Don't Give Up the Ship (film)

Don't Give Up the Ship
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Norman Taurog
Screenplay by	Herbert Baker Edmund Beloin Henry Garson
Story by	Ellis Kadison
Produced by	Hal B. Wallis
Starring	Jerry Lewis Dina Merrill Diana Spencer Claude Akins Robert Middleton Gale Gordon Mickey Shaughnessy
Cinematography	Haskell Boggs
Edited by	Warren Low
Music by	Walter Scharf
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	June 16, 1959 (1959-06-16) [1][2]
Running time	85 minutes
Country	USA
Language	English
Box office	$3.5 million (est. US/ Canada rentals)[3] 1,735,230 admissions (France)[4]

Don't Give Up the Ship is a 1959 American black-and-white U.S. Navy comedy film from Paramount Pictures, produced by Hal B. Wallis, directed by Norman Taurog, that stars Jerry Lewis and co-stars Dina Merrill, Diana Spencer, Claude Akins, Robert Middleton, Gale Gordon, and Mickey Shaughnessy. The film was shot from October 21, 1958 to January 30, 1959 and was released June 16, 1959. The film was based on the Alcoa Theatre episode Souvenir aired on Dec 2, 1957 starring Jack Lemmon that was written by Ellis Arnold Kadison. Kadison's idea was based on Edward Anhalt then serving with the Army Air Force First Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California signing for a captured German Messerschmidt that was to be used as a prop in a training film. When the aircraft disappeared, Anhalt was issued with a bill from the US Government for $175,000 until a search revealed that the aircraft was discovered as a mockup on the MGM backlot.^[5]