Trivia / Down Periscope

• Defictionalization: From 2004 to 2007, the US Navy actually conducted training exercises where they were up against a single diesel submarine. Granted that the sub they trained against wasn't a WW2 derelict (the Swedish Navy's Gotland is rather state of the art), the idea itself was the same, fighting against a single sub that was much harder to detect due to its non nuclear nature.
• Missing Trailer Scene:
  • A brief clip of R.J. boarding the Stingray, high-fiving the rest of the crew as he goes. Spots also had Stepanek's "What's our mission, rescue Gilligan?" at first.
  • Lt. Lake water-skiing from a surfaced Stingray.
  • Buckman and Lake get wedged into a narrow sub doorway.
  Buckman: You ever hear of the mile-deep club?
  Lake: You ever hear of a salad bar?
• Playing Against Type: Kelsey Grammer as Lieutenant Commander Dodge. Many of Grammer's roles tend to be straight-laced intellectuals. Dodge, by comparison, is a Military Maverick who takes to the whole "think like a pirate" thing like a duck to water.
• Real Song Theme Tune: "In the Navy" by the Village People is played over the end credits with a new music video shot from cut footage for the trailer and new scenes filmed for the video itself.
• Throw It In!: After Lieutenant Lake kisses Commander Dodge, she bumps her elbow on the way out of his room. This was a real flub that the director decided to leave in.
  • Patton Oswalt had to leave filming two weeks early so he could start a writing gig on MADtv (1995). Unconcerned, David Ward filmed Patton walking away from his station down the passageway of the submarine up to the stern. He's never seen again. Ward decided to just confuse the audience for a laugh.
• What Could Have Been: Tom Arnold was offered the leading role at first, but turned it down for another project (most likely, and ironically, McHale's Navy). He later said that he felt that Kelsey was the better choice.

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