Coast Guard History
Frequently Asked Questions
The Coast Guard In Film
Whether with or without the cooperation of
the Coast Guard, the nation’s oldest sea-going service has been
well-documented in Hollywood film throughout the years. In feature
films, serials, short subjects or cartoons the Coast Guard often has been
portrayed as star material or as background. With the advent of
television the Coast Guard has starred in, co-starred in or been part of the
cast, either in made-for-TV films or episodic TV shows. The Coast
Guard has participated in and provided background for music videos,
children’s videos, documentaries, and educational programs. Listed
below for your entertainment are various titles of films where the Coast
Guard was the principle protagonist along with some short subjects and
documentaries. The list is ever-growing and ever-changing, so from
time to time this site will be updated. Television appearances have
not been included in this initial list.
Special thanks to Commander Ralph
Judd, USCG (ret) who did the original research, published a book on the
subject and provided the impetus for this project. Lieutenant Sanford
R. Sears, USCGR, researched and wrote the entries for this section of the
website.
FEATURE FILMS:
The
Yellow Traffic, 1914
A Blache Features, Inc. A silent
film starring Albert Lang as Tom Northrup, a Coast Guard officer. Faye
Cusick stars as Alice Rawley, stars as the daughter of a merchant
shipmaster. Captain Rawley is hijacked and forced to smuggle Chinese
immigrants. The Coast Guard and Tom Northrup retake the ship and
Northrup and Alice Rawley live happily ever after. This film is still
available on video.
Patria, 1917
Activities on the Atlantic Coast, 1918
Outlaws of the Sea, 1923
Code of the Sea, 1924
Rugged Water,
1925
A Paramount Picture. This drama about the U.S.
Life-Saving Service is set at the "Setuckit" Life-Saving Station.
It stars Wallace Beery as Benoni Barlett. (Beery a flying enthusiast went on
to fly and drill with the Naval Reserve.) Barlett is a member of a
neighboring life-saving station. During a rescue all crew members but
he are drowned while attempting a rescue. He is named keeper of the
station and is considered a hero by the townspeople. What the public
doesn’t know is that Barlett is a religious fanatic, suffering from guilt
from his terrible experience, and is also somewhat of a coward. Calvin
Homer (Warner Baxter) is a member of the Setuckit Station and had originally
been in line for promotion to keeper, until Barlett was promoted over him.
Homer has his own problems, he’s tricked into engagement with school
teacher Myra Fuller (Phylis Haver) and he falls in love with Bartlett’s
daughter Norma (Lois Wilson). Calvin Homer, good man that he is,
serves Bartlett well and does everything to cover up his weaknesses.
He rescues Norma in a terrible storm, ends up kissing her and realizes he
must end his relationship with Myra. In another storm, Bartlett’s
cowardice gets the best of him and refuses to go out. Calvin takes
over command, rescues the sailors, ends his relationship with Myra, is given
command of the station and is now engaged to Norma. n a final storm
Barlett is killed during the rescue and dies a hero’s death.
The Carnival Girl, 1926
Perils of the Coast Guard, 1926
Twelve Miles
Out,
1927
A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture starring John Gilbert as
rum runner Jerry Fay. His boat is driven ashore in a chase with a
Coast Guard Cutter. He then kidnaps Jane played by Joan Crawford in
order to help elude the Coast Guard. He vows to go straight after
falling in love with Jane. But his ship is later boarded by a rival
gang disguised as the Coast Guard. Jerry is killed in the ensuing gun
battle and Joan Crawford is left alone.
The Royal
American,
1927
A Rayart-State Rights film, The Royal American starred
Reed Howes as Jack Beaton, a young Coast Guard officer. Nita Martane
stars as Gail Morton his girlfriend. Ship’s master Captain Burke
(J.P. McGowen) assaults Gail. Jack defends her but Burke has his
revenge when he shanghais Jack on his ship loaded with contraband arms and
ammunition for rebels in South America. Jack Beaton gains control of
the ship, dispatches Captain Burke and turns the ship over to his commanding
officer.
