Today’s movie is a biographical drama with a scene that happens 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 2014.
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