A smooth-talking sailor looking for a quick date meets the granddaughter of an admiral and finds himself in a house full of top Navy officers, along with a couple of spies interested in plans for a new robot-controlled flight system.
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Title: Son of a Sailor (1933)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Joe E. Brown | ... | 'Handsome' Callahan | |
| Jean Muir | ... | Helen Farnsworth | |
| Frank McHugh | ... | 'Gaga' | |
| Thelma Todd | ... | The Baroness | |
| Johnny Mack Brown | ... | 'Duke' | |
| Sheila Terry | ... | Genevieve | |
 |
George Blackwood | ... | Armstrong |
| Merna Kennedy | ... | Isabel | |
| Kenneth Thomson | ... | Williams | |
| Samuel S. Hinds | ... | Admiral Farnsworth (as Samuel Hinds) | |
| Noel Francis | ... | Queenie | |
| Arthur Vinton | ... | Vincent | |
| George Irving | ... | Rear Admiral Lee | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Sailor Handsome from the aircraft carrier Saratoga meets in San Francisco Helen, a relative of his admiral. Invited at his home he meets a friend from his ship who has invented an autopilot for the planes. Two spies are trying to steal the plans, as well as the autopilot that is already installed at a plane. Handsome tries to stop them from doing this... Written by Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de>
Taglines:
ANKLES AWAY! here comes a sailor! Blow me down, if it ain't JOE E BROWN as a knave of the navy in "SON OF A SAILOR" The silliest salt that ever sailed the seven seas! (Print Ad- Albany Times-Union, ((Albany, NY)) 23 December 1933) See more »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
23 December 1933 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Cavando o Dele See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
(1906) (uncredited)
Music by Charles A. Zimmerman
Lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles
Played during the opening credits
Also sung by sailors
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Edward A. Lynch filed a suit in a U.S. Federal Court against Warner Bros/First National Pictures in 1940. Lynch asked for $100,000, claiming that his book, "When Homer Comes Marching Home," was plagiarized by the Warner production, "Son of a Sailor," which starred Joe E. Brown. Trial opened on Thursday, February 15, with Federal Judge Clraence G. Galston presiding. See more »Soundtracks
Anchors Aweigh(1906) (uncredited)
Music by Charles A. Zimmerman
Lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles
Played during the opening credits
Also sung by sailors
See more »
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While Joe E. Brown was a very popular comedian back in the 1930s, whenever I watch his films today I notice a certain sameness in all of them. Each feature Joe as a talkative braggart whose mouth usually gets him into trouble. Frankly, because he is such a fat-headed guy in the films, it seriously harms the films--as it makes it hard to like the guy. So, whenever I watch his films, I try to take them in small doses.
This one begins on a ship in the US Navy. Joe is a seaman and once again he brags about everything. Eventually, some of his lies come back to haunt him (such as at the boxing match and officers' dinner), but like a typical Brown film he is somehow rescued by divine fate (or the kindness of strangers) and somehow succeeds by the end of the film. It's all very watchable but the screaming (his shtick) at the end while supposedly flying a plane was really, really lame.
Overall, a pleasant and watchable film but if you've seen one Brown film, you've seen just about all of them!