The Wackiest Ship in the Army

"You'll crack your timbers when you see how the Navy sticks the Army sad sacks with the crumbiest ship afloat!"

1960 1h 39m EN

😐

6.1

MID

⭐

6.3

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 44★6.3IMDB · 2,630

ComedyWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Lieutenant Rip Crandall is hoodwinked into taking command of the "Wackiest Ship in the Navy" – a real garbage scow with a crew of misfits who don't know a jib from a jigger. What none of them knows, including Crandall, is that this ship has a very important top-secret mission to complete in waters patrolled by the Japanese fleet. Their mission will save hundreds of allied lives – if only they can get there in one piece.

“You'll crack your timbers when you see how the Navy sticks the Army sad sacks with the crumbiest ship afloat!”

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Cast

Jack Lemmon
Rip Crandall
Ricky Nelson
Tommy Hanson
John Lund
Wilbur Vandewater
Chips Rafferty
Patterson
Tom Tully
Captain McClung
Joby Baker
Josh Davidson
Warren Berlinger
A.J. Sparks
Patricia Driscoll
Maggie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard Murphy
Writers: Richard Murphy, Herbert H. Margolis, William Raynor
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

66 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard Murphy, shot by Charles Lawton Jr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by George Duning. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Charles Nelson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jack Lemmon and Ricky Nelson and John Lund carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "You'll crack your timbers when you see how the Navy sticks the Army sad sacks with the crumbiest ship afloat!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0054453 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 44 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard Murphy directs. Charles Lawton Jr. behind the camera. George Duning scores. Charles Nelson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

166 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Richard Murphy, shot by Charles Lawton Jr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by George Duning. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Charles Nelson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Jack Lemmon and Ricky Nelson and John Lund carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "You'll crack your timbers when you see how the Navy sticks the Army sad sacks with the crumbiest ship afloat!".
7IMDB entry: tt0054453 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 44 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.