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I've suddenly got a desire to watch films on and about submarines in warfare. Anyone have any favorites to recommend?

When I was a little kid I remember seeing "Run Silent, Run Deep" (1958) in a movies theater, must have been second run, c 1960 or so. The film really left an impression upon me--adult story, great editing, and really good special effects with mere models in a tank. (I wondered back then, where they found all those ships to blow up (: ). Robert Wise directs, and Bert Lancaster and Clark Gable make great adversaries. Even today, the special effects hold up.

A few more thoughts: Das Boot, c1980 has a great ducumentary look and feel, but I didn't find the story as compelling, and The Enemy Below, c1957 is fine too, but just a little less so than "Run Deep."

A few Star Trek episodes were done with a submarine battle in mind.

Yellow Submarine

Crimson Tide
20000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Not in order of personal preference: in the order the good submarine movies turned up on the IMDB under Keyword: Submarine, listing a total of 684 titles.


Das Boot
The Hunt for Red October
K-19 the Widow-Maker
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Fantastic Voyage
Operation Petticoat
Run Silent Run Deep
The Enemy Below
The Spy in Black
Hell Below
The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
Submarine (1928)
The Sea Around Us


In addition, a lot of sf movies and episodes mimic the "Run Silent Run Deep" story line and details. Some one has already mentioned Star Trek. I've seen others in writing.

Bob

Once can also add the John Ford - Dudley Nichols - Joseph August MEN WITHOUT WOMEN (1930). This was / is on YT in a hybrid silent / sound version which is none too clear at times. Not sure if it was originally released like that, or an amalgam of surviving material. Can also recommend MORNING DEPARTURE (1950), but not seen that one for some thirty years, so may react differently now. And if I remember rightly, THE WORLD MOVES ON (1934) has some submarine scenes.

Will try to think of more, and of course there are plenty waiting to be seen, some which may or may not be lost (MEN LIKE THESE, 1931), and ones where the submarines are the hunted (SUBMARINE PATROL, 1938)...

SPY SMASHER!!

Might as well throw Up Periscope in there.

And Down Periscope, if you're a glutton for punishment.

Below the Sea (1933)

John Ford's Seas Beneath (1931)

MORGENROT (1933) is an interesting film in many ways. It's now out in a restored bluray version.

HELLCATS OF THE NAVY (1957) sounds interesting as well.

Bob Lipton already mentioned it, but "Hell Below" (1933) is really great! I couldn't believe how good it was, and that I'd never heard of it, when I first saw it. It still isn't getting a lot of talk about it, but it certainly deserves it!

HELL BELOW (1933) is one of those films which seem to suffer from hearsay rather than genuine opinions. Have read the odd dismissive review in tv film guides, etc., but have the writers actually seen the film? Hasn't put me off at all.

And would've mentioned MORGENROT (1933) only not seen it yet as think only copy I've got is without subtitles. Good to hear a proper copy's out now.

earlytalkiebuffRob wrote:HELL BELOW (1933) is one of those films which seem to suffer from hearsay rather than genuine opinions. Have read the odd dismissive review in tv film guides, etc., but have the writers actually seen the film?...

No good reason if they haven't, as it's been shown on TCM a number of times. My recollection of it from several years ago is "alright," but nothing I was highly motivated to revisit...and let me tell you that ANY picture with knock-out Madge Evans in it, I'd ordinarily watch multiple times. Seem vaguely to recall some crude special effects, but perhaps I'm mistaken; maybe I'll hunt up my copy & give it a 2nd chance; nothing, however, can induce me to like Robt. Young.

The sub picture I've longed for years to see is Capra's '28 film, on the assumption that his work with Holt & Graves in Flight & Dirigible being SO damned good, Submarine would probably be their equal. (Especially with the added attraction of Dorothy Revier!) Those talkies TCM has shown many times, so the holdup with Submarine I assume to be--as usual--lack of a good score to accompany it.

entredeuxguerres wrote:

earlytalkiebuffRob wrote:HELL BELOW (1933) is one of those films which seem to suffer from hearsay rather than genuine opinions. Have read the odd dismissive review in tv film guides, etc., but have the writers actually seen the film?...

