Enjoyable WWII film about an aging sailor (Edward G. Robinson) coming into conflict with a young rival (Glenn Ford). It's all pretty by-the-numbers but some first-rate casting elevates it. Robinson excelled in playing parts like this. He brings a dignity and human touch to it that a lot of other actors wouldn't. Ford is great as well. This is young Glenn Ford before he developed his signature style where he always looked like he was ready to blow his top. There's good support from the likes of Edgar Buchanan, Regis Toomey, the very pretty Marguerite Chapman, and the always likable & funny Leo Gorcey. I'm sure people who are fans of these types of movies will enjoy it.

Eddie Robinson is first rate in this film about an old school sailor having to deal with the new kids on the block. I enjoyed seeing the scenes of San Diego boot camp since I went through the now extinct station myself. Glenn Ford is good too. I lost favor with him as he became older but his younger days stuff is good. The only part of the movie I didn't like was that the daughter eloped with Ford. I still think they should have consulted dad. But I guess the writer was trying to say that girls end up marrying the same guy as their father. The scene where Robinson rallies the boys with the story of John Paul Jones is one of the greatest in cinema. It had me balling! All in all, solid.

***SPOILERS*** One of the few and better WWII movies made during the conflict by Hollywood that minus the super patriotism and heroics so common in those films you can watch enjoy and appreciate even now almost 70 years after the war ended. Edward G.Robinson as 50 year old sea salt and WWI vet Steve "Boley" Boleslavski gives one of his finest performances that's so out of character of what we've seen of him that he should have gotten but didn't an Academy Award for it. In fact Robinson didn't even get nominated for one!The movie centers around this US Navy destroyer the USS John Paul Jones, effectively called Jonnie by its crew, which Boley served on in WWI. Having been sunk in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine a second John Paul Jones was build that Boley as a shipyard welder help in building. Now commissioned and sent out to sea Boley did everything that he could to get assigned to it even though he was out of the US Navy for years. With the help of his friend and boat's Captain Lt. Commander Clark, Rigis Toomy, Boley got his wish. But as things soon turned it didn't turn out to be the great deal that he expected it would be.The story is really more of a love not war story about a man and his boat. "Destoryer" has Boley almost get drummed out of the navy in his incompetence as a sailor in living in the past, WWI, not in the present WWII in not realizing that things dramatically changed in naval warfare as well as ship construction. There's also the fact that Boley soon gets into serious trouble with the ships gunnery mate Mickey Donohue, Glenn Ford, who feels that the old man in his messing everything up is a pain in the butt to every sailor on the boat. It's when Mickey meets and falls in love with Boley's 22 year old daughter Mary, Marguerite Chapman, that his opinion towards Boley changes somewhat not not that much. The two end up slugging each other that almost has them both court martial-ed and thrown into the brig.***SPOILERS*** Sent off to the far off Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific in a non combat supporting role, as a mail delivery ship, it's in the fighting there where both Boley and his beloved destroyer the John Paul Jones finally redeemed themselves. Not in only surviving a Jap torpedo hit but with Boley's heroic help keeping the John Paul Jones from going under the waves! It's just then, as daylight or day break was about to dawned, the John Paul Jones ends up ramming the Jap submarine before it could surface and finish off the disabled ship with its deck guns! Tension packed final as Boley working against time with his hand picked crew including his fellow WWI vet and John Paul Jones the first shipmate Kansas Jackson, Edger Buchanan, keeping their ship form taking on water and sinking to the bottom of the freezing Barring Sea. Bearly alive, from what he went through, at the end Boley finally earned the respect of the ship's crew who at one time wanted nothing better then to throw him overboard.

First Rate for the period. A good patriotic Navy film, in the class with "Men of Honor" and Top Gun. Great depiction of sailors,Ships and the sea. As a U.S. Navy Veteran and "Tin-can-Sailor" an affectionate term for "Destroyer" Sailors, this shows the connection of the men and the Ship. The personality and the Valor of the Ship and her namesake and the men that make HER sail. To the sailor she is more than just steel that floats, she is Life; one lives, eats and sleeps the ship. If she don't float, we die. She takes us in harm's way and if we do it right, she brings us home. Home is the sailor, home from the sea. "Well done "Boli."