| Away All Boats | |
|---|---|
 Original film poster byReynold Brown | |
| Directed by | Joseph Pevney |
| Written by | Ted Sherdeman |
| Based on | novel by Kenneth M. Dodson |
| Produced by | Howard Christie |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | William H. Daniels inTechnicolor andVistaVision |
| Edited by | Ted J. Kent |
| Music by | Frank Skinner Heinz Roemheld |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2 million[1][2] |
| Box office | $3.5 million (US)[3] |
Away All Boats is a 1956 Americanwar film directed byJoseph Pevney and starringJeff Chandler,George Nader,Lex Barker, andJulie Adams. It was produced by Howard Christie from a screenplay byTed Sherdeman based on the 1953 novel by Kenneth M. Dodson (1907–1999), who served on theUSS Pierce (APA-50) in World War II and used his experiences there as a guide for his novel. He was encouraged in his writing byCarl Sandburg, who had read some of Dodson's letters, written in the Pacific. The book (and film) is about the crew of theBelinda (APA-22), anamphibious attack transport.[4] The book became a best seller.[5][6] The film was produced byUniversal Pictures.
The story of USSBelinda (APA-22), launched late 1943 with regular-Navy Captain Jebediah S. Hawks and ex-merchant mariner Lieutenant Dave MacDougall as boat commander. Despite personal friction, the two have plenty to keep them busy as the only experienced officers on board during the ship'sshakedown cruise. Almost laughable incompetence gradually improves, but the crew remains far from perfect when the ship sees action, landing troops on enemy beachheads. Few anticipate the challenges in store atOkinawa.
Uncredited
Film rights were bought by Universal, whose presidentEdward Muhl said the movie version would be Universal's most expensive of the year.[7]
The first choice for the lead role wasClark Gable.[8][9]
George Nader had twice taken roles that Chandler refused. This was the first time the two actors had worked together.[10]
The armed services had not been pleased with their portrayal inFrom Here to Eternity orThe Caine Mutiny. However the Navy was worried about declining recruitment numbers and Universal received its full cooperation for the film, including an opportunity to photograph maneuvers and mock attacks in March 1955 in the Caribbean and onVieques.[9][11] The movie was filmed aboardUSS Randall.[1][12] It is most notable for its realistic and terrifying depictions of Japanesekamikaze attacks on U.S. Navy ships during the last year of World War II in the Pacific Theater. The kamikaze attack scene was later reused in the 1976 filmMidway (even though no such attacks occurred in that battle).
The Navy also granted a two-week leave of absence for Ralph Scalzo, a landing boat coxswain, who took part in filming in the Caribbean and was needed for added closeup shots in Hollywood.[13]
Away All Boats is one of the few films made inVistaVision at a studio other thanParamount.[14] The film made use of thePerspecta stereo process for its soundtrack.
Clint Eastwood's role is a brief speaking one (with one line of dialog spoken by another actor), as a Navy medical corpsman assisting the ship's captain after he is severely wounded while trying to save his ship.
The script, script revisions, and status reports dealing with theDepartment of Defense Film and Television liaison office is kept in theGeorgetown University Library Department of Defense Film Collection.
A review inThe New York Times by Bosley Crowther found the early scenes in the film confusing, particularly the motivation of the characters played by Jeff Chandler (Captain Jebediah Hawks) and Lex Barker (Commander Quigley). He also found it an efficient service film in which “all the confusions are adjusted and everybody comes out a hero in the end”.
NBC made a color documentary about the making of the film.[15]
Arecord with some of Frank Skinner's music from the film was released byDecca Records in May 1956. Participants includedAl Hibbler (who sang a theme from the film score) and an orchestra conducted byJack Pleis. Decca released this on 78 rpm 29950 and 45 rpm 9–29950.
MCA Home Video released aVHS version in HiFi sound in 1986.Good Times Video released a VHS version in LP on March 2, 1998.
Good Times Video released aDVD on May 1, 2001. This was in full-screen rather than theVistaVision widescreen and may have been a copy of the earlier Good Times VHS release.[citation needed]
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