Taglines: A rusty sub. A rebel commander. A renegade crew. When destiny called, they should have hung up.
Down Periscope movie storyline. Lt. Commander Thomas Dodge (Kelsey Grammer) is about to be passed over a third time for his own nuclear submarine. The reasons given are (1) his unorthodox command methods, (2) an unfortunate “brushing” incident with a Russian submarine, and (3) after the incident, the rumor of a genital tattoo (“Welcome Aboard!”) received after getting blind drunk while on shore leave. Failure to secure a submarine will result in Dodge being dropped from the navy’s command program, and that means he will resign his commission.
During his career, Tom Dodge has made an enemy of Rear Admiral Yancy Graham (Bruce Dern), who strongly speaks out against Dodge’s promotion. Vice-Admiral Dean Winslow, ComSubLant (Rip Torn), on the other hand, likes Dodge and his unorthodox methods. A war game is planned to test the navy’s defenses against possible attack from older Soviet diesel-powered submarines in the hands of America’s enemies.
Among the defenses being tested is Dodge’s prior billet, the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Orlando. Dodge is selected to put the World War II-era Balao-class diesel sub USS Stingray (SS-161) back in commission as the war game’s Opposing Force. Winslow tells him to “think like a pirate”, promising Dodge that if he can sink a target ship placed in Norfolk Harbor, Dodge will be considered for a permanent command.
Graham also uses Stingray as a Navy pilot program to evaluate women serving on submarines, knowing the cramped diesel boat is unsuitable for mixed-gender living, and Surface Warfare Officer Lt. Emily Lake (Lauren Holly) joins the crew as Diving Officer. Using unorthodox tactics and a major storm to offset their huge technological disadvantage, Dodge and his crew achieve their first objective by sneaking in to Charleston Harbor and setting off signal flares. Now desperate to defeat Dodge, Graham cuts the war game containment area in half without Winslow’s authorization. Failing in their first attempt at Norfolk Harbor, Dodge leaves the reduced containment area and heads out to sea.
Irate at this lapse in protocol, the always strident and by-the-book Pascal (for whom the crew has no respect) attempts to take command of the Stingray; the crew does not supports his action. Dodge then charges Pascal with mutiny and, in mock-pirate fashion (and to the delight of the crew), forces his blindfolded XO to “walk the plank” into the raised fishing net of a waiting trawler that will take him ashore.
During Stingray’s second attempt at Norfolk, Graham assumes personal control of Orlando. Dodge employs an incredibly dangerous maneuver to sneak past the ships and aircraft protecting Norfolk. Orlando is eventually able to locate and chase her down. However, before the Orlando’s shooting solution is obtained, Dodge is able to fire two live torpedoes at 900 yards into the anchored target ship at Norfolk, winning the war game for Stingray.
Down Periscope is a 1996 American comedy film from 20th Century Fox, produced by Robert Lawrence, directed by David S. Ward, that stars Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, and Rob Schneider. The film co-stars Bruce Dern, Harry Dean Stanton, William H. Macy, and Rip Torn.
Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge fights to save his naval career while also being saddled with a group of misfit seamen brought together as the crew of his first command, the USS Stingray, a rusted and obsolete World War II-era diesel submarine recommissioned to participate in a special naval war-game.
Down Periscope (1996)
Directed by: David S. Ward
Starring: Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider, Harry Dean Stanton, Bruce Dern, Rip Torn, William H. Macy, onathan Penner, Harland Williams, Bradford Tatum
Screenplay by: Hugh Wilson, Andrew Kurtzman, Eliot Wald
Production Design by: Michael Corenblith
Cinematography by: Victor Hammer
Film Editing by: William M. Anderson, Armen Minasian
Costume Design by: Luke Reichle
Set Decoration by: Mickey S. Michaels
Art Direction by: Dan Webster
Music by: Randy Edelman
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some crude language.
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: March 1, 1996
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