We Joined the Navy

Last updated

We Joined the Navy
We Joined the Navy.jpg
Directed by Wendy Toye
Written by Howard Dimsdale
Based onWe Joined the Navy by John Winton
Produced by Daniel M. Angel
Vivian Cox
Starring Kenneth More
Lloyd Nolan
Joan O'Brien
Cinematography Otto Heller
Edited by Richard Best
Music by Ron Grainer
Production
companies
Distributed by Warner-Pathé Distributors
Release date
  • 29 November 1962 (1962-11-29)(London)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

We Joined the Navy is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Wendy Toye and starring Kenneth More, Lloyd Nolan, Joan O'Brien, Derek Fowlds, Graham Crowden, Esma Cannon and John Le Mesurier. Produced by Daniel M. Angel, it was based on the 1959 novel of the same name by John Winton, a former Royal Navy lieutenant commander.

Contents

The film was shot on location in Villefranche-sur-Mer, near Nice and Monaco, on board the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and USS Springfield as well as at ABPC Elstree Studios. [1] The film's sets were designed by art director John Howell. It was shot in CinemaScope by cinematographer Otto Heller.

In addition to the credited cast, the film features uncredited cameos by Michael Bentine, Sidney James, Rodney Bewes and Dirk Bogarde (in a gag reference to his Doctor series role, Simon Sparrow).

Director Wendy Toye said "it was a fun film to do it really was, because it is always lovely to work with Kenny More, it always was. And Lloyd Nolan was such an excellent actor." [2]

Plot

Lieutenant Commander Robert Bollinger Badger, known everywhere in the Royal Navy as The Artful Bodger, is an excellent naval officer with one major problem: he speaks the truth at the most inopportune times. As a result, he is transferred to shore duty and then to instruct at the Royal Naval College. When his remarks are repeated by one of his students to the student's father, an anti-military member of Parliament, Badger has one last chance: he and three problem midshipmen are sent as exchange officers to the flagship of the United States Sixth Fleet. Their antics set back Anglo-American relations until they go ashore to a nation in the midst of a revolution.

Cast

Production

The film was based on a 1959 novel by John Winton, a pseudonym for Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander John Pratt. The book was popular and led to a number of sequels including We Saw the Sea, Down the Hatch and Never go to Sea. In early 1959 producer Daniel Angel bought the film rights as a vehicle for Kenneth More. [3]

Angel was blacklisted by cinema chains in England for two years for selling his films to television. We Joined the Navy was his comeback film. "They held out longer than I thought they would," said Angel. "The reasons for the unbanning are unspecified. I was just made to understand that if I produced films, the exhibitors would consider showing them." [4]

In 1961 Daniel Angel signed a deal to produce a number of movies for Associated British of which this was to be the first (West 11 was the second). [5]

More made it after his attempts to star in a film based on the book White Rabbit fell through. He called We Joined the Navy "the funniest script I've ever read" and said "it will be the I'm Alright Jack of the navy." [6]

Filming started in Villefrance in the south of France on 1 May 1962 then continued at Elstree Studios. Toyes said Dirk Bogarde did a cameo as a favour to More and Danny Angel. "He was wonderful," said the director. "He came down, he only had had one very short scene to do, there were lots and lots of little cameo parts. And he never put a foot wrong, never had to have another tape, just came in and did it and had gone in about half an hour." [2]

It was Mischa Auer's first English language film in a number of years. [2]

Reception

The Guardian called it "a good romp". [7] Filmink argued the film "was lopsided: the action should focus on the new recruits but they have to share time with Kenneth More, who plays their officer." [8]

Toye later said "the first half" of the film with "the boys being at Dartmouth and then being accepted for the navy and taking their various jobs and being, they became the three midshipmen... all that worked splendidly." However she said in the second half "it all took a funny turn and it became a bit political and by that time the mood of the film was comedy and it just, I don’t think it worked really. But it was the most fantastic cast." [2]

Home video

A Region 2 DVD of We Joined the Navy was released by Network on 16 February 2015. The disc features a 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe</span> Royal Navy Admiral of the Fleet (1859–1935)

