Destroyer (1943)

Director:

William A. Seiter

Writers:

Borden Chase (writer)
Lewis Meltzer (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

19 August 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | War

Tagline:

You'll Always Remember . . . And Never Forget . . . Destroyer

Plot:

Flagwaving story of a new American destroyer, the JOHN PAUL JONES, from the day her keel is laid, to what was very nearly her last voyage...

Plot Keywords:

Ship | Welder | Navy | Torpedo | WWII

Cast

Edward G. Robinson	...	Steve Boleslavski
Glenn Ford	...	Mickey Donohue
Marguerite Chapman	...	Mary Boleslavski
Edgar Buchanan	...	Kansus Jackson
Leo Gorcey	...	Sarecky
Regis Toomey	...	Lt. Cmdr. Clark
Edward Brophy	...	Casey (as Ed Brophy)
Warren Ashe	...	Lt. Marton
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Benson Fong	...	Japanese sonar man
Richard Loo	...	Japanese Submarine Commander
Dean Benton	...	Fireman Moore (uncredited)
Curt Bois	...	Yasha (uncredited)
Lloyd Bridges	...	Second Fireman (uncredited)
Charles D. Brown	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Chief Gunner's Mate (uncredited)
Cliff Clark	...	Commandant (uncredited)
Roger Clark	...	Chief Engineer (uncredited)
Edmund Cobb	...	First Workman (uncredited)
Tristram Coffin	...	Doctor #1 (uncredited)
Eleanor Counts	...	Sarecky's Girl (uncredited)
Eddie Dew	...	Survivor (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	First Ship Fitter (uncredited)
Bud Geary	...	Second Ship Fitter (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	...	Austin, First Mate Second Class (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Knife Eating Sailor (uncredited)
David Horsley	...	Fireman Thomas (uncredited)
Bobby Jordan	...	Sobbing Sailor (uncredited)
Kenneth MacDonald	...	Naval Officer (uncredited)
Charles McGraw	...	Assistant Chief Engineer (uncredited)
Robert McKenzie	...	Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
David McKim	...	Signalman (uncredited)
John Merton	...	Chief Quartermaster (uncredited)
Dennis Moore	...	Communications Officer (uncredited)
Larry Parks	...	Ens. Johnson (uncredited)
Paul Perry	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Don Peters	...	Helmsman (uncredited)
Addison Richards	...	Ferguson (uncredited)
Virginia Sale	...	Spinster (uncredited)
Milburn Stone	...	Radioman (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon	...	Wife of Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Eddy Waller	...	Riveter (uncredited)
Pierre Watkin	...	Admiral (uncredited)
Craig Woods	...	Bigbee (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Seiter

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Borden Chase		writer
Lewis Meltzer		writer
Frank Wead		screenplay
Frank Wead		story

Produced by
Louis F. Edelman	....	producer

Original Music by
Anthony Collins

Cinematography by
Franz Planer		(as Franz F. Planer)

Film Editing by
Gene Havlick

Art Direction by
Lionel Banks
Cary Odell

Set Decoration by
Frank Tuttle

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Budd Boetticher	....	assistant director
Milton Carter	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Edward Bernds	....	sound (as Ed Bernds)

Music Department
Anthony Collins	....	musical director
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director

Other crew
Aaron Nibley	....	montage effects

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)

Runtime:

USA:99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Sweden:15

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Goofs:

Factual errors: When searching for Japanese aircraft with the ship's radar, a loud "ping" and echo sound is repeatedly heard. Radar systems do not make noises - this sound effect is from a SONAR system. This mistake is repeated several times during the movie. On other occasions, the same sound effect is correctly used when searching for submarines with the SONAR system.

A Couple Of Navy Men

Edward G. Robinson and Glenn Ford star in Destroyer, a sentimental Navy tale of two different generations of Navy men. Though the film's World War II vintage somewhat dates it, the film is still good entertainment.

The film begins with news of the USS John Paul Jones being sunk in the Pacific. That news is particularly hard for retired Navy chief Edward G. Robinson who now makes a living building ships in the navy yard. He gets to build the new John Paul Jones and decides that he ought to serve on her.

But when he pulls some strings to get assigned to the JPJ II, someone gets displaced as the chief boatswain. That someone is Glenn Ford and that doesn't make for a harmonious ship. In addition Robinson's kind of behind the times in the newer improvements the US Navy has made since the last war.

Complicating things is Marguerite Chapman, Robinson's daughter who Ford falls for. That really makes things bad on shore and off.

Robinson's the show in this film. His portrayal of an old Navy fighting man who won't be beached in a second war is sentimental, but effective. His best moments are when he finally begins to win the crew's respect by telling them the story of the guy and the engagement that the guy fought for whom the ship is named after.

In fact the final duel between the USS John Paul Jones and a Japanese submarine has a lot of similarity between what happened with the Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis of the Royal Navy.

Rounding out a nice supporting cast are Regis Toomey, Edward Brophy, Edgar Buchanan, and Leo Gorcey who gives us a bit of New York street smarts for the ship.

Destroyer is a dated propaganda film from the World War II era, but still entertaining because of the two leads.