Review of Navy & USS Los Angeles CA-135 scenes in the film, "Cry For Happy."
("Cry For Happy", a 1961 film starring Glenn Ford; a scene was filmed on USS Los Angeles)

I was on the ship in 1960 when they filmed a scene for the film "Cry For Happy".   I was a background "extra", along with a number of other sailors.  Filming took place in Long Beach, Pier E, & I think it was a Saturday.

I reviewed the film to find scenes that might have been taken on the USS LA, plus I noted other Navy-related scenes.  My review consists of several frames captured from the film, along with my comments.  The frames were captured from my computer screen using a digital camera.   "1:30" elapsed time means 1.5 minutes into the film;  "1:45:30" means one hour, 45 minutes, & 30 seconds into film.  The film is about one hour & 50 minutes long.


Click on thumbnails to view larger pics.

Elapsed time
 (approx)
 Event
 Comment



1:30
 Yokosuka Naval Base


title


scene showing area where USS LA docked
 Looks like Yokosuka; stock footage?



16:50
 UDT operations

(no photos included)



 No comment, except this would not have happened in broad daylight.



17:20
 Cruiser firing





 Not USS Los Angeles.

In top photo, the masts & superstructure are different.

  See comments on bottom photo regarding guns.



18:00
 Glenn Ford's camera crew
boards a Navy ship following
 pickup of frogmen




 Not on USS Los Angeles - Los Angeles didn't have the
structures shown above Glenn Ford's head.

These scenes were probably taken on some Navy supply ship at Long Beach.



1:45:30
 Ceremony on quarterdeck








 This was the scene filmed in Long Beach when I was
 aboard.

Photo #1 is of sideboys & officer of the deck - typical when a distinguished visitor was being piped aboard.

Photos 2 & 3 were shot facing the superstructure of the ship; scene is still on quarterdeck.

Several sailors, including me, were either blocked from view by the actors, or we were out of view.