''An Annapolis Story'' (

alternative title An alternative title is a media sales device most prominently used in film distribution. Books and films are commonly released under a different title when they are screened or sold in a different country. This can vary from small change to the ...

s: ''The Blue and Gold'' and ''Navy Air Patrol'') is a 1955 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Don Siegel Donald Siegel ( ; October 26, 1912 – April 20, 1991) was an American film and television director and producer. Siegel was described by ''The New York Times'' as "a director of tough, cynical and forthright action-adventure films whose taut ...

and starring John Derek,

Diana Lynn Diana Marie Lynn (born Dolores Eartha Loehr, July 5, 1926 – December 18, 1971) was an American actress. Early years Lynn was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Louis Loehr, was an oil supply executive, and her mother, Martha Loe ...

and

Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician, serving as House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as House Majority Leader under spea ...

. The film was a product of the newly formed Allied Artists company but with a low budget.

Plot

Brothers Tony and Jim Scott enroll as midshipmen at the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in Annapolis. Older brother Jim looks after the more impulsive Tony and helps him pass a difficult test so he can play football in the big Army-Navy game. However, Tony cannot follow the coach's directions and is benched. After the game, Jim introduces his brother to his longtime girlfriend Peggy Lord, and a rivalry soon develops over her affections. With the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

looming on the horizon, Jim and Tony are assigned to the same aircraft carrier during training. Jim continues to look out for Tony, even risking his own life. During a maneuver at sea involving

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

and naval jets, Tony's aircraft plummets off the deck in an aborted takeoff and he is knocked unconscious. Jim dives from a helicopter into the sea to rescue his brother. When Tony is sent to the Naval Academy hospital to recuperate, he resumes courting Peggy and asks her to marry him. Peggy turns him down and is torn between the two brothers because Jim had already asked her to marry, and she had put him off until after the Korean War is over. After graduation, the two brothers are no longer close. As they begin advance training as jet pilots at the Pensacola Naval Station, Tony attempts to patch up the relationship, but Jim rebuffs him. Assigned to an aircraft carrier overseas, Tony and Jim are on leave in Tokyo, where Tony meets Peggy, who tells him that it is Jim whom she really loves. He finally accepts the situation, and when he has the chance to make amends, Tony rescues Jim during a dangerous mission while courageously fighting off an enemy fighter during the rescue attempt. Checking on his wounded brother, he sees Peggy is there already and that Jim and Peggy will be happy together.

Cast

* John Derek as Anthony J. "Tony" Scott *

as Peggy Lord *

as James R. "Jim" Scott * Alvy Moore as Willie "Seaweed" Warren *

Pat Conway Patrick Douglas Conway (January 9, 1931 – April 24, 1981) was an American actor best known for starring as Sheriff Clay Hollister on the Western television series ''Tombstone Territory'' (1957–1960). Early years The son of Metro-Goldwy ...

as Tim Dooley * L. Q. Jones as Watson * John Kirby as Pete Macklin * Barbara Brown as Mrs. Scott * Fran Bennett as Connie Warren *

Betty Lou Gerson Betty Lou Gerson (April 20, 1914 – January 12, 1999) was an American actress, predominantly active in radio but also in film and television and as a voice actress. She is best known as the original voice of Cruella de Vil from the Disney anima ...

as Mrs. Lord *

Robert Osterloh Robert Osterloh (May 31, 1918 – April 16, 2001) was an American actor. His career spanned 20 years, appearing in films such as ''The Dark Past'' (1948), ''The Wild One'' (1953), '' I Bury the Living'' (1958) and ''Young Dillinger'' (1965). Bio ...

as Midshipman Laisson *

John Doucette John Arthur Doucette (January 21, 1921 – August 16, 1994) was an American character actor who performed in more than 280 film and television productions between 1941 and 1987. A man of stocky build who possessed a deep, rich voice, he p ...

as Boxing Coach *

Don Kennedy Donald J. Kennedy (born March 2, 1930) is an American radio and television personality and voice talent, whose career began in the late 1940s with a radio announcer spot on Pennsylvania station WPIC. In the mid-1950s, Kennedy was a contributo ...

as McClaren *

Don Haggerty Don Haggerty (July 3, 1914 – August 19, 1988) was an American actor of film and television. Early life and education Before he began appearing in films in 1947, Haggerty was a Brown University athlete and served in the United States Army ...

as Lieutenant Prentiss *

Don Keefer Donald Hood Keefer (August 18, 1916 – September 7, 2014) was an American actor known for his versatility in performing comedic, as well as highly dramatic, roles. In an acting career that spanned more than 50 years, he appeared in hundreds of ...

as Air Officer *

Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic '' The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institut ...

as Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)

Production

When director Don Siegel was assigned the project, ''An Annapolis Story'' was to be shot with a minimal budget, with directions to use as much stock footage as possible. Hampered by budgetary constraints and a minor rebellion from star John Derek, who insisted on switching roles with Kevin McCarthy at the last moment, Siegel made compromises, using his former background as an editor for major studios to his advantage. Siegel was known for his ability to complete productions on a tight budget. He would plan out scenes meticulously and worked quickly capturing the exact shots that he wanted with very few extra takes.Doll, Susan
"Articles: 'An Annapolis Story' (1955)."
''Turner Classic Movies''. Retrieved: November 14, 2015.

Reception

Rarely considered one of Siegel's significant films, ''An Annapolis Story'' received mildly positive reviews. Hal Erickson commented: "The faces are new and the settings up-to-date, but otherwise An Annapolis Story is the tried-and-true 'two guys and one girl' formula. ... the story centers upon two sibling cadets, Tony (John Derek) and Jim (Kevin McCarthy). The boys battle over the affections of Peggy (Diana Lynn), a triangle that seriously strains their fraternal relationship and compromises their effectiveness as officers-to-be and gentlemen. In the tradition of 1927's ''Wings'', the conflict is resolved ..."Erickson, Hal
"Synopsis: 'An Annapolis Story'."
''AllMovie''. Retrieved: November 14, 2015.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Pendo, Stephen. ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. .

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Annapolis Story, An 1955 films 1955 drama films Allied Artists films American aviation films American war drama films 1950s war drama films Films directed by Don Siegel Films produced by Walter Mirisch Korean War aviation films Films about the United States Navy 1950s English-language films 1950s American films