Down Periscope

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Down Periscope
Down Periscope film poster
Directed by	David S. Ward
Produced by	Robert Lawrence
Written by	Hugh Wilson; Andrew Kurtzman; Eliot Wald
Starring	Kelsey Grammer: Lt. Commander Thomas "Tom" Dodge • Lauren Holly: Lt. Emily Lake • Rob Schneider: Executive Officer Martin T. "Marty" Pascal • Harry Dean Stanton: CPO Howard • Bruce Dern: Yancy Graham • William H. Macy: Commander Carl Knox • Ken Hudson Campbell: Buckman • Toby Huss: Nitro "Mike" • Duane Martin: Jefferson "R.J." Jackson • Jonathan Penner: Stanley "Spots" Sylvesterson • Bradford Tatum: Brad Stepanak • Harland Williams: E.T. "Sonar" Lovacelli • Rip Torn: Admiral Dean Winslow
Release date(s)	March 1, 1996
Running time	93 minutes
Language	English

Down Periscope is a 1996 comedy movie starring Kelsey Grammer as the captain of a rust-bucket submarine called the USS Stingray, (refered to as "the USS Rustoleum" by Grammer), who is fighting for his career. Rob Schneider provides comic support as the uptight executive officer, and Lauren Holly as the Navy's first female submarine crewmember.

Plot

Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge (Kelsey Grammer), a capable (if somewhat unorthodox) US Navy officer, is about to be denied command of his own submarine for a third time because of his rather unconventional ways (not to mention a widely known tattoo on his penis reading 'Welcome aboard!'. He is particularly opposed by Rear Admiral Yancy Graham (Bruce Dern). Failure to secure his command will result in him being dropped from the command program. His commander, Vice Admiral Dean Winslow (Rip Torn), manages to convince the Navy to give him a last chance: to test the Navy's defenses against enemy diesel submarines. For this purpose, Dodge is granted the command over a rusty and outdated Balao-class diesel sub, the USS Stingray, which should simulate a situation with Russian diesel subs sold to terrorists. Adm. Winslow gives Dodge the order to "think like a pirate", meaning to disregard the traditional rules of warfare and play by his own discretion. Winslow tells Dodge that if he can win the wargame, including sinking a mock target in Norfolk harbor, he will do what he can to get Dodge command of a Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine.

His opponent in the wargame is Rear Admiral Graham, who is overseeing the maneuvers of the ultra-modern submarine USS Orlando, headed by Commander Carl Knox (William H. Macy). Graham, motivated by his dislike for Dodge and his own ambition (he brags that he has never lost a wargame, and that he is in line for a third star), tries to arrange circumstances to make Dodge's mission even more difficult. He handpicks a motley crew consisting mostly of what he considers rejects and failures: hot-tempered Executive Officer Martin Pascal (Rob Schneider), rebellious Engineman 1st Class Brad Stapanek, sharp-eared Sonar Technician 2nd Class E.T. 'Sonar' Lovacelli, compulsive gambler Seaman Stanley 'Spots' Sylvesterson, shock-prone (and shock-addled) electrician Seaman Nitro, and the not-so-culinary cook Seaman Buckman. Also, as part of a pilot program instituted by Graham, Lieutenant Emily Lake (Lauren Holly) joins the crew as the Navy's first female diving officer. Finally, he informs Dodge that the containment area of the exercise has been cut in half, effectively limiting what targets Dodge can pursue, and with the helpful reminder that the Stingray will unconditionally surrender upon being informed of a "shooting solution" (or enemy lock-on) at any time during the wargame.

Using risky and unorthodox strategies to offset their technological disadvantage, Dodge and the Stingray crew manage to take out their assigned target in Charleston Harbor. After Dodge remembers his orders to "think like a pirate" and leaves the exercise area, Pascal attempts to relieve Dodge of his command. No one supports Pascal, and Dodge makes him walk the plank for attempted mutiny. Graham then assumes personal command of the wargame from the Orlando's helm and is able to "kill" the Stingray, but not before it launches two torpedoes at the dummy target in Norfolk harbor. Since the shots were fired prior to the kill, and they found their target, Dodge is the victor of the game.

Winslow congratulates Dodge on a job well done and tells him that he will not get a Los Angeles-class submarine. Instead he will be given a Seawolf-class submarine, and a "proper crew". Dodge requests that he be allowed to transfer the crew of the Stingray.

Trivia

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The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

The USS Stingray in the movie was filmed on USS Pampanito, a Balao-class submarine from WWII, now a museum ship and memorial in San Francisco.

The USS Orlando (SSN-852) is a fictional Los Angeles-class submarine. As of 2008, no United States Navy submarine has ever been named Orlando or carried the hull number SSN-852. The footage used for the Orlando is of several different types of Los Angeles-class ships.