THE WACKIEST SHIP IN THE ARMY

 "THE WACKIEST SHIP IN THE ARMY" --- (1960) --- 

MY THOUGHTS:
This is another fun, and funny, "war movie." It stars one of my favorite actors (Jack Lemmon) and 1960's teen idol (Ricky Nelson). They do a very good job playing off of each other, as they try to successfully accomplish their very strange mission for the Army, which much be carried out (covertly) on the high seas. It is quite entertaining and a much lighter movie, than many of the others on my Memorial Day Movie list, but sometimes we need to step away from what breaks our heart and step into what warms it. This is a good film for doing just that.

SYNOPSIS:
"Lt. Rip Crandall is entrusted with one of the most important missions of his World War II career: to shuttle an Australian spy into enemy territory. Unfortunately, he'll be doing it with one of the Navy's least seaworthy vessels, the USS Echo. But even in a clunker of a ship, Crandall and his madcap crew -- including his enthusiastic young ensign -- do their best to make their ill-equipped mission a success."

STARRING:
Jack Lemmon, Ricky Nelson, Chips Rafferty, Mike Kellin, John Lund, Tom Tully, Warren Berlinger, Patricia Driscoll, Richard Anderson, George Shibata and Joby Baker.

SCREENPLAY:
Richard Murphy, Herbert Margolis and William Raynor; based on "Big Fella Wash-Wash" 1956 story in Argosy by Herbert Carlson.

DIRECTOR:
Richard Murphy