Heads Up, 1930
The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble, 1933
Men On Call, 1933
Dangerous Waters, 1936
Border
Flight
,
1936
A Paramount Picture, this one takes place at the United
States Coast Guard Air Base in San Diego, California. Starring John
Howard as LT Dan Conlon, Grant Withers as LT Pat Tornell and Robert Cummings
as LT Bob Dixon. Conlon (Howard) and Tornell (Withers) are rivals for Anne
Blaine (Frances Farmer). Newly arrived Dixon (Cummings) is shot down
by smugglers. At this point the Coast Guard wins permission to arm its
planes with machineguns. Latter in the movie Pat Tornell is killed in
a heroic rescue mission and Dan and Anne find themselves together again
without him between them. This movie is still available on video
format. Click here
for a publicity photograph.
The Sea Spoilers
,
1936
Possibly the first John Wayne Universal Film. Wayne
stars as Warrant Officer Bob Randall temporarily in command of a Coast Guard
patrol boat plying the waters of Alaska in such of smugglers and seal
poachers. Commander Mays played by George Irving is base commander.
His son, LTJG Mays, played by William Bakewell and Coast Guard Academy
graduate, is given command of the Patrol Boat over WO1 Randall (Wayne).
Typical friction develops between the experienced warrant officer and the
Academy graduate LTJG. The younger Mays also has a fear of the sea and
is not an effective CO. Finally he persuades his father to transfer
him back to the Coast Guard air arm. Wayne is again CO of the patrol
boat and goes full force against a gang of seal poachers that have hijacked
a yacht, killed the owner and kidnapped young LTJG Mays’ girlfriend.
This film is still available in video format. Good action film and
fairly good portrayal of pre-WWII Coast Guard.
Motor Madness, 1937
Sea Devils
,
1937
An RKO picture; Preston
Foster and Victor McLaglen star in this film along with Ida Lupino and
Donald Woods. McLaglen, fresh from his Oscar for "The
Informer," plays CPO William "Medals" Malone, father of Doris
Malone, played by actress Ida Lupino. Mike O'Shea (Preston Foster), a
young petty officer, and Steve Webb (Donald Woods, another petty officer)
battle between themselves for the attention of Malone. CPO Malone
favors Webb, but his daughter has eyes for O'Shea. Good Coast
Guard action between the brawling. Very good special effects involving
a yacht being pounded to pieces on a reef and the subsequent Coast Guard
rescue. Also of interest is the Coast Guard mission to explode and
destroy icebergs. This film is still available in video format.
Sea Racketeers , 1937
Coast Guard, 1939
SOS Coast Guard
,
1942
A Republic serial from 1937 with 12 chapters.
Re-released in 1942 as a feature film of 69 minutes. Exciting as both
a serial or feature, the film stars Ralph Byrd as LT Terry Kent. Byrd
goes on to a career as Dick Tracy in Republic Films. In an unlimited supply
of uniforms, he goes through each and every installment either dirtied,
soaked, or blown up and yet each and every time a fresh uniform is available
and he is ready to conform to Coast Guard regulations. Bela Lugosi as
the critically acclaimed evil scientist Boroff, has invented a gas that
disintegrates almost everything. Republic, deciding to cash on Coast
Guard recognition, released the film again in 1942 as a feature. Still
available as serial in video format.
Dog of
the Seven Seas, 1946
A Universal variety view. Coast Guard dog Sinbad
tells his story of how he entered the Coast Guard in 1937 as mascot on the
cutter Campbell. Sinbad is shown participating at battle
stations and other shipboard life. The film also focuses on his tour
of Okinawa and Japan. He returns to New York City and gets a
"well done" from Admiral Smith.
Tars and Spars
,
1946
Based upon the stage show Tars and Spars. Produced in
cooperation with the United States Coast Guard. Stars Alfred Drake of
Broadway fame, as S 1/c Howard Young, Janet Blair as SPAR Christine Bradley and
comedian Sid Caesar who was already on active
duty as Seaman Chuck Enders. Chief Petty Officer Victor
Mature was in the original stage version. Tars and Spars launched
the career of Caesar as a comedian. Typical boy meets girl song and dance
fare.
The Woman on
the Beach,
1947
A RKO Picture starring Robert Ryan, Joan Bennet, Charles
Bickford and Walter Sande.