Admiral of the Fleet John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, was a Royal Navy officer. He fought in the Anglo-Egyptian War and the Boxer Rebellion and commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 during the First World War. His handling of the fleet at that battle was controversial. Jellicoe made no serious mistakes and the German High Seas Fleet retreated to port, at a time when defeat would have been catastrophic for Britain, but the public was disappointed that the Royal Navy had not won a more dramatic victory given that they outnumbered the enemy. Jellicoe later served as First Sea Lord, overseeing the expansion of the Naval Staff at the Admiralty and the introduction of convoys, but was relieved at the end of 1917. He also served as the governor-general of New Zealand in the early 1920s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Woodward</span> British admiral, d. 2013

Admiral Sir John Forster "Sandy" Woodward, was a senior Royal Navy officer who commanded the Task Force of the Falklands War.

<i>The Sea Shall Not Have Them</i> 1954 film by Lewis Gilbert

The Sea Shall Not Have Them is a 1954 British war film starring Michael Redgrave, Dirk Bogarde and Anthony Steel. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and is based on the 1953 novel by John Harris, about a North Sea rescue during the Second World War. The musical soundtrack is by composer Malcolm Arnold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Somerville</span> Royal Navy Admiral of the Fleet (1882-1949)

Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville, was a Royal Navy officer. He served in the First World War as fleet wireless officer for the Mediterranean Fleet where he was involved in providing naval support for the Gallipoli Campaign. He also served in the Second World War as commander of the newly formed Force H: after the French armistice with Germany, Winston Churchill gave Somerville and Force H the task of neutralizing the main element of the French battle fleet, then at Mers El Kébir in Algeria. After he had destroyed the French Battle fleet, Somerville played an important role in the pursuit and sinking of the German battleship Bismarck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscar C. Badger II</span> US Navy admiral and Medal of Honor recipient (1890–1958)

Oscar Charles Badger II was an admiral of the United States Navy who served in both World Wars, and, as a junior officer, received the Medal of Honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Leach</span> British Royal Navy officer (1923–2011)

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Conyers Leach, was a Royal Navy officer who, as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff during the early 1980s, was instrumental in convincing the British prime minister Margaret Thatcher that retaking the Falkland Islands from Argentina was feasible. On account of the determination he showed in the matter, journalist and political commentator Andrew Marr described him as Thatcher's "knight in shining gold braid".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supply officer (Royal Navy)</span>

Supply officer was a specialisation in the British Royal Navy which has recently been superseded by the Logistics Officer, recognising the need to align with the nomenclature and function of similar cadres in the British Army and Royal Air Force. Though, initially, employment of Logistics Officers in the Royal Navy remained broadly the same, it has begun to reflect exposure to the 'tri-service' environment, including a significantly greater number of operational logistics posts, as well as the more traditional Cash, Pay and Records, and 'outer-office' or Aide de Camp duties. The Logistics Branch in the Royal Navy is one of the three main branches of the Senior Service, though due to its unique nature has interaction with all branches of the Naval Service, including the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Marines, as well as the Defence Equipment and Support Organisation, the Ministry of Defence and many other agencies and organisations. In centuries past, the supply officer had been known as the clerk, bursar, purser and, later, the paymaster. Logistics officers are still generally referred to by the historic sobriquet 'pusser', a derivation of 'purser'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hedworth Meux</span> English naval officer (1856–1929)

Admiral of the Fleet The Honourable Sir Hedworth Meux was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he was present at the bombardment of Alexandria during the Anglo-Egyptian War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosslyn Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss</span> British admiral (1864–1933)

Admiral of the Fleet Rosslyn Erskine Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss,, known as Sir Rosslyn Wemyss between 1916 and 1919, was a Royal Navy officer. During the First World War he served as commander of the 12th Cruiser Squadron and then as Governor of Moudros before leading the British landings at Cape Helles and at Suvla Bay during the Gallipoli campaign. He went on to be Commander of the East Indies & Egyptian Squadron in January 1916 and then First Sea Lord in December 1917, in which role he encouraged Admiral Roger Keyes, Commander of the Dover Patrol, to undertake more vigorous operations in the Channel, ultimately leading to the launch of the Zeebrugge Raid in April 1918.

