew when they made movies like these that they were not for general consumption. Soldiers probably would not have been shocked with all the cursing. Frankly, this film is still pretty timely when seen today--and I think teens would probably benefit from seeing it as they could probably use a gold old fashion shock to their belief that "it can't happen to me"! Overall, actually a very good film considering what it is--and despite its heavy-handed narration.

My only complaint about the film is that they didn't say where the sailors all went on this shore leave--it must have been one horribly filthy town since almost EVERYONE on board came down D at the same time!! I sure don't want to visit THAT place! Surely this is one evil city!! Because the film is high on the yuck factor, remember this before you watch this one--though the information is essentially correct.

Should have been an MST3K feature

[OldPhatMC · 7/10 · 5 April 2003]

This is a wonderfully lame film complete with infected genitals (all male) and Raymond Massey as a distraught Executive Officer. I saw this for the first time on a Navy ship while in-port. When I told the Corpsman that I thought the film was great, he said, "it figures you would".

Cliched, melodramatic, overwrought acting. Every cornball cliche of WW II films is included, and there is truly nothing funnier than sailors referring to women that put out as "swell gals".

VD runs rampant. Sailors pass out, lose their vision, scream in pain, and display chancres and pustules that are guarenteed to make you reach for a condom.

Special highlight: There's a visit from the Health Department to a young lady that results in frustration because the nurse gives a dire warning to see a doctor, but will not tell the young lady why.

Not just one ship often times the entire Fleet.

[yenlo · 12 September 2000]

Another hilariously outdated educational film this time geared towards and for the members of Uncle Sams Canoe Club. It may have come across in 1942 as scary but by todays standards this could almost play as a lost episode of Mchales Navy. Actually there are many periods in the history of the U.S. Navy that a film of this type could have been titled "USS VD FLEET of SHAME" especially when the U.S. Navy made regular port visits to Subic Bay in the P.I. Today the stakes are a little higher when it comes to U.S. Naval personnel contracting an STD. It now involves something called AIDS.