Robert Ryan plays a Coast Guard Officer on medical leave suffering from trauma
from a wartime torpedoing. Joan Bennet plays the wife of an artist
(Charles Bickford) who was blinded in a drunken brawl. Ryan sets out to
prove that Bickford is not blind in order to justify his relationship with
Bennet, but is unable to prove that the brooding and jealous Bickford is really
blind. He bows out of the relationship leaving Bennet with Bickford.
The Fighting Coast Guard, 1951
The
Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, 1953
Taglines for The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms included: "Prehistoric
sea-giant rages against city!" "They
couldn’t believe their eyes! They couldn’t escape the terror! And
neither will you!" "Cast of thousands! Over a year in the
making!" "The seas master beast of the ages-raging up from
the bottom of time." A Warner Brothers picture about a
prehistoric monster frozen in time that is thawed out by an atomic blast.
The monster starts to destroy shipping along the northeast sea corridor and
the Coast Guard is assigned to do battle with the monster ending up in New
York City where the Captain of the Port takes charge. The beast is
finally dispatched after the Army fires a radioactive isotope into it.
(The Coast Guard has no atomic specialists so the Army has to step in.)
This one starred Donald Woods as Captain Phil Jackson, USCG and Paula
Raymond as Lee Hunter. Written by Ray Bradbury.
Sea of Lost
Ships, 1953
A Republic picture starring John Derek, Wanda Hendrix,
Walter Brennan, Richard Jaeckel, Tom Tully, Barton MacLane, Erin
O'Brien-Moore, Ben Cooper, Darryl Hickman, Roy Roberts, Tom Powers, Richard
Hale, James Brown, Douglas Kennedy, Steve Brodie, John Hudson. The
plot revolves around the son (John Derek) of a deceased Coast Guard hero is
raised by a Coast Guard non-commissioned officer who also has a son the same
age. When they get older both are accepted into the Coast Guard
Academy, but the hero's son winds up being thrown out, bringing disgrace to
his adopted family. He then enlists in the Coast Guard and redeems
himself during a dangerous rescue. The technical advisor was LCDR
Robert C. Cannom, USCGR.
Onionhead
, 1958
Stars Andy Griffith who, as a country boy, joins the
Coast Guard during World War II and is assigned to a buoy tender as a cook.
The movie was filmed at Coast Guard Base Alameda and Yerba Buena Island.
Love in a Goldfish Bowl, 1961
Around the World Under the Sea, 1965
Assault on a
Queen, 1966
A Paramount picture. Frank Sinatra plays an
ex-submariner that is down on his luck. He participates in a scheme to
raise an old U-boat and disguise it as an experimental Royal Navy
submarine--and use it to stop the RMS Queen Mary at sea and rob
her. The plan is thwarted when the USCGC Androscoggin shows
up and rams and sinks the submarine -- click
here for a still picture from the film. Note the early
variation of the Coast Guard's "racing stripe".
The Boatniks ,
1970
Robert Morse stars as Ensign Thomas Garland. A very
young Stephanie Powers provides the love interest. Also on hand are
Don Ameche as Commander Taylor, Phil Silvers, Norman Fell, Wally Cox and Al
Lewis (Grandpa Munster from "The Munsters"). Inept Morse is
the son of a an outstanding World War II Coast Guard Officer known as
"Torpedo Tommy". Assigned to patrol Newport Beach,
California, he constantly finds himself in mess after mess, only his dumb
luck saves the day and his career. Silvers and Fell are bungling jewel
thieves. A Walt Disney Picture, the Coast Guard declined script
approval. The movie is still available on video format.
Day of the Dolphin, 1973
Lucky Lady , 1975
Disappointing and ill contrived 1970s comedy about rumrunners
Gene Hackman, Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli who go up against the Coast Guard
and rival John Hillerman. Hackman and Reynolds don Coast Guard uniforms in
order to outwit the local Coast Guard Command and Hillerman. Fairly good
portrayal of pre-WWII Coast Guard and the Coast Guard’s perseverance to catch
rumrunners. Also fairly good portrayal of Rum Row mother ships and Coast
Guard seventy-five foot patrol boats.
The Defection of Simas Kudirka, 1978
The Last Flight of Noah's Ark, 1980
The Island
,
1981
Movie based on the best selling novel by Peter Benchley.