No good reason if they haven't, as it's been shown on TCM a number of times. My recollection of it from several years ago is "alright," but nothing I was highly motivated to revisit...and let me tell you that ANY picture with knock-out Madge Evans in it, I'd ordinarily watch multiple times. Seem vaguely to recall some crude special effects, but perhaps I'm mistaken; maybe I'll hunt up my copy & give it a 2nd chance; nothing, however, can induce me to like Robt. Young.

The sub picture I've longed for years to see is Capra's '28 film, on the assumption that his work with Holt & Graves in Flight & Dirigible being SO damned good, Submarine would probably be their equal. (Especially with the added attraction of Dorothy Revier!) Those talkies TCM has shown many times, so the holdup with Submarine I assume to be--as usual--lack of a good score to accompany it.

It must be a couple of decades since I saw it; I believe it was at the Frank Capra series at the Film Forum. I recall it as being standard Jack Holt heroics and the rescue of the submarine looking as if it was performed in a large fish tank, but any Frank Capra movie is worth looking at.

As I recall, the Film Forum makes copies of all the movies they show and used to allow members who contributed at some level above the basic membership to look at them.

Bob

boblipton wrote:...the rescue of the submarine looking as if it was performed in a large fish tank, but any Frank Capra movie is worth looking at. Bob

The problem inherent in any sub picture--filming them underwater. There was no getting around this problem, even though the Navy bent over backwards in the '30s to accommodate film-makers.

boblipton wrote:As I recall, the Film Forum makes copies of all the movies they show and used to allow members who contributed at some level above the basic membership to look at them.

Huh? What studio would allow that?

Not mentioned yet is Morning Departure (I understand it was released as Operation Disaster in the United States) a 1950 British naval drama about life aboard a sunken submarine.

Without spoiling it, the ending is atypical.

Some other films with submarines include
The Devil and the Deep (1932)
Submarine (1928)
The Mysterious Island (1929)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916)
Behind the Door (1919)

greta

entredeuxguerres wrote:

earlytalkiebuffRob wrote:HELL BELOW (1933) is one of those films which seem to suffer from hearsay rather than genuine opinions. Have read the odd dismissive review in tv film guides, etc., but have the writers actually seen the film?...

No good reason if they haven't, as it's been shown on TCM a number of times. My recollection of it from several years ago is "alright," but nothing I was highly motivated to revisit...and let me tell you that ANY picture with knock-out Madge Evans in it, I'd ordinarily watch multiple times. Seem vaguely to recall some crude special effects, but perhaps I'm mistaken; maybe I'll hunt up my copy & give it a 2nd chance; nothing, however, can induce me to like Robt. Young.

The sub picture I've longed for years to see is Capra's '28 film, on the assumption that his work with Holt & Graves in Flight & Dirigible being SO damned good, Submarine would probably be their equal. (Especially with the added attraction of Dorothy Revier!) Those talkies TCM has shown many times, so the holdup with Submarine I assume to be--as usual--lack of a good score to accompany it.

Reviews of HELL BELOW I read were pre-TCM and at least one was British. which excuses not having seen the film but not the commenting on it.

And agree would love to see Capra's SUBMARINE (1928) particularly after catching up with FLIGHT (1929) early this year. Don't think scoring's the problem as I understand it was issued with a music / effects track. Suspect it may have been shown at the Capra season in London a few years back, but heard about it too late...

If you've not seen it already, can heartily recommend THE FLYING FLEET (1929), a highly enjoyable yarn on similar lines to FLIGHT and DIRIGIBLE (1931)...

Two Cary Granters:

DESTINATION TOKYO(1943)

OPERATION PETTICOAT(1959)


FRAULEIN DOKTOR(1969) has a few good scenes on a German sub that sort of hint at DAS BOOT.

MURPHY'S WAR(1971) has Peter O'Toole trying to sink a German sub even after WW2 has ended. Great shots of a real sub in a shallow South American river. Horst Janson plays the German sub commander.

How could we forget ... The Boatniks?

"It's a salami!"

s.w.a.c. wrote:How could we forget ... The Boatniks?

"It's a salami!"

Therapy helps.

I thought this was "best submarine movie"

Bob

boblipton wrote:

s.w.a.c. wrote:How could we forget ... The Boatniks?

"It's a salami!"

Therapy helps.

I thought this was "best submarine movie"

It's the best submarine movie with Phil Silvers in it?