Don't Give Up the Ship (1959)

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Approved
1h 29min
Comedy
03 Jul 1959 (USA)
Movie

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During the 1950s, a military panel grills Junior Officer John Paul Steckler to find the whereabouts of a Navy destroyer that he temporarily commanded during WWII and is missing.

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Stars:

Reviews:

Photos and Videos

During the 1950s, a military panel grills Junior Officer John Paul Steckler to find the whereabouts of a Navy destroyer that he temporarily commanded during WWII and is missing.

Still of Jerry Lewis (I) in Don't Give Up the Ship (1959)

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32 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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	Jerry Lewis	...	John Paul Steckler I / John Paul Steckler IV / John Paul Steckler VII
	Dina Merrill	...	Ens. Rita J. Benson
	Diana Spencer	...	Prudence Trabert Steckler
	Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Stan Wychinski
	Robert Middleton	...	Vice Adm. Philo Tecumseh Bludde
	Gale Gordon	...	Congressman Mandeville
	Mabel Albertson	...	Mrs. Trabert
	Claude Akins	...	Lt. Cmdr. Farber
	Hugh Sanders	...	Adm. Rogers
	Richard Shannon	...	Cmdr. Cross
	Chuck Wassil	...	Cmdr. Craig
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Al Bain	...	Commuter at Station (uncredited)
	Brandon Beach	...	Commuter at Station (uncredited)
	Mary Benoit	...	Mother (uncredited)
	Phil Bloom	...	Fight Spectator (uncredited)
	Charles Boaz	...	Commander (uncredited)
	Tex Brodus	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
	Harry Cheshire	...	Judge Whipple - Wedding Guest with Cake in Hat (uncredited)
	Harry Crigger	...	Officer (uncredited)
	Lisa Davis	...	Hilda (uncredited)
	Walt Davis	...	Hearing Spectator (uncredited)
	John Diggs	...	Navy Commander (uncredited)
	Jimmy Dime	...	Crewman (uncredited)
	Dan Dowling	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
	Pamela Duncan	...	Lt. Ward (uncredited)
	Bill Dyer	...	Officer at Hearing (uncredited)
	Bill Edwards	...	Executive Officer (uncredited)
	Robert Ellis	...	Sailor (uncredited)
	Franklyn Farnum	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
	Fritz Feld	...	Room Service Waiter (uncredited)
	Tom Ferrandini	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
	Mickey Finn	...	The Turkish Terror (uncredited)
	Betty Frazee	...	Mermaid (uncredited)
	Fuji	...	Japanese Soldier (uncredited)
	Ike Gibson	...	Yeoman Krugg (uncredited)
	Kenneth Gibson	...	Congressman (uncredited)
	James Gonzalez	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)
	Jack Gordon	...	Spectator Outside Arena (uncredited)
	Herschel Graham	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)
	Don Haggerty	...	Cmdr. Turner (uncredited)
	Robert Haines	...	Clerk (uncredited)
	Ronnie Hansen	...	Officer (uncredited)
	Sam Harris	...	Congressman (uncredited)
	Bob Harvey	...	Ens. Brooks (uncredited)
	Bruce Hayes	...	Navy Commander (uncredited)
	Dick Haynes	...	Captain of the USS 'Kornblatt' (uncredited)
	Bill Hickman	...	Guardsman (uncredited)
	Bern Hoffman	...	Hockmeir - Shore Patrol (uncredited)
	Stuart Holmes	...	Congressman (uncredited)
	Robert Hosai	...	Japanese Corporal (uncredited)
	Dickie Humphreys	...	Officer (uncredited)
	John Indrisano	...	The Referee (uncredited)
	James Burr Johnson	...	Ens. O.D. (uncredited)
	Kenner G. Kemp	...	Fight Spectator (uncredited)
	Hubie Kerns	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
	Ed Kerr	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
	David Landfield	...	Officer (uncredited)
	Hugh Lawrence	...	Cmdr. Blake (uncredited)
	Perk Lazelle	...	Congressman (uncredited)
	Carl M. Leviness	...	Commuter at Station (uncredited)
	Karl Lukas	...	Dugan (uncredited)
	Mike Mahoney	...	Helmsman (uncredited)
	Hank Mann	...	Fight Manager (uncredited)
	Tipp McClure	...	Captain of the Guard (uncredited)
	Philo McCullough	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
	Frank McLure	...	Military Officer (uncredited)
	Florence McNabb	...	Mermaid (uncredited)
	Raymond A. McWalters	...	Officer (uncredited)
	Burt Metcalfe	...	Lt. Bond (uncredited)
	Harold Miller	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
	Lane Nakano	...	Japanese Soldier (uncredited)
	Burt Nelson	...	Saunders - Navy Guard (uncredited)
	Monty O'Grady	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
	Murray Pollack	...	Fight Spectator (uncredited)
	Paul Power	...	Congressman (uncredited)
	Tony Regan	...	Officer (uncredited)
	John Rice	...	Military Officer (uncredited)
	Hal Riddle	...	Sailor (uncredited)
	Tony Russel	...	Lieutenant, s.g. (uncredited)
	Paul Salata	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
	George Sasaki	...	Asian Crewman (uncredited)
	Bernard Sell	...	Hearing Spectator (uncredited)
	Yuki Shimoda	...	Japanese Colonel (uncredited)
	Al Silvani	...	Ringside wrestling announcer on the telephone (uncredited)
	Martin Smith	...	Officer (uncredited)
	Walter Smith	...	Porter (uncredited)
	Owen Song	...	Asian Crewman (uncredited)
	Anne G. Sterling	...	Wrestling fan (black dress) (uncredited)
	Ruth Sterling	...	Wrestling Fan (uncredited)
	Norman Stevans	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
	Bert Stevens	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
	Chet Stratton	...	Desk Clerk (uncredited)
	Harriette Tarler	...	Bridesmaid (uncredited)
	Mary Treen	...	Mother at Wedding Party (uncredited)
	Howard Van Proyen	...	Officer (uncredited)
	Napoleon Whiting	...	Porter (uncredited)
	Wendy Winkelman	...	Flower Girl (uncredited)
	Judith Woodbury	...	Commuter at Station (uncredited)
	Trude Wyler	...	Bridesmaid (uncredited)
	Skip Young	...	Sailor (uncredited)
	John Zimeas	...	Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by

