While it was a modest success upon release, the film has gained a massive following over the years for several reasons:
: The movie is packed with raunchy and witty dialogue, such as Dodge's famous line regarding his "Welcome Aboard" tattoo. Production Trivia
Down Periscope is a military comedy directed by David S. Ward and produced by 20th Century Fox. It stars as Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge, a highly capable but unconventional officer who has been repeatedly passed over for command of a nuclear submarine. The Plot: A Misfit Crew on a Rusty Relic Down Periscope
: A sonar expert with superhuman hearing who can identify ships by the sound of their propellers (or even a dropped coin). Why It's a Cult Classic
: Part of a pilot program to see if women can serve on submarines. While it was a modest success upon release,
: Despite being a slapstick comedy, many veterans and submarine sailors consider it one of the most accurate submarine movies ever made—not in terms of technical specs, but in capturing the specific humor, boredom, and "crazy" personalities of the submarine service.
As a final test to see if he is "command material," the Navy brass gives Dodge a seemingly impossible task: lead a diesel-powered, World War II-era submarine, the , in a series of war games against the high-tech Atlantic Fleet. It stars as Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge, a
: Fresh off the success of Frasier , Grammer brought a mix of intelligence and "pirate" charm to the role of Commander Dodge.
