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Stand by for Action (31-Dec-1942)

Director: Robert Z. Leonard

Writers: George Bruce; John L. Balderston; Herman J. Mankiewicz; Capt. Harvey Haslip; R. C. Sherriff

From short story: A Cargo of Innocence by Laurence Kirk

Musical Score: Lennie Hayton

Producers: Robert Z. Leonard; Orville O. Dull

Keywords: Comedy, WWII

An experienced Lieutenant Commander and a reserve Lieutenant fresh out of college are paired as captain and executive officer of the USS Warren, a destroyer left over from World War I. They take on a cargo of two pregnant women and a dozen babies, and take out a Japanese battleship.

NameOccupationBirthDeathKnown for
Walter Brennan
Actor
25-Jul-1894 21-Sep-1974 Three Oscars for Best Supporting Actor
Hobart Cavanaugh
Actor
22-Sep-1886 27-Apr-1950 A Midsummer Night's Dream
Brian Donlevy
Actor
9-Feb-1901 5-Apr-1972 The Great McGinty
Douglass Dumbrille
Actor
13-Oct-1889 2-Apr-1974 The Three Musketeers
Douglas Fowley
Actor
30-May-1911 21-May-1998 Doc Holliday on TV's Wyatt Earp
Charles Laughton
Actor
1-Jul-1899 15-Dec-1962 Island of Lost Souls
Marta Linden
Actor
24-Oct-1903 13-Dec-1990 A Yank at Eton
Marilyn Maxwell
Actor
3-Aug-1921 20-Mar-1972 Stand by for Action
Henry O'Neill
Actor
10-Aug-1891 18-May-1961 Anchors Aweigh
Richard Quine
Film Director
12-Nov-1920 10-Jun-1989 Bell Book and Candle
Robert Taylor
Actor
5-Aug-1911 8-Jun-1969 Quo Vadis
Chill Wills
Actor
18-Jul-1903 15-Dec-1978 The Alamo

CAST

Robert Taylor   ...   Lt. Gregg Masterman
Charles Laughton   ...   Rear Adm. Stephen Thomas
Brian Donlevy   ...   Lt. Cmdr. Martin J. Roberts
With
Walter Brennan   ...   Chief Yeoman Henry Johnson
Marilyn Maxwell   ...   Audrey Carr
Henry O'Neill   ...   Cmdr. Stone, M. C.
Marta Linden   ...   Mary Collins
Chill Wills   ...   Chief Boatswain's Mate Jenks
Douglass Dumbrille   ...   Capt. Ludlow
Richard Quine   ...   Ens. Lindsay
William Tannen   ...   Flag Lt. Dudley
Douglas Fowley   ...   Ens. Martin
Tim Ryan   ...   Lt. Tim Ryan
Dick Simmons   ...   Lt. (j.g.) Royce
Byron Foulger   ...   Pharmacist's Mate "Doc" Miller
Hobart Cavanaugh   ...   Carpenter's Mate "Chips"
Inez Cooper   ...   Susan Garrison
Ben Welden   ...   Chief Quartermaster Rankin
Harry Fleischmann   ...   Chief Signalman

REVIEWS

Review by anonymous (posted on 9-Jan-2007)

An excelent movie from the headliners to the supporting cast,a clever combination of drama, comedey, suspnse and action, well acted by all. Robert Taylor plays Lt. Masterman a spoiled member of the ultra rich Harvard set who starts out as an admirals aid under the command of Admiral Steven Thomas played by Charles Laughton( this is my favorite role by Charles Laughton) and ends up as the executive officer on the USS Warren under the command of Lt. Commander Marten J Roberts ( Brian Donlevy an excelent and under rated actor who does an above average acting job in this movie ) where he is transformed into a real Navy man through the trials of war from being saved from going over baord in a storm by Chief Yoeman Harry Johnson( played very well as usual by Walter Brennan)an aged but experianced destoyer man who is injured but comes to the rescue in just the nick of time)to rescuing a lifeboat full of babies and two pregnant women both of whom give birth with the help of the carpenters mate Chips ( played very well by Hobart Cavanagh ) to joining a convoy and ultimatly saving it from a jap battleship the supporting cast from Chill Wills to the many actor and actreses too numerous to name, mesh to create that atmosphere that is presant in all superior movies as this is surely a superior movie. This is a film worth adding to your collection although you will have to record it as I have not been able to find it for sale. This film was meant to be something inspirational for the public showing we were winning battles in the war and was well accepted by the public at the time it was released this film attains its goals all aspects of this prodution are above average, direction, production, filmography, special effects(really above average the battle scenes are both exciting and believable) and what ever else you can think of.


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