''All Ashore'' is a 1953 American

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as brea ...

directed by

Richard Quine Richard Quine (November 12, 1920June 10, 1989) was an American director, actor, and singer. He began acting as a child in radio, vaudeville, and stage productions before being signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in his early twenties. When his acting ...

and starring

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

Dick Haymes Richard Benjamin Haymes (September 13, 1918 – March 28, 1980) was an Argentinian singer and actor. He was one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, an actor, television host, ...

Peggy Ryan Margaret O'Rene Ryan (August 28, 1924 – October 30, 2004) was an American dancer and actress, best known for starring in a series of movie musicals at Universal Pictures with Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean. Career Ryan joined her paren ...

and

Ray McDonald Raymondo Antoine McDonald (born September 2, 1984) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida, where he was a member o ...

. In the tradition of MGM's ''

Anchors Aweigh "Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmermann with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. When he composed "Anchors Aweigh", Zim ...

'' and '' On the Town'', the film tells the stories of three sailors (Rooney,

crooner Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...

and dancer

) on

shore leave Shore leave is the leave that professional sailors get to spend on dry land. It is also known as "liberty" within the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. During the Age of Sail, shore leave was often abused by the ...

Santa Catalina Island, California Santa Catalina Island ( xgf, Pimuu'nga or ; es, Isla Santa Catalina) is a rocky island off the coast of Southern California in the Gulf of Santa Catalina. The island name is often shortened to Catalina Island or just Catalina. The island is ...

, where much of the film was shot. A former MGM contract star, McDonald was married to

at the time, with ''All Ashore'' being the last film for both of them.

Plot

Three

petty officer A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotation OR-5 or OR-6. In many nations, they are typically equal to a sergeant in comparison to other military branches. Often they may be super ...

s have returned from Korea on the

battle cruiser The battlecruiser (also written as battle cruiser or battle-cruiser) was a type of capital ship of the first half of the 20th century. These were similar in displacement, armament and cost to battleships, but differed in form and balance of attr ...

, and disembark for long awaited shore leave in California. Skip and Joe have no money due to losses in a crap game, but their shipmate Francis "Moby" Dickerson has $300 ($ today) he won in

poker Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game wa ...

. Skip and Joe have constantly taken advantage of Moby throughout their cruise and once again beg some money off him. Moby wishes to spend his leave on Santa Catalina but his shipmates take an unwilling Moby to an off-limits clip joint bar where

bargirl A bargirl is a woman who is paid to entertain patrons in a bar, either individually or, in some cases, as a performer. The exact nature of the entertainment varies widely from place to place; depending on the venue this can be individual enterta ...

s and a bartender

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhala ...

and rob them of all their money. Waking up broke and guilty but wiser, Joe is determined to get Moby to Santa Catalina by using his scheming ability. Joe arranges their passage and $5 each in exchange for Moby working on the ship. Skip meets dancer Gay Knight where an impromptu dance session earns them some more money that entertained passengers throw at them. Gay takes them to her

trailer park A trailer park,caravan park, mobile home park, mobile home community or manufactured home community is a temporary or permanent area for mobile homes and travel trailers. Advantages include low cost compared to other housing, and quick and ea ...

where the three have enough money for two of them to rent a cabin; Moby has to sneak in at night and sleep at the floor. Skip arranges more money and meals for a second day by having Moby work as a waiter in a night club. Moby meets Nancy, the daughter of the trailer park owner, when she hits him in the head with a horseshoe, but Skip later sweeps her off her feet and takes her for his own girl. After entering the wrong cabin and unsuccessfully hiding from the two women living there, Moby becomes further dejected when he feels out of place accompanying his shipmates and their girlfriends to the beach. The unwanted Moby decides to return to the mainland. Having to wait half an hour for the next ship, Moby's luck changes when he meets Jane, whose motorboat is not working. In fixing the engine, Moby is thrown in the water. Jane takes Moby to her father's yacht where his uniform can dry out. She invites Moby to a party and her father, the Commodore, invites Moby to sail with them to the mainland. On the way to the party Jane's boat fails again with both Moby and Jane being thrown into the water as the boat comes to life and motors off without them. Moby gets his confidence back by saving Jane, who cannot swim, and using his navigation skills to get them back to safety in

Avalon Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...

. Jane's grateful father throws a party for Moby where he turns the tables on his scheming shipmates when the sheriff, who had arrested Joe and Skip, turn them over to Moby where he has them fanning him and Jane in the manner of servants.

Cast

as Francis 'Moby' Dickerson *

as Joe Carter *

as Gay Knight *

as Skip Edwards *

Barbara Bates Barbara Jane Bates (August 6, 1925 – March 18, 1969) was an American singer and actress, best known for her portrayal of Phoebe in the 1950 drama film ''All About Eve''. and as Katy Morgan on '' It's a Great Life'' (1954–1956). Early life ...

as Jane Stanton *

Jody Lawrance Jody Lawrance (born Nona Josephine Goddard; October 19, 1930 – July 10, 1986) was an American actress who starred in many Hollywood films during the 1950s through the early 1960s. Biography She was born October 19, 1930 as Nona Josephi ...

as Nancy Flynn *

Fay Roope Fay Roope (born Winfield Harding Roope; October 20, 1893 – September 13, 1961) was a Harvard graduate and a character actor who appeared in American theater in New York City from the 1920s through 1950, and in American film and television from ...

as Commodore Stanton * Jean Willes as Rose * Rica Owen as Dotty * Patricia Edwards as Susie (as Patricia Walker) * Eddie Parker as Sheriff Billings (as Edwin Parker)

References

External links

* * {{Richard Quine 1953 films Films directed by Richard Quine Military humor in film 1953 musical comedy films Columbia Pictures films American musical comedy films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links