Pride of the Marines
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
D. Ross Lederman
Charles Bickford
Florence Rice
Billy Burrud
Robert Allen
Thurston Hall
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Aboard a train, Marines Steve Riley, Mac McKay, Gunner Brady and Tennessee come to the defense of a young orphan boy, Ulysses Simpson Smith, on his way to visit his uncle in San Diego, California. Upon arrival in San Diego, the Marines and Ulysses find his uncle gone, and his apartment occupied by Molly Malone. After walking by the dreary orphanage, Steve takes Ulysses back to the base, where he is adopted as their mascot. Ulysses is outfitted with a dress uniform, and he and Steve go to visit Molly. Molly introduces her boyfriend Larry Allen, and they all eat cake. Afterwards, Steve invites Molly to visit the base and watch a parade. Molly attends the parade, and later as she and Larry walk around the base, he tells her that he plans to retire as soon as his enlistment is up and get married. Later at a landing practice, Ulysses ignores the gunfire in order to be with his friends but he is wounded when he saves Steve from an explosion. Molly and Larry plan to be married and they ask to adopt Ulysses, but he is determined to stay with Steve. Colonel Gage asks Steve to lead a secret mission to save an island that Steve is familiar with from enemy infiltration. Initially, Steve refuses, but when he visits Ulysses at the hospital, he hears the young boy's patriotic mumbling and decides to take on the mission. As Steve leaves Ulysses in Molly's care, he contemplates the motto on his Marine ring, "Always faithful."
Director
D. Ross Lederman
Cast
Charles Bickford
Florence Rice
Billy Burrud
Robert Allen
Thurston Hall
George Mckay
Ward Bond
Joseph Sawyer
Arthur Rankin
Ralph Byrd
Edward Lesaint
Jack Carlyle
Ernie Adams
Ethan A. Laidlaw
John Tyrrell
Maxine Cantway
Dora Clemant
Gladys Gale
Al Smith
Hal Hyland
Jack Mower
Gus Reed
Lillian West
Crew
Gene Anderson
Irving Briskin
Richard Cahoon
Harry Cohn
George Cooper
Benjamin Kline
Samuel Lange
Robert North
George Rhein
Harold Shumate
Kay Smith
Brick Sullivan
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The viewed print states that the film is dedicated "With appreciation to the officers and enlisted men of the United States Marine Corps who cooperated so heartily in the making of this picture." The film's working title was United States Smith. The pressbook indicates that the film was shot at the Marine base in San Diego, CA. Although some contemporary sources indicate that the film was based on a short story by Gerald Beaumont entitled "United States Smith," no such work has been found. Other sources indicate that Beaumont's story, "Pride of the Marines," is the source for the film. United States Smith was also the title of a 1928 film produced by Gotham Productions based on a story by Beaumont (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30: F2. 5968).
