THE MARINES FLY HIGH

March 7, 1940

• Directed by

  George Nichols, Jr. and Benjamin Stoloff 

• Produced by Robert Sisk for RKO Radio Pictures
• Screenplay by Jerry Cady and A.J. Boulton, story by A.C. Edington

Filmed October 1939

World Premiere on March 4, 1940

Wide Release on March 7, 1940

CAST

Lucille Ball (Joan Grant) marks her 48th feature film since coming to Hollywood in 1933. It opened exactly a year after she collaborated with Richard Dix and Robert Sisk on Twelve Crowded Hours. 

Richard Dix (Lt. Dan Darrick) was nominated for an Oscar in 1931 for Cimarron. He also appeared with Lucille Ball in Twelve Crowded Hours (1939).

Chester Morris (Lt. Jimmy Malone) was nominated for an Oscar in 1929 for Alibi. He also appeared with Lucille Ball in Five Came Back (1939). In December 1960, Morris was a guest on “The Tonight Show with Jack Paar” which also featured Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and little Lucie. 

Steffi Duna (Teresa) was a Hungarian-born actress who also appeared with Lucille Ball in Panama Lady (1939).

John Eldredge (John Henderson) appeared on “I Love Lucy” in “Lucy’s Night In Town” (ILL S6;E22) in 1957. He was a theatre-goer sitting behind the Ricardos and the Mertzes in the box seats watching The Most Happy Fella. 

Paul Harvey (Col. Hill) did seven films with Lucille Ball between 1934 and 1943. In 1953 he played the art critic from the New York Times in “Lucy the Sculptress” (ILL S2;E15).

Dick Hogan (Cpl. Haines) also appeared with Lucille Ball and Chester Morris in Five Came Back (1939). 

Ann Shoemaker (Mrs. Hill) makes her only appearance with Lucille Ball. 

Nestor Paiva (Pedro Fernandez) appeared on the very first episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in 1957 – “Lucy Takes a Cruise To Havana” as the jailer. In 1964 he played Mr. Perkins, boss of the Handy Dandy Vaccum Cleaner Company in “Lucy and the Missing Stamp” (TLS S3;E14).  

UNCREDITED CAST

• Abner Biberman (Gomez) appeared with Lucille Ball and Steffi Duna in Panama Lady (1939).
• Ethan Laidlaw (Barnes) appeared in seven films with Lucille Ball between 1933 and 1947. 
• Pedro de Cordoba (Grant Farm Worker) also appeared with Lucille Ball and Chester Morris in Five Came Back (1939).
• Kirby Grant (Lt. Hobbs) appeared with Lucille Ball in I Dream Too Much (1935).
• Selmar Jackson (Doctor) appeared in seven films with Lucille Ball between 1933 and 1949.
• Paul McVey (Pilot) appeared with Lucille Ball in Bottoms Up (1934). 
• Horace McMahon (Monk O’Hara) was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1958. He appeared with Lucille Ball in That’s Right – You’re Wrong (1939). 
• John Sheehan (Airplane Seller) makes his only appearance with Lucille Ball. 

THE STORY

Set somewhere in the Central American jungles, Joan Grant (Lucille Ball) runs a cocoa plantation. She also allows a platoon of US Marines to stay there. Two of the Marines, Malone (Chester Morris) and Darrick (Richard Dix), tussle over her affections. When she is kidnapped the two unite to save her. Henderson (John Eldredge), the plantation foreman, is really El Vengador, the kidnapper. He sets a trap for the Marines he knows will try to rescue her. The two rivals eventually realize that to defeat the enemy, they will have to work together. When Malone is heading for an ambush, Derrick flies to his aid and rescues Joan.

TRIVIA

Benjamin Stoloff took over direction of the film when George Nichols Jr. was killed in an automobile accident during production.

Lucille Ball and husband Desi Arnaz would later purchase the RKO 40-Acres backlot as part of her Desilu Studios holdings. 

Lucy Carmichael is mistakenly drafted into the Marines in “Lucy Gets Caught Up in the Draft” (TLS S5;E9) in 1966.  One of television’s most popular depictions of Marines was “Gomer Pyle USMC” [United States Marine Corps] a series filmed at Desilu Studios. Its star, Jim Nabors, did a cameo as Pyle in this episode. 

“The Marine’s Hymn” is heard at the beginning and end of the film. In “Lucy is a Sax Symbol” (LWL S1;E5) in 1986, Lucy Barker manages to squeak out a rusty rendition of “The Marine’s Hymn” on her old saxophone for her granddaughter.  

A clip from this film is included in “Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie” (1993).