Pirate Chief David Warner leads a band of modern of pirates who raid yachts
and sail boats of Caribbean vacationers. Michael Caine plays a
reporter who with his son investigates the reasons behind the disappearing
boats. Through his investigation he is unwillingly inducted into the
pirate clan. A Coast Guard "210" is sent to investigate and
is boarded and overrun by the pirates. USCGC
Dauntless and Diligence provided platform and
background shots.
The Lightship, 1985
Top Gun, 1986
Overboard, 1987
License to Kill, 1989
The Hunt for Red October, 1990
Captain Ron, 1992
Clear and Present Danger, 1993
The Beast, 1996
Daylight, 1996
White Squall , 1996
Based upon the true story about 13 prep school
students who sign aboard the sailing ship Albatross, a brigantine, it is
set in the 1960’s. The movie stars Jeff Bridges as Christopher Shelden,
captain, sailor, sailor, schoolmaster and stern disciplinarian. The
"White Squall" is a sudden storm that comes unaccompanied by clouds,
and so it does, the Albatross sinks, and four students and two crewman
die. The Coast Guard conducts a hearing as to the expertise and conduct of
Captain Shelden (Bridges). Of note, as the film is set in the 1960’s, CG
officers are dressed in Service Dress Khaki. Unfortunately a supply of
black shoulder boards and hat bands for combo hats were unavailable. So
instead, the public sees 60’s style uniforms with modern blue shoulder boards
and hat bands.
Lethal Weapon 4, 1998
Double Jeopardy, 1999
The Perfect Storm, 2000
Bad Boys II, 2003
Yours, Mine & Ours, 2005
The Guardian, 2006
SERIALS:
Casey
of the Coast Guard,
1925
Ten Part Serial produced by Pathe, starring George
O’Harra and Helen Ferguson. George Casey (George O’Harra) is a
Coast Guard officer stationed on Long Island Sound. He is both hated
and feared by a band of smugglers headed by "Diamond Kate".
The serial unfolds with the smuggler gang choosing their strike against
Casey, the night of the Cadet Coast Guard Ball. George’s brother
Frank answers the call that night and is killed in action against the
smugglers. George Casey vows revenge for the death of his brother.
Great action serial with much background of correct period uniforms,
cadets in uniform and many shots of cutters and seaplanes.
SOS Coast Guard
,
1937, 1942
A Republic serial from 1937 with 12 chapters.
Re-released in 1942 as a feature film of 69 minutes. Exciting as both
a serial or feature, the film stars Ralph Byrd as LT Terry Kent. Byrd
goes on to a career as Dick Tracy in Republic Films. In an unlimited supply
of uniforms, he goes through each and every installment either dirtied,
soaked, or blown up and yet each and every time a fresh uniform is available
and he is ready to conform to Coast Guard regulations. Bela Lugosi as
the critically acclaimed evil scientist Boroff, has invented a gas that
disintegrates almost everything. Republic, deciding to cash on Coast
Guard recognition, released the film again in 1942 as a feature. Still
available as serial in video format.
Don Winslow of the
Coast Guard ,
1943
CDR Don Winslow, USN distinguishes himself at Pearl
Harbor. He discovers his old archenemy the Scorpion is now aiding the
Japanese. Winslow played by Don Terry and his associate LT
"Red" Pennington, played by Walter Sande are assigned to the Coast
Guard to battle the Scorpion. Typical "cliff hanger" serial,
this one done by Universal. The Scorpion with obvious German accent
now associates himself with Japanese saboteurs who obligingly mark their
submarines with a "U". Either it was to make the Scorpion
feel at home for his "Fatherland" or to be able to use stock
footage of U-boats. This film is still available in video format.
SHORT SUBJECTS:
United States Coast
Guard, 1936
G-Men of the Sea, 1938
Cruising With the Coast Guard, 1940
Guardians of the Sea
A Ship is
Born, 1942
A documentary short promoting recruiting in the U.S.
Coast Guard. Produced by the Coast Guard and distributed by the War
Activities Committee.
Sailors All
,
1943
Part of a 13 Chapter RKO Production "This Is
America". The "Sailors All" Chapter showed the U.S.
