John Wayne credited as playing...
Lt. (J.G.) 'Rusty' Ryan
- Lt. 'Rusty' Ryan: [as they watch the inspectors drive away] Wonderful the way people believe in those high powered canoes of yours.
- Lt. John Brickley: Don't you believe in them, Rusty?
- Lt. 'Rusty' Ryan: And I let you sell me that stuff about a command of my own.
- Lt. John Brickley: You're skipper of the 34 boat, aren't you?
- Lt. 'Rusty' Ryan: I used to skipper a cake of soap in the bathtub, too.
- [He walks off]
- Lt. John Brickley: Oh, Snuffy... how about getting some torpedoes from you?
- Submarine commander: For those cracker boxes of yours? No telling when we'll see a mother ship again.
- Lt. John Brickley: How long have you been on patrol?
- Submarine commander: Since the day the war started.
- Lt. 'Rusty' Ryan: What did you get?
- Submarine commander: Two small freighters. We had hard luck.
- Lt. John Brickley: Well, while you've been cruising around the Pacific, those 'cracker boxes' have sunk two converted cruisers, an auxiliary aircraft carrier, a 10,000-ton tanker, a large freighter, a flock of barges and numerous sons of Nippon!
- Lt. 'Rusty' Ryan: And also in our brief career, we've carried more messages than Western Union!
- Submarine commander: Well, look, I'd love to help you out, fellas. But you know, I got orders...
- Lt. John Brickley: Snuffy... who played the leading lady in "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" in 1932 at the Academy?
- Lt. 'Rusty' Ryan: And does your crew know about it?
- Submarine commander: [after a long pause] How many do you want?
- Lt. John Brickley: You've got sixteen?
- Lt. 'Rusty' Ryan: We'll take eight.
- Lt. John Brickley: And we'll try and put 'em where they belong.
- Submarine commander: Thanks.
- [walks away slowly]
- Lt. 'Rusty' Ryan: Are you kidding, Brick?
- Lt. John Brickley: Theirs not to reason why. Theirs but to do...
- Lt. 'Rusty' Ryan: And die... but I don't want to be bored to death running messages!
- Lt. John Brickley: I'll see that you get the more intriguing ones.
- 'Slug' Mahan T.M. 1c: Mr. Ryan, this has gone far enough! That 41 boat is always hoggin' the good jobs, sir.
- Seaman Jones: We'll get all the soaking we need on our way up to hit the Japs, sir.
- 'Squarehead' Larsen SC 2c: What are we gonna do, sit around on our duffs till they get back, sir?
- Ens. 'Snake' Gardner: 41 can't handle this job alone... sir.
- Lt. 'Rusty' Ryan: How about it, sir?
- Lt. John Brickley: Okay. But if she starts taking water, turn back. Sir.
- Lt. 'Rusty' Ryan: Listen Brick, for years I've been taking your fatherly advice, and it's never been any good. So from now on, I'm strictly a one man band!