The ship that served as the "Belinda" in the movie was a sister ship to the one I served on in the Pacific Amphibious Force in the 1960s. She is a World War II Victory Class Attack Transport who main battery, as the Captain said, are her boats (we carried 26). The ships in one of the scenes with the sailing craft were all Atlantic Amphibious Force ships. The USS Sandoval (APA-194) was the "Belinda". The five inch gun, seen firing in the air attack scene, is at the USS Alabama (BB-60) Memorial along with the five inch guns off of other attack transports. When I see this movie I can see my own ship of so long ago. I hope those who see this movie will understand a little better what was involved in the over-the-beach invasions during World War II. Jeff Chandler did a good job of portraying a Captain who's job it was to put a new ship into commission and get the crew prepared for combat. A great many of the officers of these ships were Naval Reservists, some with merchant marine background as is the 1st Lieutenant in the movie, so many of them had years at sea and had commanded ships of their own. Thrown into active naval service they sometimes, as shown, hold a little resentment at being told what to do. The Executive Officer was shown to be, at best, lazy or uninterested. He comes around and volunteers for a hazardous duty which earns the admiration of the 1st Lieutenant. Overall, the movie was well done and, for the reasons stated above, believe it would be worth viewing by the younger generation.

Away All Boats is directed by Joseph Pevney and adapted to screenplay by Ted Sherdeman from the novel written by Kenneth M. Dodson. It stars Jeff Chandler, George Nader, Lex Barker, Julie Adams, Richard Boone and Charles McGraw. A Technicolor/Vista/Vision production, music is by Frank Skinner and Heinz Roemheld and cinematography by William H. Daniels.Captain Jebediah Hawks (Chandler) is determined to whip his newly acquired crew into shape aboard The Belinda, a transport ship serving the waters of the South Pacific as the Japanese hone in for the kill.Standard rank and file war movie of the era here, it looks nice, action is decently put together and is dotted along the narrative at regular intervals. The cast are watchable thesps as well, but it lacks heart in the characterisations as written on the page. The core meat of the story is the emotional hodge-podge aboard the Belinda, as Captain Jebediah rules with an iron fist and his charges respond to varying degrees of annoyance, we await the inevitable bond of men and flag waving histrionics. It just takes too long to develop and when the finale comes, what should be a moment of emotional wallop, comes rather as a merciful release that finally the near two hour movie is over. 6/10

I am going to give reasons here why "Away All Boats" is just about the best naval drama ever put onto film. Self-evidently, this unpretentious but absorbing movie has a lot going for it, Among its assets are beautiful color photography, a stellar cast headed by Jeff Chandler as Captain Jeb Hawks, steady direction by Joseph Pevney, a very good cast, dramatic situations and very interesting characters. Standouts in the very unusually-large cast include Richard Boone, Charles Mcgraw, Keith Andes, Arthur Space, Frank Faylen and James Westerfield. All the creators and technicians involved have given this film a very spacious and attractive look. Kenneth Dodson's intelligent novel has been realized here as a very in-depth look at how the US Navy's officers and enlisted men got their job done in WWII. If anything was missing from the final product, it was three minor elements. Jeff Chandler, fresh off his most charismatic work in "Flame of Araby" here acts well but lacks his usual voltage to a degree; George Naderis attractive and adequate as his heir apparent, but Keith Andes should have played this vital role. And there could perhaps have been a bit more character development accorded to some of the other crewmen along the way in Ted Sherdeman's generally excellent film script. But the several battle scenes are very excitingly-mounted and staged; the dialogue is always above average; Hawks' warning the kamikaze planes away from his vessel is an unforgettable moment; and the long climax as the men try to save their ship after the captain has been killed, following his dying advice, is an unforgettable achievement. Julie Adams plays Nader's lovely wife, and there is comedy and incompetence, bravery and extreme ingenuity on exhibit throughout. This is an adult film about the Navy; but it is also about what it takes to be a successful human being, especially in a time of great danger or challenge. One of my favorite never-missed and always-recommended cinematic works.

Away All Boats is a nice war picture about the captain and crew of a Navy transport ship in World War II. Jeff Chandler is all navy and the total professional as he takes command of the USS Belinda and whips the crew and the ship into professional fighting trim.But command is a lonely business and the captain is slowly broken down both physically and mentally. In a way, Chandler's Jebediah Hawks is the antithesis of the Captain in Mister Roberts. Chandler is also in one of the less glamorous parts of the Navy, but even as a disciplinarian, he commands respect in a way that James Cagney in Mister Roberts never could and never will.Chandler gets good support in this film from the rest of the cast which includes such professionals as Richard Boone, George Nader, Lex Barker, and Charles McGraw.Good war picture, I highly recommend it.