Down Periscope

Down Periscope
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	David S. Ward
Produced by	Robert Lawrence
Written by	Story: Hugh Wilson Screenplay: Hugh Wilson Andrew Kurtzman Eliot Wald
Starring	Kelsey Grammer
Music by	Randy Edelman
Cinematography	Victor Hammer
Editing by	William M. Anderson Armen Minasian
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	March 1, 1996 (US)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$37,553,752[1]

Down Periscope is a 1996 comedy film starring Kelsey Grammer as the captain of a rust-bucket Navy submarine, the USS Stingray, who is fighting for his career.

David S. Ward directed the film. Rob Schneider and Lauren Holly co-star as officers on the sub. Also featured are Harry Dean Stanton, Bruce Dern, William H. Macy and Rip Torn.

Plot

Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge (Kelsey Grammer), a capable yet unorthodox US Navy officer, is about to be denied command of his own submarine for a third time because of his unconventional ways. Failure to secure a command will result in him being dropped from the command program and an assignment to a desk job, and he is particularly opposed by Rear Admiral Yancy Graham (Bruce Dern).

Vice Admiral Dean Winslow (Rip Torn) finds the perfect use for Dodge, however, when Winslow launches a war-game to test the Navy's defenses against enemy diesel submarines. Among those defenses being tested is the Navy's newest sub, the Los Angeles-class USS Orlando, which will be commanded by Commander Carl Knox (William H. Macy). For this purpose, Dodge gains command of the rusty World War II era Balao-class diesel sub, the USS Stingray, SS-161.

Adm. Winslow gives Dodge the order to "throw the book out" and to "think like a pirate" and advises that if he can win the war-game, including sinking a mock target in Norfolk harbor, Winslow will consider Dodge for command of a nuclear submarine.

Adm. Graham, motivated by his dislike for Dodge and his own ambition, arranges circumstances to make Dodge's mission even more difficult. Graham handpicks a motley crew for the Stingray consisting of rejects and misfits: hot-tempered and uptight Lieutenant Martin Pascal (Rob Schneider) as Executive Officer, rebellious Engineman 1st Class Brad Stapanek, sharp-eared Sonar Technician 2nd Class E.T. "Sonar" Lovacelli, compulsive gambler Seaman Stanley "Spots" Sylvesterson, former U.S. Naval Academy basketball player Jefferson "R.J." Jackson (Duane Martin), who has dreams of playing in the NBA, shock-prone (and shock-addled) electrician Seaman Nitro, and the not-so-culinary cook Seaman Buckman (Ken Hudson Campbell). Graham also uses the Stingray to institute a pilot program by the Navy for evaluating the feasibility of women serving on submarines, knowing that the diesel boat is unsuitable for mixed-gender living; Lieutenant Emily Lake (Lauren Holly) joins the crew as Diving Officer.

Using unorthodox tactics to offset their technological disadvantage, Dodge and the Stingray crew win their first objective by getting into and setting off flares in Charleston Harbor. Desperate to defeat Dodge, Graham cuts the containment area for the war-game in half without authorization. Running into trouble on their first attempt at Norfolk harbor, Dodge leaves the exercise area. Irate at this lapse in protocol, the zealous by-the-book Pascal attempts to gain command of the Stingray, but no one supports him. Without support, his attempt is considered mutiny and, thinking like a pirate, Dodge makes him walk the plank into a fishing trawler.

During the Stingray's second attempt at Norfolk, Graham assumes personal command of the Orlando. After some risky maneuvers by the Stingray, the Orlando is able to chase her down and obtain a shooting solution which appears to end the game, until a prior torpedo launch by Dodge wins it for the Stingray.

Adm. Winslow congratulates Dodge on a job well done and confides that crewman Stapanak is his own son. The admiral informs Dodge that he will not get a Los Angeles-class submarine as requested, but instead a Seawolf-class submarine, which is a newer and much larger craft, plus a "proper crew" along with it. Dodge rejects the latter notion, requesting to transfer the entire crew of the Stingray. He then launches a romantic mission with Lt. Lake.

Closing credits include a music video of the Village People and the film's cast performing "In the Navy".

Cast

• Kelsey Grammer as Lt. Commander Thomas "Tom" Dodge, Commanding Officer
• Lauren Holly as Lt. Emily Lake, Diving Officer
• Rob Schneider as Lt. Martin T. "Marty" Pascal, Executive Officer
• Harry Dean Stanton as CPO Howard, Chief Engineer
• Bruce Dern as Rear Admiral Yancy Graham, Officer in Charge of War Games
• William H. Macy as Commander Carl Knox, Commanding Officer USS Orlando
• Ken Hudson Campbell as Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Buckman, Cook
• Toby Huss as Seaman Nitro "Mike", Electrician
• Duane Martin as Planesman 1st Class Jefferson "R.J." Jackson, Helmsman
• Jonathan Penner as Seaman Stanley "Spots" Sylvesterson, Helmsman
• Bradford Tatum as Engineman 1st Class Brad Stepanak, Engineman
• Harland Williams as Sonarman 2nd Class E.T. "Sonar" Lovacelli, Sonar Technician
• Rip Torn as Vice Admiral Dean Winslow, Submarine Force Commander

Production and release

Down Periscope began shooting on May 6, 1995 and finished on July 27.^[2] The USS Pampanito, a Balao-class submarine from World War II, now a museum ship and memorial in San Francisco, played the part of the USS Stingray.

The film makes use of both standard U.S.Navy footage as well as scenes filmed specifically for the movie. The shots of the fictional USS Orlando were taken of the USS Springfield, homeported at the New London Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut, during a one-day VIP cruise for the christening committee of the USS Seawolf.^[3]

Down Periscope had its US theatrical release on March 1, 1996, and was first released on home video five months later, on August 6.^[2]

Reception

Critical reception was generally low for Down Periscope, holding a 13% positive rating on the film aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.^[4]

References

1. ^ Down Periscope at Box Office Mojo
2. ^ ^{a b} TCM Notes Misc. Notes
3. ^ Personal recollection of James Covington, LT USN (Retired), CSO of USS Springfield from September 1994 to August 1997^{[verification needed]}
4. ^ Down Periscope at Rotten Tomatoes

External links

Film portal

• Down Periscope at the Internet Movie Database
• Down Periscope at AllRovi
• Down Periscope at the TCM Movie Database
• Down Periscope at Rotten Tomatoes
• Down Periscope at Box Office Mojo