Down in San Diego
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Robert B. Sinclair
Bonita Granville
Ray Mcdonald
Dan Dailey Jr.
Leo Gorcey
Henry O'neill
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Teenager Hank Parker wants to join the Marines, but cannot convince the recruitment officer that he is old enough. On the same day, Al Haines, the older brother of Hank's girl friend Betty, enlists and goes to say goodbye to the gang of crooks with whom he has been involved. When Al arrives at the office of gang leader Brock, he innocently handles a gun that henchmen Tony and Dutch are cleaning, and Brock tells him that the previous night, when Al was drunk, he passed out after killing a thug named Matt Herman. Brock then shows him Herman's body and remarks that his fingerprints now on the gun could convict Al of murder. Al realizes that he is being framed, but his concern for Betty makes him agree to spy for Brock while he is stationed in San Diego. That night, at a goodbye dinner for Al, Tony and Dutch show up, and Betty, Hank and their friends, "Snap" Collins, Crawford Cortland and Mildred Burnette, realize that Brock's gang is trying to keep Al from going straight. The boys follow Al, Tony and Dutch to a movie, and there Hank overhears a man with a German accent tell Al something about a one-eared dog in San Diego. Now worried, Hank, Snap and Crawford decide to go to San Diego to investigate, and Mildred discovers their plan and blackmails them into letting her come along. In San Diego, the kids get jobs that they hope will help them find the one-eared dog and learn more about Al's trouble. Mildred, who becomes a cigarette girl in a nightclub, finds a one-eared German shepherd and learns that it belongs to Henry Shrode, a German who frequents the club. Mildred tries to play up to Shrode, but the boys inadvertently interrupt her plan when they attack Shrode, thinking he is a kidnapper. The same night, Betty arrives, having figured out from Mildred's letters where they are. Later, Jimmie Collins, a bellboy at the same hotel that employs Hank, says that a guest named Shrode has him walk a one-eared dog every day. Hank takes over Jimmie's duties the next day and with Louie Schwartz, another new friend, goes to the Marine base with the dog. Hank hides while Louie approaches Al with the dog and tells him to go to the "place," then follow him to a barbershop. Returning the dog very late to the hotel, Hank is detained by Shrode, who is suspicious, but Crawford and Snap save Hank by sending a cat into the room to distract the dog, so that Hank can get away. Later, Hank goes to the barbershop and announces that he knows what is going on. Some of the henchmen torture him, but he is able to get away after pretending to faint. A few minutes later, with the help of Snap, he hides in the shop, then waits until everyone leaves. While there, he overhears Shrode and his boss Eric Kramer talking about a possible leak and revealing that Al had been framed for murder. Hank then follows Shrode to the telegraph office and, getting help from Crawford, who works there, reads the telegram, which asks Matt Herman to meet him at a San Diego steak house. The next night, Al and Betty are eating at the same restaurant when Herman, who is still alive, shows up. Now realizing that he has been duped, Al fights Herman, reports to his commanding officer, Col. Halliday, and reveals Brock's espionage activities. Because Al has not yet revealed any secrets, Halliday asks him to cooperate with the government. Kramer then summons Al, shows him that they are keeping Betty and Hank hostage, and demands that he acquire a "Mosquito" boat for the Germans. Al then goes to Halliday, who tells him to go ahead with the plan, and the Marines will take care of the rest. That night, Al goes to the Navy yard and steals the boat. Meanwhile, the kids go home and discover that Hank and Betty have been kidnapped and get the police to go to the barbarshop by throwing ink in Sergeant O'Hallihan's face so that he will chase them. At the shop, they find Kramer, who will not reveal where Betty and Hank are. The next morning, as Al approaches the freighter, Betty and Hank jump overboard. The Germans start shooting and mortally wound Al as the Marine planes fly by and attack the ship, which is bombed out of the water. Later, the kids are waiting to see Halliday, who gives them a reward. Halliday declares Al to be a fine Marine, then, at their request, lets the still underage Hank enlist. Finally, Mildred and Crawford get engaged.
Director
Robert B. Sinclair
Cast
Bonita Granville
Ray Mcdonald
Dan Dailey Jr.
Leo Gorcey
Henry O'neill
Stanley Clements
Charles B. Smith
Dorothy Morris
Frederic Worlock
Davis Roberts
Hobart Cavanaugh
William Tannen
Ludwig Stossel
Connie Gilchrist
George Watts
Al Trescony
Joseph Sawyer
Anthony Ward
Veda Ann Borg
Charles Williams
Walter Sande
Jack Norton
Hans Schumm
Tommy Hicks
Milton Kibbee
Marjorie Wood
Wade Boteler
George Lehrer
Otto Reichow
Ernie Alexander
Audrene Brier
Ken Christy
Robert Kellard
Hans Von Morhart
Cliff Danielson
James Millican
Fredrik Vogeding
William Forrest
Paul Newlan
Buster Slaven
Frank Mills
Franco Corsaro
William Yetter
James Craven
Jack Chapin
Winifred Harris
Ralph Sanford
Crew
Harry Clork
Cedric Gibbons
Ben Lewis
Bill Ryan
Gabriel Scognamillo
Douglas Shearer
David Snell
Franz G. Spencer
Franz G. Spencer
Frederick Stephani
Paul Vogel
Edwin B. Willis
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The film's working title was Young Americans. According to a Hollywood Reporter news item on October 7, 1941, M-G-M had planned to make a series based on the film. Leo Gorcey was set to star in the first picture in the series, which was to be directed by Edward Ludwig and produced by Frederick Stephani. Although Gorcey did revive his "'Snap' Collins" character for Stephani and Ludwig's Born to Sing, that film was not a sequel to Down in San Diego and the proposed series was never produced. In the film's movie theater scene, the picture playing is M-G-M's 1941 film Ziegfeld Girl, and the scene used from that film features Lana Turner and Margaret Hamilton (see below). Down in San Diego marked the motion picture debut of Broadway dancer Ray McDonald, although another film made at approximately the same time, Life Begins for Andy Hardy (see below) was released two weeks previously.
