This Man's Navy (1945): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1945, This Man's Navy is a drama, adventure and war film directed by William A. Wellman, running about 100 minutes. “Love and Laughs and Roaring Action!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. During World War II, Chief Aviation Pilot Ned Trumpet is in charge of an airship at Lakehurst, New Jersey naval base. Trumpet orders an unauthorized and premature attack on a German submarine but the bomb misses and the submarine fires back, hitting the airship. Trumpet takes over the controls and sinks the submarine, The pilot faces a court-martial for disobeying orders but the older man takes the blame for his actions. Weaver transfers to the Ferry Command, and while on assignment in Burma, his aircraft crashes in Japanese territory. Trumpet rushes to the scene with a rescue team. Both are successfully brought out and are decorated for their heroism. Afterward, Weaver indicates that he will be returning to the lighter-than-air service in Lakehurst, to reunite with his "father".

Who’s in it. This Man's Navy stars Wallace Beery as Ned Trumpet, Tom Drake as Jess Weaver, James Gleason as Jimmy Shannon and Noah Beery as Joe Hodum, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.4/10, This Man's Navy has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch This Man's Navy page.

If you liked it. Fans of This Man's Navy tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.