Coast Guard Reserve and the Temporary Reserve in action. Of
particular note was the emphasis on the wartime activities of volunteer
citizens who because they were over age or worked war essential jobs, were
unable to serve on active duty. Yet they still gave of their time to
serve the United States Coast Guard. This movie is still available
in video format.
Sails Aloft, 1943
Screen
Snapshots, 1943
A Columbia Production. This 10 minute short shows
actors Cesar Romero, Richard
Quine, and Gig
Young as they enter the Coast Guard.
Battle
Stations, 1944
Narrators James Cagney and Ginger Rodgers outline the
duties of a SPAR. This documentary short film with a running time of
10 minutes showed the replacement of Coast Guardsman on home shore duty by
SPARS during World War II. This movie is still available in video
format.
Beachead
to Berlin, 1944
A Warner Brothers production in cooperation with the U.S.
Coast Guard. A Technicolor Special. Narrated by Charles Linton
Tedford. A short film in tribute to U.S. Navy chaplains assigned to the
Coast Guard. The film shows chaplains providing comfort to the Coast
Guardsmen assigned to the Normandy Invasion. The New York Times
commented about the film, "the footage photographed by the Coast Guard
combat cameramen before and during the coastal invasion phase gives a most
graphic comprehension of the assault on the beaches by seaborne troops".
Dogs for
Show, 1944
A Universal production short. Featured in this film is
handler Chief Boatswain’s Mate Walter Foster, USCG and his charge
Warlord of Mazelaine, a champion boxer. The basis of this movie is
the preparation of this champion dog for the Madison Square Garden
National Dog Show.
Rudy Vallee
and the United States Coast Guard Band
,
1944
Coast Guardsman Rudy
Vallee directs the 11th District Coast Guard Band in
this 10 minute short. Lieutenant Vallee and the Coast Guard Band play
"Semper Paratus", "Wings of Gold", "Ship
Ahoy", "Anchors Aweigh", the "Marines’ Hymn and the
song of the Coast Guard Temporary Reserve, "The Silver Shield".
While the band is playing, scenes of the Coast Guard, Navy and Marines in
action are shown on the silver screen. This movie is available on
video format.
Seeing
Hollywood, 1944
A Columbia production, part of Screen Snapshots.
A short film narrated by Alan Mowbray featuring the closing program from
"Tars
and Spars." Featured in the film were CPO Victor
Mature, PO Sid
Caesar, and PO Gower
Champion.
Task Force, 1944
A Warner Brothers production in cooperation with the
U.S. Coast Guard. A Technicolor special. Narrated by Jackson
Beck, this short film was shot in color, instead of the typical black and
white film used for shorts. The film focuses around Coast Guard
"Task Force" duty. Besides operational glimpses, the
viewer is treated to a snapshot of the life of a Coast Guardsman on and
off duty.
Canine Patrol
,
1945
A Walt Disney film that is still available in video format.
Pluto is assigned to the Coast Guard as a guard dog. The film deals with
Pluto’s trials and tribulations to keep a newborn turtle from trespassing into
the restricted zone on the Beach that Pluto is guarding. After Pluto falls
prey to a patch of quick sand, he needs to rely on help from his former foe.
The Story of a
Dog,
1945
A Warner Brothers production. This 10 minute
short narrated by Knox Manning, shows the training of dogs as members of
the Coast Guard War Dog Unit at Curtis Bay, Maryland. The film shows
dogs as they go through training, including wall scaling, crawling under
barbed wire and staying cool and calm under fire. The film
culminates with the graduation of handlers and dogs at the War Dog
Training Center.
Dog of
the Seven Seas, 1946
A Universal variety view. Coast Guard dog Sinbad
tells his story of how he entered the Coast Guard in 1937 as mascot on the
cutter Campbell. Sinbad is shown participating at battle
stations and other shipboard life. The film also focuses on his tour
of Okinawa and Japan. He returns to New York City and gets a
"well done" from Admiral Smith.
Future Skippers, 1950
Cruise of the Eagle, 1958
Border
Flight
,
1936
The Sea Spoilers
,
1936
Sea Devils
,
1937
SOS Coast Guard
,
1942
