''Murder In the Fleet'' is a 1935 American murder mystery/

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

set aboard . Released by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

, the film was directed by

Edward Sedgwick Edward Sedgwick (November 7, 1889 – March 7, 1953) was an American film director, writer, actor and producer. Early life He was born in Galveston, Texas, the son of Edward Sedgwick, Sr. and Josephine Walker, both stage actors. At the age ...

and stars Robert Taylor and

Jean Parker Jean Parker (born Lois May Green; August 11, 1915 – November 30, 2005) was an American film and stage actress. A native of Montana, indigent during the Great Depression, she was adopted by a family in Pasadena, California at age ten. She in ...

Plot

Captain John Winslow (

Arthur Byron Arthur William Byron (April 3, 1872 – July 16, 1943) was an American actor. who played a mixture of British and American roles in films. Early years Byron was the son of actors Kate Crehan and Oliver Doud Byron. He was a nephew of the stage ...

) is notified by the Secretary of the Navy that his cruiser will be receiving a new firing control gear manufactured by World Electric company, which is supposed to revolutionize naval warfare. The gear vanishes and is quickly located by intelligence officers where it is being transported across the Mexican border. When the gear is returned to the ship the secrecy surrounding the events catches the notice of reporter Walter Drake (J. Anthony Hughes). Lieutenant Tom Randolph ( Robert Taylor) and Captain Winslow welcome visitors Al Duval (

Raymond Hatton Raymond William Hatton (July 7, 1887 – October 21, 1971) was an American film actor who appeared in almost 500 motion pictures. Biography Hatton was born in Red Oak, Iowa. His physician father steered him toward a career in medicine. Howev ...

), who works for World Electric Company, and Victor Hanson (

Jean Hersholt Jean Pierre Carl Buron (12 July 1886 – 2 June 1956), known professionally as Jean Hersholt, was a Danish-American actor. He is best known for starring on the radio series '' Dr. Christian'' (1937–1954) and in the film '' Heidi'' (1937).Obitu ...

) from the Navy Department, aboard while the gear is installed. Meanwhile, Sailor Spud Burke (

Nat Pendleton Nathaniel Greene Pendleton (August 9, 1895 – October 12, 1967) was an American Olympic wrestler, film actor, and stage performer. His younger brother, Edmund J. Pendleton (1899-1987), was a well-known music composer and choir master ...

) gets caught between his sweetheart Toots Timmons (

Una Merkel Una Merkel (December 10, 1903 – January 2, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actress. Merkel was born in Kentucky and acted on stage in New York in the 1920s. She went to Hollywood in 1930 and became a popular film ...

) and an old flame Betty Lansing (

). When the new gear is being lifted into place a cable breaks and it is dropped, later this is found to be an act of sabotage. To add to the confusion, Al Duval is murdered during a gun salute. The investigation begins and suspicions are running high when a second murder takes place, this time it is the chief electrician. The Captain devises a plot to trap the murderer and the trail soon leads to the powder magazine, where Victor Hanson threatens to blow up the ship. Hanson claims that World Electric Company had stolen the idea and he wants revenge. Ultimately Hanson is captured and the gear is installed.

Cast

* Robert Taylor as Lt. Tom 'Tommy' Randolph *

as Betty Lansing *

Ted Healy Ted Healy (born Charles Ernest Lee Nash; October 1, 1896 – December 21, 1937) was an American vaudeville performer, comedian, and actor. Though he is chiefly remembered as the creator of The Three Stooges and the style of slapstick comedy th ...

as Gabby' Mac ONeill *

as 'Toots' Timmons *

as 'Spud' Burke *

as Victor Hanson *

as Capt. John Winslow *

Frank Shields Francis Xavier Alexander Shields Sr. (November 18, 1909 – August 19, 1975) was an American amateur tennis player of the 1920s and 1930s, and an actor known for ''Hoosier Schoolboy'' (1937). Tennis career Between 1928 and 1945 he was ranked e ...