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Norman Taurog

Written by

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Herbert Baker	...	(screenplay) and
Edmund Beloin	...	(screenplay) &
Henry Garson	...	(screenplay)

Ellis Kadison	...	(story)

Produced by

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Paul Nathan	...	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	...	producer (as Hal Wallis)

Music by

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Walter Scharf

Cinematography by

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Haskell B. Boggs

...

director of photography (as Haskell Boggs)

Editorial Department

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Warren Low

...

editorial supervisor

Art Direction by

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Hal Pereira
Walter H. Tyler	...	(as Walter Tyler)

Set Decoration by

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Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by

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Edith Head

Makeup Department

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Nellie Manley	...	hair style supervisor
Wally Westmore	...	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Michael D. Moore

...

assistant director (as D. Michael Moore) / second unit director (as D. Michael Moore)

Sound Department

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Winston H. Leverett	...	sound recordist (as Winston Leverett)
Gene Merritt	...	sound recordist
Harold Knettles	...	sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Farciot Edouart	...	process photography
John P. Fulton	...	special photographic effects

Stunts

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Ricou Browning	...	underwater swimming double: Jerry Lewis (uncredited)
Hubie Kerns	...	stunt double: Jerry Lewis (uncredited)
Ginger Stanley	...	underwater swimming double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Lamar Boren	...	underwater photographer
Ken Hunter	...	assistant camera (uncredited)
Murray Young	...	grip (uncredited)

