The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell (1968)

During WW2, Sgt. O'Farrell's Pacific unit is demoralized when a Japanese submarine torpedoes an American supply ship containing beer.

Director:

Frank Tashlin

Writers:

Robert M. Fresco (story), John L. Greene (story)

Stars:

Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, Jeffrey Hunter

Cast

Cast overview:
Bob Hope	...	Sgt. Dan O'Farrell
Phyllis Diller	...	Nurse Nellie Krause
Jeffrey Hunter	...	Lt. (j.g.) Lyman P. Jones
Mylène Demongeot	...	Gabby
Gina Lollobrigida	...	Maria (as Miss Gina Lollobrigida)
John Myhers	...	Lt. Cmdr. Roger Snavely
Mako	...	Calvin Coolidge Ishimura
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Rear Adm. Arthur L. Stokes
Dick Sargent	...	Capt. Elwood Prohaska
Christopher Dark	...	Pvt. George Strongbow
Michael Burns	...	Pvt. Johnny Bannon
William Wellman Jr.	...	Cpl. Kennedy
Robert Donner	...	Marine Pvt. Ogg
Jack Grinnage	...	Pvt. Roberts
William Christopher	...	Pvt. Jake Schultz

Storyline

Sgt. O'Farrell an Army soldier on an island in the South Pacific during World War II is trying to bring the two basics of life to his fellow servicemen, women and beer. The supply ship carrying the beer is torpedoed and the contingent of nurses consists of six males and ugly nurse Nellie Krause. If he could at least try to salvage the shipment of beer.

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Plot Keywords:

nurse | supply ship | salvage | south pacific | island | 

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Taglines:

War is Heck! Hic Hic Hooray!

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Genres:

Comedy | War

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 May 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Operación cerveza

Filming Locations:

Puerto Rico

Company Credits

Production Co:

John Beck-Naho Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Glen Glenn Sound)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When O'Farrell says they have to follow the Southern Cross to the beer, the shot of the night sky does not show this constellation at all.

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Quotes

Lt. Lyman P. Jones: Sorry, I bit your hand but I was dreaming about Nurse Krause, again.
Sgt. Dan O'Farrell: Yeah, those reruns are murder.

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Connections

Spoofs From Here to Eternity (1953)

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Soundtracks

So Long, My Darling
(uncredited)
[played over the end credits]

User Reviews

Capturing a ship of Hope

By the time Bob Hope got to making The Private Navy of Sgt O'Farrell the comedy well was running a bit dry. Thiw was material that he could have done 20 years before, during the post World War II period.

Somebody must have gotten an idea for this film noticing that in McHale's Navy, Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway and the gang had their own personal Japanese prisoner. So a whole film was built around a leftover Japanese soldier on the backwater island that Hope is stationed on. Hope has his own Ensign Parker in Jeffrey Hunter and his own Captain Binghamton in John Myhers.

We've got both Army and Navy personnel here though the Navy seems to be in charge. John Myhers is no Joe Flynn with that officious monotone as Captain Binghamton. And no one would ever say that Jeffrey Hunter had Tim Conway's gift for comedy.

And Hope looks every bit of the 65 years he had under his belt when this film was made. He ought to have been stateside collecting those first Social Security checks issued.

Mako does well as Calvin Coolidge Ishimura an American Japanese who had the misfortune to be visiting relatives in the old country at the time of Pearl Harbor. And Phyllis Diller as the man starved nurse Krauss earns a few laughs.

The film is about Hope's pursuit of a sunken supply ship that was loaded with beer. From what I remember of the army it probably would have been near beer which was all an enlisted man could get on Fort Polk, so I didn't see what the fuss was about. Frank Tashlin the director clearly ripped this one off from the classic British comedy Whiskey Galore.

Joke kind of fell flat as the beer probably was.