Hit the Deck (1955 film)
| Hit the Deck | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Roy Rowland |
| Produced by | Joe Pasternak |
| Screenplay by |
Sonya Levien William Ludwig |
| Based on |
Shore Leave (play) by Hubert Osborne, and Hit the Deck (stage musical) by Herbert Fields (book) Vincent Youmans (music) Clifford Grey & Leo Robin (lyrics) |
| Starring |
Jane Powell Tony Martin Debbie Reynolds Walter Pidgeon Vic Damone Gene Raymond Ann Miller Russ Tamblyn |
| Music by |
Songs: Music: Vincent Youmans Lyrics: Leo Robin Clifford Grey Sidney Clare Irving Caesar Billy Rose Edward Eliscu |
| Cinematography | George J. Folsey |
| Edited by | John McSweeney Jr. |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
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Release date
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Running time
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112 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.3 million |
| Box office | $3.4 million |
Hit the Deck is a 1955 American musical film directed by Roy Rowland and starring Jane Powell, Tony Martin, Debbie Reynolds, Walter Pidgeon, Vic Damone, Gene Raymond, Ann Miller, and Russ Tamblyn. It is based on the stage musical of the same name – which was itself based on the hit play Shore Leave by Hubert Osborne – and was shot in CinemaScope. Although the film featured some songs from the stage musical, the plot was different. Standards featured in the film include "Sometimes I'm Happy", "I Know that You Know", and "Hallelujah".
During "Operation Ice Cream" at a U.S. Navy reservation in the Arctic, buddies Danny Xavier Smith and Rico Ferrari are exempted from a swimming lesson in the icy water when their friend, Chief Boatswain's Mate William F. Clark, recruits them to bake a birthday cake for the commander. Bill explains that a planeload of replacements is due in, and if they impress the commander with the cake, they may be selected to go home. When Bill leaves them in the kitchen, Danny and Rico admit that neither one knows how to bake, and they come up with the idea to poke holes in another sailor's failed attempt at a cake, fill the holes with rum, then dress the whole thing up with candles and icing. The commander is delighted, but the cake combusts when he blows out the candles, and the three friends find themselves transferred to "Operation Mud Pie" in a snake-infested swamp.
Later, on a two-day shore leave in San Francisco, Bill goes to the nightclub where his fiancée Ginger is the star performer. Ginger, who is angry about their six-year engagement, tells Bill that she has found someone else and breaks up with him. Meanwhile, Rico goes to see his widowed mother, who is entertaining her beau, florist Mr. Peroni. After Rico leaves, Peroni, who had been led to believe that Rico was only nine years old, looks at Mrs. Ferrari with new eyes, and they quarrel. Danny, meanwhile, goes to see his father, Rear Admiral Daniel Xavier Smith, one of a long line of admirals in the family. The admiral leaves for an out-of-town meeting, and Danny has a joyful reunion with his older sister Susan, who tells him she is dating actor Wendell Craig and might get a part in his new show.
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Wikipedia