Music Department

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Walter Scharf	...	conductor
Jack Hayes	...	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	...	orchestrator (uncredited)
Van Cleave	...	orchestrator (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Marvin Weldon

...

script supervisor (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Jack Mintz	...	dialogue coach
Idris B. Monahan	...	technical advisor (as Captain Idris Burke Monahan U.S. Navy {Ret.})
Bill Gray	...	business manager (uncredited)
Len Hammond	...	technical liaison (uncredited)

Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Hal Wallis Productions

Distributors

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Paramount Pictures (1959) (United States) (theatrical)
Paramount British Pictures (1959) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
Film AB Paramount (1959) (Sweden) (theatrical)
Metro (1959) (Norway) (theatrical)
Films Paramount (1960) (Belgium) (theatrical)
Paramount (1960) (France) (theatrical)
Paramount-Film (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
Paramount Pictures (1963) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (United States) (tv)
Viacom (1972) (United States) (tv)
Succéfilm AB (1974) (Sweden) (theatrical) (re-release)
Magnetic Video (1978) (United States) (VHS)
Exclusivos Triunfo (1981) (Portugal) (theatrical) (re-release)
Paramount Domestic Television (1995) (United States) (tv)
Research Entertainment (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
Voulez Vous Film (2014) (Germany) (DVD)
Kino Lorber (2017) (United States) (DVD)
Trifecta Entertainment and Media (2017) (United States) (tv) (syndicated print)
Atlas Films SPRL-PVBA (1970) (Belgium) (theatrical) (reissue)
El 9 Besepi S.L. (2021) (Spain)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary	John Paul Steckler was the Junior Officer aboard a destroyer when WWII ended. He gets stuck with the job of sailing the ship to the states to be decommissioned. Now years latter, no one knows where the ship is. He has a choice. Find the ship, or pay for it, Now! If only Prudence, to whom he just got married, could understand why he isn't there for his Honeymoon. Written by Brian W Martz Plot Summary
Plot Keywords	u.s.-navy newlywed-couple u.s.-sailor 1950s female-ensign See All (16) »
Taglines	How can an officer in his right mind "misplace" a fully-equipped destroyer escort? See more »
Genres	Comedy
Parents Guide	Add content advisory for parents »
Certification	Australia:G Australia:PG Finland:S France:Tous publics Netherlands:6 Norway:12 Sweden:Btl United Kingdom:U United States:Approved United States:Passed (National Board of Review) West Germany:6 (nf)

Additional Details

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Also Known As	Now Hear This (United States) Tiens bon la barre matelot! (France) Adiós mi luna de miel (Spain) O Jerry Lewis thalassolykos (Greece) Thalassolykos san ton Jerry (Greece) See more »
Runtime	89 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Color	Black and White
Aspect Ratio	1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Filming Locations	Silver Springs, Florida, USA See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	Not only was the USS Vammen DE644 (Destroyer Escort) used as the fictitious USS Kornblatt but so was her crew. The scenes (at around 37 mins) are the USS Vammen crew desperately trying to follow Jerry Lewis' chaotic commands. See more »
Goofs	Ensign Steckler and Chief Wychinski go to explore an island after their ship has run aground. While exploring the island, a background shot of the ship shows it rolling in the sea swells. See more »
Movie Connections	References The Caine Mutiny (1954). See more »
Quotes	Ens. Rita J. Benson: Lieutenant, I know you're the victim of one of the biggest boo-boos in the history of the U.S. Navy. John Paul Steckler VII: Yeah, I am. Ens. Rita J. Benson: I've looked over your record and it's spotless. You've always had the utmost concern for government property. John Paul Steckler VII: W-well I always DID try my best - except maybe just that one time w-when I painted my seabag all red and cut the two holes in the bottom for my feet. Ens. Rita J. Benson: Your feet? John Paul Steckler VII: Well, it was a Halloween party, y' see. I went as a skinless frankfurter. See more »

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