Hit the Deck

Hit the Deck was a musical theater production first staged at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway on April 25, 1927. It featured music by Vincent Youmans, lyrics by Clifford Grey and Leo Robin and book by Herbert Fields. It was based on the play Shore Leave by Hubert Osborne. Overall, it ran for 352 performances. The title refers to a nautical slang term that means to prepare for action (general) or to drop to a prone position on the ground (as a defensive response to hostile fire). The production opened at the Hippodrome on July 3, 1927, and ran for 277 performances. It starred Stanley Holloway. Two films based on the musical were made. The first was in 1930 and starred Jack Oakie. It was remade in 1955 with a slightly different screenplay...