Captain Stephen Wentworth Roskill, was a senior career officer of the Royal Navy, serving during the Second World War and, after his enforced medical retirement, served as the official historian of the Royal Navy from 1949 to 1960. He is now chiefly remembered as a prodigious author of books on British maritime history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert Richmond</span> British naval officer

Admiral Sir Herbert William Richmond, was a prominent Royal Navy officer, described as "perhaps the most brilliant naval officer of his generation." He was also a top naval historian, known as the "British Mahan", the leader of the British Royal Navy's intellectual revolution that stressed continuing education especially in naval history as essential to the formation of naval strategy. After serving as a "gadfly" to the British Admiralty, his constructive criticisms causing him to be "denied the role in the formation of policy and the reformations of naval education which his talents warranted", he served as Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History at Cambridge University from 1934 to 1936, and Master of Downing College, Cambridge from 1934 to 1946.

<i>Destroyer</i> (1943 film) 1943 war film directed by William A. Seiter

Destroyer is a 1943 American war film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Edward G. Robinson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Gretton</span>

Vice Admiral Sir Peter William Gretton was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was active in the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War, and was a successful convoy escort commander. He eventually rose to become Fifth Sea Lord and retired as a vice admiral before entering university life as a bursar and academic.

<i>Raising a Riot</i> 1955 British film

Raising a Riot is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Wendy Toye and starring Kenneth More, Shelagh Fraser and Mandy Miller about a naval officer who attempts to look after his three children in his wife's absence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Bedford</span> Royal Navy Vice-Admiral

Vice-Admiral Arthur Edward Frederick Bedford, CB, CSI was a Royal Navy officer. He served in HMS Kent at the Battle of the Falkland Islands of 1914 and rose to command the Royal Indian Navy from 1934 to 1937, when he retired. A year later he rejoined the colours and served until the end of the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sourendra Nath Kohli</span> Indian Navy admiral

Admiral Sourendra Nath Kohli, PVSM was an Indian Navy admiral who served as the 8th Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 March 1973 until 29 February 1976. Kohli served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-IN-C) of the Western Naval Command during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 and successfully led Indian Navy's Western Fleet in Operation Trident and Operation Python against the Pakistan Navy fleet in Karachi. His prior commands include those as the commanding officer of INS Mysore (C60) and INS Rana (D115).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Norman (Canadian naval officer)</span> Canadian military officer

Vice-Admiral (Ret'd) Mark A. G. Norman, is a retired Royal Canadian Navy officer. He took up the post of Vice Chief of the Defence Staff of Canada on August 5, 2016. He was temporarily relieved of the post on January 16, 2017, and was permanently removed on June 27, 2018, accused of having released sensitive government information to affect a procurement of naval supply ships, which potentially constituted a breach of trust. In 2019, charges against him were dropped by the Crown because there was "no reasonable prospect of conviction." Norman subsequently received an "all-party" apology from the House of Commons, a settlement of claims, and full reimbursement of legal fees incurred by him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Naval College, Greenwich</span> Royal Navy training establishment

The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equivalent in the British Army was the Staff College, Camberley, and the equivalent in the Royal Air Force was the RAF Staff College, Bracknell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Ronald Gower</span>

John Ronald Gower was a captain in the Royal Navy who fought in the Second World War. He took part in several naval actions including the evacuation from Dunkirk, the attack on the German battleship Tirpitz and the Normandy landings, where his ship covered the troops landing on Sword beach. In the post-war period he commanded the destroyer HMS Diana when it carried out experiments in waters contaminated by the nuclear fallout of two nuclear explosions in Operation Mosaic, and when it sank the Egyptian frigate Domiat in the Red Sea on 1 November 1956.

Vice Admiral Kenneth Lloyd Dyer DSC, CD was a senior officer in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

References

  1. Kenneth More, More or Less, London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1978, p.188
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Wendy Toyes interview" (PDF). British Entertainment History Project. 20 May 1991. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  3. Boyle, Paul (15 March 1959). "I Go Wild About Marty". Sunday Pictorial. p. 6.
  4. "The banned major is back in business". Evening Standard. 13 April 1962. p. 10.
  5. "ABPC-Angel Deal". Kine Weekly. 21 September 1961. p. 1.
  6. "Kenneth More loses his dream film". Evening Standard. 19 January 1962. p. 10.
  7. "Films reviewed". The Guardian. 7 January 1963. p. 8.
  8. Vagg, Stephen (16 April 2023). "Surviving Cold Streaks: Kenneth More". Filmink.