The Wackiest Ship in the Army
Original Movie Cover
Directed by	Richard Murphy
Written by	Herbert Carlson
Starring	Jack Lemmon Ricky Nelson
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	December 20, 1960
Running time	99 min.
Language	English

The Wackiest Ship in the Army is a 1960 comedy film starring Jack Lemmon and Ricky Nelson.

Plot summary

Lieutenant Rip Crandall (Jack Lemmon) is hoodwinked into taking command of the "Wackiest Ship in the Navy" (or the Army?) - a real garbage scow with a crew of misfits who don't know a jib from a jigger. What none of them knows, including Crandall, is that this ship has a very important top-secret mission to complete in waters patrolled by the Japanese fleet. Their mission will save hundreds of allied lives - if only they can get there in one piece. Crandell's Ensign (junior officer) is Tommy Hanson (Ricky Nelson).

Cast

• Jack Lemmon as Lt. Rip Crandell
• Ricky Nelson as Tommy J. Hanson
• John Lund as Lt. Cmdr. Wilbur F. Vandewater
• Chips Rafferty as Patterson (coast watcher)
• Tom Tully as Capt. McClung
• Joby Baker as Josh Davidson
• Warren Berlington as Radioman 2nd Class A.J. 'Sparks' Sparks
• Patricia Driscoll as Maggie

TV Series

The story was also used for the 1965 TV series The Wackiest Ship in the Army (TV series).

Ship

• The USS Kiwi was based on the real-life USS Echo, a 40 year old schooner or scow that was transferred from the New Zealand government to the US Navy in 1942, and returned to the New Zealand government in 1944.

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