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Cast
Ronald Reagan
as Cmdr. Casey Abbott (Captain, USS Starfish)
Nancy Reagan
as Nurse Lt. Helen Blair
Arthur Franz
as Lt. Cmdr. Don Landon (XO, USS Starfish)
Robert Arthur
as Freddy Warren
William Leslie
as Lt. Paul Prentice
William Phillips
as Carroll (as William Phillips)
Harry Lauter
as Lt. (j.g.) Wes Barton
Michael Garth
as Bill aka Lt. Charlie
Joe Turkel
as Chick (as Joseph Turkel)
Don Keefer
as Jug
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1957
Runtime1h 22m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationNR
GenresWar, Drama, Thriller
Votes16
DirectorNathan Juran
WritersBernard Gordon, David Lang
TypeFeature Film
Rating4.8 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsHellcats of the Navy
About Hellcats of the Navy
Future "first couple" Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis made their only joint film appearance in Hellcats of the Navy. Ronnie plays Casey Abbott, commander of a WW2 submarine, while Nancy portrays navy nurse Helen Blair, Abbott's off-and-on girlfriend. During a delicate mission in which his sub is ordered to retrieve a revolutionary new Japanese mine, Abbott is forced to leave frogman Wes Barton (Harry Lauter) behind to save the rest of his crew. But Abbott's second-in-command Don Landon (Eduard Franz) is convinced that Abbott's sacrifice of Barton was due to the fact that the dead man had been amorously pursuing Helen.
Directed by Nathan Juran, Hellcats of the Navy leans on a strong ensemble — Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Arthur Franz — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about war titles of 1957.
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