as Lt. Arnold * Donald Cook as Lt. Cmdr. David Tucker * Mischa Auer as Kamchukan consul (uncredited) * Ward Bond as 'Heavy' Johnson (uncredited) * Phyllis Crane as (uncredited) *

Mary Doran Mary Doran (September 8, 1910 – September 6, 1995) was an American actress. She appeared in more than 80 films from 1927 to 1944. Biography Doran was born in New York and attended public schools there before graduating and going to Colum ...

as Jenny Lane (uncredited) * Tom Dugan as 'Greasy' (uncredited) * Fred Graham as Crewman (uncredited) * Roger Gray as Yard Master (uncredited) *

as Mr. Al Duval (uncredited) * Robert Livingston as Spencer - Ship's Doctor (uncredited) *

Keye Luke Keye Luke (, Cantonese: Luk Shek Kee; June 18, 1904 – January 12, 1991) was a Chinese-born American film and television actor, technical advisor and artist and a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild. He was known for playing Lee Chan, t ...

as Consul's Secretary (uncredited) *

George Magrill George Magrill (January 5, 1900 – May 31, 1952) was an American film actor who appeared in more than 320 films between 1923 and 1952. Magrill performed on stage before he began to work in films. Besides his acting, Magrill worked as a s ...

as Sailor on Watch (uncredited) *

J.P. McGowan John Paterson McGowan (February 24, 1880 – March 26, 1952) was a pioneering Hollywood actor and director and occasionally a screenwriter and producer. McGowan remains the only Australian to have been made a life member of the Screen Directo ...

as Chief of Police (uncredited) * Leila McIntyre as Mrs. Justin (uncredited) *

Edward Norris Septimus Edward Norris (March 10, 1911 – December 18, 2002) was an American film actor. Early years Norris was born in 1911, the son of a prominent Philadelphia gynecologist, who was described in a newspaper article as "a famous surgeon and ...

as Sleepy - Sailor (uncredited) *

Lee Phelps Lee Phelps (born Napoleon Bonaparte Kukuck; May 15, 1893 – March 19, 1953) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 600 films between 1917 and 1953, mainly in uncredited roles. He also appeared in three films that won the Acade ...

as Officer Berating Guard (uncredited) *

Syd Saylor Syd or SYD may refer to: *Syd (name), including a list of people with the name * ''Syd.'', taxonomic author abbreviation of Hans Sydow (1879–1946), German mycologist * Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ** IATA code for Sydney Airport, New South ...

as Chief Petty Officer (uncredited) *

Richard Tucker Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913January 8, 1975) was an American operatic tenor and cantor. Long associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker's career was primarily centered in the United States. Early life Tucker was born Rivn (Rubin) Ticke ...

as Harry Jeffries (uncredited) * Charles C. Wilson as Cmdr. Brown (uncredited)

Crew

* George B. Seitz - Second Unit Director (uncredited) * Al Shenberg - Assistant Director (uncredited) *

Cedric Gibbons Austin Cedric Gibbons (March 23, 1890 – July 26, 1960) was an Irish-American art director for the film industry. He also made a significant contribution to motion picture theater architecture from the 1930s to 1950s. Gibbons designed the ...

– Art Director * David Townsend – Associate Art Director * Edwin B. Willis – Associate Art Director * Edward Ward - composer: stock music (uncredited) *

Douglas Shearer Douglas Graham Shearer (November 17, 1899 – January 5, 1971) was a Canadian American pioneering sound designer and recording director who played a key role in the advancement of sound technology for motion pictures. The elder brother of ac ...

– Recording Director * Fred Gabourie – Set Designer (uncredited)

Box office

According to MGM records the film earned $345,000 in the US and Canada and $285,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $216,000.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Murder In The Fleet 1935 films 1930s mystery comedy-drama films American mystery comedy-drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by Edward Sedgwick Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Military humor in film 1930s English-language films 1930s American films