The year before making the adorable war comedy Mr. Winkle Goes to War, in which he's inept and struggles through basic training, Edward G. Robinson made the serious war drama Destroyer, in which he played a seasoned seaman and boat architect. There's quite a difference between the two roles, and it will be nice for fans of his to see his range. In this movie, he reenlists during wartime so that he can sail on the ship that he built on her maiden voyage. He leaves behind his beautiful young daughter, Marguerite Chapman, but gets to see her during frequent shore leaves. On the ship with him are Captain Regis Toomey, old friend Edgar Buchanan, frequent costar and sidekick Edward Brophy, and a young upstart Glenn Ford.
Glenn Ford is so annoying in this movie! He's a wolf on the make with no respect for women and no interest in Marguerite particularly, he's shockingly insolent to his superior officers, and yet we're supposed to root for him to get the girl? What am I missing here? He follows Marguerite home after seeing her at a USO dance, without even knowing her name, and worms his way into her home; then he gets a chip on his shoulder when she refuses to go to bed with him. She asks him to be kinder to her father, whom he'd insulted when they met earlier, and the next thing he does is punch him in the jaw! Eddie G saves him from a court martial, and he still gives him attitude.
For Glenn fans, I would not recommend this movie. But for Eddie G fans, it is worth watching. He is much more likeable than his younger co-star, and his character is fleshed out and believable. He loves his ship, believes she is capable of anything, and is willing to stand by her through thick and thin. He also loves his daughter and doesn't want her to get involved in his kind of life. There's also a lot of physical acting to the role, with all the rigorous demands of a sea captain, fist fights, and even underwater welding.
