This film was made in 1937 before the escalation of events to war.Since the censor would not allow any adverse comment about Germany film makers had to invent fictitious events in banana republics in South America.Here the British.Navy goes to the rescue when a revolution is brewing.Whilst one understands the necessity of utilising American actors it becomes rather irritating when the young navy officer is played by Richard Cromwell,under the guise of being Canadian.Also featured is Noah Berry as the President and H.B.Warner,born in London,as the British Counsel.Cromwell and his girlfriend,get caught up in events and are taken as captives for ransom against the President who is hold up in the British consulate.The sad aspect is that the rebel ship is the battlefields HMS Royal Oak.This ship was unfortunately torpedoed in Scapa Flow with the loss of 833 members of the crew.Likewise it is torpedoed in this film and Cromwell and Terry are saved.You would have thought that they would have changed the American title from Torpedoed.
3 Reviews
Stiff Upper Lip, Old Chap
boblipton5 March 2017
If you want a well-produced, slightly stodgy British movie, you can go to producer Herbert Wilcox with a sense of assurance. For this movie he imported three slightly over-ripe American stars: Richard Greene, as the handsome young naval lieutenant; H.B. Warner as the stiff-upper-lip British consul; and Noah Beery as El Presidente del Republica Bannannania, herein called "Bianco". Sheila Terry as Warner's daughter is the love interest.
It all starts with an attempted coup. Beery is dining with Wilcox at the consulate, while Greene is escorting Miss Terry from the local British cruiser. The last two are arrested and held by the rebels in varying degrees danger. Finally, the British ship begins a duel with the rebel's ship and are, of course, victorious.
The problem with this movie, aside from its flag-waving corniness is that it is all over too quickly. Once the British guns start to shoot, it's all settled but the order to send out the boats to pick up the survivors. The cooperation of the British Navy (they supplied the HMS Royal Oak to stand in for the rebels' ship; it was sunk about six weeks into World War Two) may have been impelled by the nascent British rearmament, as a plea for more funds to build ships.
It received a very early airing on US television, in May of 1940. The title song "Red, White and Blue" indicates that it may have been intended for export before completed. Other than that, it's been difficult to find, mostly because no one really cared.... nor should they, particularly.
It all starts with an attempted coup. Beery is dining with Wilcox at the consulate, while Greene is escorting Miss Terry from the local British cruiser. The last two are arrested and held by the rebels in varying degrees danger. Finally, the British ship begins a duel with the rebel's ship and are, of course, victorious.
The problem with this movie, aside from its flag-waving corniness is that it is all over too quickly. Once the British guns start to shoot, it's all settled but the order to send out the boats to pick up the survivors. The cooperation of the British Navy (they supplied the HMS Royal Oak to stand in for the rebels' ship; it was sunk about six weeks into World War Two) may have been impelled by the nascent British rearmament, as a plea for more funds to build ships.
It received a very early airing on US television, in May of 1940. The title song "Red, White and Blue" indicates that it may have been intended for export before completed. Other than that, it's been difficult to find, mostly because no one really cared.... nor should they, particularly.
Friese-Greene to the rescue!
JohnHowardReid11 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Originally released under the title, "Our Fighting Navy", the movie was re-titled for American distribution. Strictly for connoisseurs and the young-at-heart, this Boys Own Paper, comic-strip adventure, although British made, has three American stars. Beyond a lively opening and a closing montage of Royal Navy stock footage, the direction is dull and the propaganda rather dated. But nevertheless the cast is excellent and everyone plays his role with considerable spirit. (I say "his" advisedly, as both Hazel Terry and Binkie Stuart have a comparatively small amount of footage). The photography can only be described as superb, thanks to the efforts of Claude Friese-Greene, the son of the man whom the British claim invented motion picture photography. (See The Magic Box).
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