''Sail a Crooked Ship'' is a 1961 American black-and-white comedy heist film starring

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and '' Hart to Hart'' (1979� ...

Dolores Hart Dolores Hart, O.S.B. (born Dolores Hicks; October 20, 1938) is an American Roman Catholic Benedictine nun who was a prominent actress. Following her movie debut with Elvis Presley in '' Loving You'' (1957), she made ten films in five years, inc ...

Carolyn Jones Carolyn Sue Jones (April 28, 1930 – August 3, 1983) was an American actress of television and film. Jones began her film career in the early 1950s, and by the end of the decade had achieved recognition with a nomination for an Academy ...

Frankie Avalon Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American actor, singer, and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including number one hits, "Venus" an ...

Ernie Kovacs Ernest Edward Kovacs (January 23, 1919 – January 13, 1962) was a Hungarian-American comedian, actor, and writer. Kovacs's visually experimental and often spontaneous comedic style influenced numerous television comedy programs for years afte ...

and

Frank Gorshin Frank John Gorshin Jr. (April 5, 1933 – May 17, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He made many guest appearances on '' The Ed Sullivan Show'' and '' Tonight Starring Steve Allen''. As an actor, he played the Riddler on ...

. It was directed by

Irving Brecher Irving S. Brecher (January 17, 1914 – November 17, 2008) was a screenwriter who wrote for the Marx Brothers among many others; he was the only writer to get sole credit on a Marx Brothers film, penning the screenplays for '' At the Circus'' ( ...

and was based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Nathaniel Benchley. ''Sail a Crooked Ship'' was Kovacs' last movie, released shortly before he was killed in a car crash. Hart's other 1961 film, ''

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

'', inspired her to retire from acting two years later and become a Roman Catholic nun.

Plot

When Gilbert Barrows (

) disobeys his boss and tries to refit an old

Liberty Ship Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Ma ...

for cargo use instead of scrapping it, he inadvertently puts it into the hands of a colorful group of crooks led by good-hearted screw-up Bugsy G. Fogelmeyer (

) and brainy sociopath George M. Wilson (

). The crooks plan to use the ship to make their getaway after they pull a

bank robbery Bank robbery is the criminal act of stealing from a bank, specifically while bank employees and customers are subjected to force, violence, or a threat of violence. This refers to robbery of a bank branch or teller, as opposed to other bank- ...

in Boston, and they kidnap Barrows and his girlfriend Elinor Harrison (

) – his boss's daughter – to prevent leaving any witnesses behind. With the help of Bugsy's nephew Rodney J. Fogelmeyer (

), Gilbert and Elinor manage to foil the crooks' plans by using Elinor's bra as a slingshot and attracting the Coast Guard.

Cast

as Gilbert Barrows *

as Elinor Harrison *

as Virginia *

as Bugsy G. Foglemeyer alias "The Captain" *

as Ensign Rodney J. Foglemeyer *

as George M. Wilson * Jesse White as McDonald *

Harvey Lembeck Harvey Lembeck (April 15, 1923 – January 5, 1982) was an American comedic actor best remembered for his role as Cpl. Rocco Barbella on ''The Phil Silvers Show'' (a.k.a. ''Sgt. Bilko'', a.k.a. ''You'll Never Get Rich'') in the late 1950s, and a ...

as Nickels * Sid Tomack as Sammy * Guy Raymond as Helmut * Buck Kartalian as Finster * Wilton Graff as Simon J. Harrison * Marjorie Bennett as Mrs. Chowder

Production

The film was based on a novel published in 1960. The ''New York Times'' called it "slightly daffy". Producer Philip Barry thought the novel would make a good film. He pitched it to MGM for whom he had made '' The Mating Game'' but that studio passed. Barry went on to sign a three picture deal at Columbia Studios.TIME LAG DAMPENS PRODUCER'S ZEAL: Philip Barry Jr. Has Many a Slip in Putting Idea on Film By MURRAY SCHUMACH Special to The New York Times. 11 May 1961: 41. In June 1960 Barry said his first film for Columbia would be ''Sail a Crooked Ship'' which he described as "''

Some Like It Hot ''Some Like It Hot'' is a 1959 American crime comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, with George Raft, Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitne ...

'' without drag". He hoped to star

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadi ...

and hired William Bowers to write the script. "I can't remember how many opinions were brought to bear on the script," said Barry later. "The ship has changed course quite a few times since I read the book." In January 1961 Ernie Kovacs was cast. Also that month Columbia announced the lead role would be played by Robert Wagner. He and then-wife Natalie Wood formed their own company, Rona Productions, which signed a three picture deal with Columbia for Wagner's services. The first film was ''Sail a Crooked Ship'' and the second would be ''The Interns''. Wagner would get a percentage of the profits. (In the end, Wagner's marriage to Wood ended in 1961 and he only made the one film for Columbia). In March it was announced the female leads would be

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primeti ...

and

Jean Seberg Jean Dorothy Seberg (; ; November 13, 1938August 30, 1979) was an American actress who lived half of her life in France. Her performance in Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 film ''Breathless'' immortalized her as an icon of French New Wave cinema. Seb ...

. These roles would end up being played by Carolyn Jones and Dolores Hart. Following the hijacking of the Portuguese ship ''Santa Maria'' the studio briefly considered renaming the film ''Steal a Crooked Ship'' to cash in.Producers Rushing Films on Piracy Los Angeles Times 3 Feb 1961: A9. Barry wanted further work on the script but Bowers was on another project, so he hired other writers. (Bowers ended up not being credited at all.) Filming started April 1961 without a completed script. Barry said during the shoot, "basically we are in the same position as a play in New Haven with a third act that needs work before it gets to Broadway."

References

Notes

External links

* *{{tcmdb title, 88887 1961 comedy films 1960s heist films 1961 films American black-and-white films American comedy films American heist films Columbia Pictures films Films based on American novels Films based on works by Nathaniel Benchley Films directed by Irving Brecher Films scored by George Duning Seafaring films 1960s English-language films 1960s American films

Plot

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links