When I reviewed the film Annapolis that starred James Franco and Tyrese Gibson a few years ago I remarked that one of the big flaws I found in that film was the lack of anything resembling academics in the film. That is made up for in An Annapolis Story where you do see a well rounded depiction of the experience of being a midshipman there. But in fact romantic rivalry comes before anything else in this film.
The rivalry is between two brothers attending the Naval Academy post World War II. One brother got an appointment through the ranks as a veteran of the Navy, Kevin McCarthy. The second is younger brother John Derek who got it via academics and a Congressional appointment.
These brothers have a bit of a rivalry going in everything from academics to athletics. Both are on the football team, McCarthy a by the book type and Derek inclined to go out on his own. The rivalry is friendly until Derek starts making moves on McCarthy's long time girl Diana Lynn. Then it gets quite ugly.
It continues right through Naval Air Training in Pensacola and into the Korean War when both become fighter pilots on those new jets. As to what happens and who Lynn chooses in the end you'll have to see the film to find out.
A lot of good newsreel footage for the combat scenes and location shooting at the Naval Academy helps this film out in so many ways. Having been to the Naval Academy several years ago, I can testify not too much has changed for the more recent Annapolis or from the time An Annapolis Story was filmed there. An Annapolis Story is a decent B film from Allied Artists and a sincere tribute to the midshipmen who have graduated there and whom this country owes so much.
And it's to the Naval Academy and every midshipman whoever attended since the 1840s when it was founded that this review is respectfully dedicated.
