Jack Nicholson and Randy Quaid star as sailors in search of a good time in this American comedy drama directed by Hal Ashby. Career sailors Buddusky (Nicholson) and Mulhall (Otis Young) are given the task of escorting Seaman Meadows (Quaid) to Portsmouth Naval Prison where he is facing a long sentence. The two sailors, feeling guilty about his gloomy prospects, decide to show him a good time before he goes down.

What follows is an odyssey of drinking, fighting, womanising and all-round bad behaviour. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Actor in a Leading Role (Nicholson), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Quaid) and Best Writing, Screenplay Based On Material from Another Medium.