Destroyer (1943 film)
Encyclopedia
Destroyer is a 1943
war film starring Edward G. Robinson
and Glenn Ford
as U.S. Navy sailors in World War II
.
. When he finds out that an old shipmate, Lieutenant Commander Clark (Regis Toomey
), is the ship's new captain, he wrangles a berth as the chief bosun's mate.
However, Boley soon alienates the rest of the crew with his arrogance and strictness, particularly Mickey Donohue (Glenn Ford). Boley does not bother to study up on the machinery, since he mistakenly believes nothing has changed much since the last war. As a result, the crew performs poorly on the ship's sea trials. Boley is demoted for incompetence and Donohue takes over. To further complicate matters, Donohue and Boley's daughter Mary (Marguerite Chapman
) fall in love.
Because of its poor showing, the Jones is assigned to carry mail. The disgruntled crewmen apply for transfers to fighting ships, but Boley talks them out of it with a stirring account of John Paul Jones
' epic Revolutionary War
battle with the HMS Serapis
.
When a Japanese fleet is spotted trying to bring reinforcements to their foothold in the American Aleutian Islands, the crew of the Jones eagerly answers the general order to converge on the enemy, but is contemptuously ordered to stay out of the fight and sail to Sitka with the mail. Then, the Jones beats off an attack by six airplanes, downing all of them, but suffering several hits, including a gaping hole in the side. When a hostile submarine is detected, the crippled ship has to flee at its best speed. It manages to evade attack until night falls, but the rising water extinguishes the boilers, stopping the engines. The captain has no choice but to give the order to abandon ship. Boley pleads for a chance to stay aboard with a few volunteers, including Donohue, to try to effect repairs; Clark agrees. Boley succeeds in patching the hole just in time. At dawn, the destroyer drops depth charges, forcing the submarine to the surface, then rams and sinks it.
When the ship docks to much fanfare, Boley learns that Donohue has married his daughter.
1943 in film
The year 1943 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 3 - 1st missing persons telecast * February 20 - American film studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor films....
war film starring Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
and Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades...
as U.S. Navy sailors in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Plot
Steve "Boley" Boleslavski (Edward G. Robinson) helps build the destroyer John Paul Jones, the namesake of the ship he served on in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. When he finds out that an old shipmate, Lieutenant Commander Clark (Regis Toomey
Regis Toomey
John Regis Toomey was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey and attended Peabody High School...
), is the ship's new captain, he wrangles a berth as the chief bosun's mate.
However, Boley soon alienates the rest of the crew with his arrogance and strictness, particularly Mickey Donohue (Glenn Ford). Boley does not bother to study up on the machinery, since he mistakenly believes nothing has changed much since the last war. As a result, the crew performs poorly on the ship's sea trials. Boley is demoted for incompetence and Donohue takes over. To further complicate matters, Donohue and Boley's daughter Mary (Marguerite Chapman
Marguerite Chapman
Marguerite Chapman was an American actress.Born in Chatham, New York, she was working as a telephone switchboard operator in White Plains, New York when her good looks brought about the opportunity to pursue a career in modeling...
) fall in love.
Because of its poor showing, the Jones is assigned to carry mail. The disgruntled crewmen apply for transfers to fighting ships, but Boley talks them out of it with a stirring account of John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
' epic Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
battle with the HMS Serapis
HMS Serapis (1779)
HMS Serapis was a Royal Navy two-decked, Roebuck-class fifth rate. Daniel Brent built her at Greenland South Dockyard, Rotherhithe and launched her in 1779. She was armed with 44 guns . Serapis was named after the god Serapis in Greek and Egyptian mythology...
.
When a Japanese fleet is spotted trying to bring reinforcements to their foothold in the American Aleutian Islands, the crew of the Jones eagerly answers the general order to converge on the enemy, but is contemptuously ordered to stay out of the fight and sail to Sitka with the mail. Then, the Jones beats off an attack by six airplanes, downing all of them, but suffering several hits, including a gaping hole in the side. When a hostile submarine is detected, the crippled ship has to flee at its best speed. It manages to evade attack until night falls, but the rising water extinguishes the boilers, stopping the engines. The captain has no choice but to give the order to abandon ship. Boley pleads for a chance to stay aboard with a few volunteers, including Donohue, to try to effect repairs; Clark agrees. Boley succeeds in patching the hole just in time. At dawn, the destroyer drops depth charges, forcing the submarine to the surface, then rams and sinks it.
When the ship docks to much fanfare, Boley learns that Donohue has married his daughter.
Cast
- Edward G. RobinsonEdward G. RobinsonEdward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
as Steve Boleslavski - Glenn FordGlenn FordGlenn Ford was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades...
as Mickey Donohue - Marguerite ChapmanMarguerite ChapmanMarguerite Chapman was an American actress.Born in Chatham, New York, she was working as a telephone switchboard operator in White Plains, New York when her good looks brought about the opportunity to pursue a career in modeling...
as Mary Boleslavski - Edgar BuchananEdgar BuchananEdgar Buchanan was an American actor with a long career in both film and television, most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies television sitcoms of the 1960s...
as Kansas Jackson - Leo GorceyLeo GorceyLeo Bernard Gorcey was an American stage and movie actor who became famous for portraying on film the leader of the group of young hooligans known variously as the Dead End Kids, The East Side Kids and The Bowery Boys. Always the most pugnacious member of the gangs he participated in, young Leo...
as Sarecky - Regis ToomeyRegis ToomeyJohn Regis Toomey was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey and attended Peabody High School...
as Lieutenant Commander Clark - Edward BrophyEdward BrophyEdward S. Brophy was an American character actor, voice artist, and comedian. Small of build, balding, and raucous-voiced, he was known for portraying gangsters, both serious and comic.-Career:...
as Casey - Warren Ashe as Lieutenant Morton
- Benson FongBenson FongBenson Fong was a Chinese American character actor.Born in Sacramento, California, Fong was from a mercantile family...
as Japanese sonar man - Richard LooRichard LooRichard Loo was a Chinese American film actor who was one of the most familiar Asian character actors in American films of the 1930s and 1940s. A prolific actor, he appeared in over 120 films between 1931 and 1982....
as Japanese submarine captain - Lloyd BridgesLloyd BridgesLloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. was an American actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. Bridges is best known for his role of Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt, the most-popular syndicated American TV series in 1958...
as Second Fireman (uncredited)