September 23 - John Paul Jones

Today’s movie is a biography with a scene that happen on September 23. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

JOHN PAUL JONES        

Young John Paul becomes a crewman on a merchant ship and rises to become master and part owner of his ship. After he accidentally kills a crewman in a dispute over wages, he flees to Virginia upon being told it could take two years for an Admiralty court to convene.   He finds his brother has died and hires Patrick Henry to clear up the estate. After a British officer insults the virtue of Virginia ladies at a ball, Jones decks him. Jones becomes attracted to Dorothea Dandars, Patrick Henry’s  inamorata. He buys a plantation, but when he asks to marry Dorothea, he father says no and she won’t defy him. Jones takes a commission in the Navy. Jones is instrumental in the success of the Navy’s first amphibian foreign attack on Nassau, Bahamas.  Jones gets an independent command, but learns his plantation has been destroyed. Jones sinks or captures 18 British ships, but he’s removed from command for political reasons.  He considers resigning, but when he  sees the terrible conditions at Valley Forge, he decides to stay. Jones sails the Ranger to France, delivering news of the victory at Saratoga to Benjamin Franklin, the American ambassador to France. Jones and the Ranger raid the English port of Whitehaven.  He is honored by Louis XVI, but gives up the Ranger.     Meanwhile Jones has been romancing a French lady, Aimee de Tellison, but their marriage is not allowed as Jones is a commoner. The French provide him with a ship, Bon Homme Richard, and he sets sail on a raiding cruise. On September 23, 1779 [1:35:10 to 1:47:16] Jones meets HMS Serapis  in battle. The battle is fierce and  when the American flag is knocked down,  Jones is asked if he is surrendering. Jones replied with that famous statement, “I have not yet begun to fight”. The Serapis is captured, but as Bon Homme Richard sinks Jones and his crew exchange ships.  Jones is again honored by Louis XVI. When the war ends, Jones pushes for a strong Navy, but Congress says they can’t afford it. Jones becomes  an Admiral in the Russian Navy.  He wins victories, but his health declines and he dies.

A very good if Hollywoodized biography. There’s plenty of action and  even romance. The film does stick fairly closely to the actual facts of Jones’ career. A movie worth watching.

John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy  by Evan Thomas (Simon &Schuster, New York, 2003) at pages 178-194 give the date of the battle

Screenplay - John Farrow and Jesse Lasky Jr.

Producer - Samuel Bronston                    

Director - John Farrow                                             

Runtime – 2 hours 6 minutes                                    

Released - June 16, 1959                                            

Starring –

Robert Stack as John Paul Jones

Marisa Pavan as Aimee de Tellison

Charles Coburn as Benjamin Franklin

Erin O'Brien  as Dorothea Danders

Macdonald Carey as Patrick Henry

Bette Davis as Catherine the Great

Jean-Pierre Aumont as Louis XVI

David Farrar as John Wilkes

Peter Cushing as Captain Pearson

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.