This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Notable for starring a young Ronald Reagan, "Hellcats of the Navy" (1957) is a barely competent submarine thriller by director Nathan Juran.The plot? Reagan plays Commander Casey Abbot, a submarine commander who locks horns with his executive officer, Lt Commander Landon. Landon feels Abbot is negligent and too often risks the lives of crewmen, Abbot feels Landon isn't ready to make the tough decisions necessary of all submarine commanders. As is typical of such war films, "Hellcats" climaxes with deference to the White Man's Burden. Military men make harsh, often life-taking decisions, we're told, both only so you don't have to and so others may live. Similar false-binaries would get Reagan the US Presiency some years later.At its best, "Hellcats" offers a glimpse of early 20th century ports, harbours, bulwarks and military vessels. Compared to better maritime thrillers of the era ("Enemy Below", "Run Silent, Run Deep", "Destination Tokyo", "On the Beach", "The Cruel Sea", "Sink the Bismark"), it's mostly inept. The film was based on a non-fiction book by US Vice Admiral Charles Lockwood.4/10 – Worth no viewings.

Where do I start. Hellcats was the name for naval aircraft the F6F Grumman not submarines.They were Gatos. The submarine goes from a normal sized tube for a Gato class sub to a tube large enough to hold a 10' ceiling. Ronald Reagan's acting was as stiff as it gets. The dialog between him and Nancy Davis was as contrived as it gets. The dialog in general sounded like it was a Mark 7 production. There was a scene where a Japanese sub was firing its deck gun while the muzzle of the deck gun was still moving. Miraculous gunners they were because that shot and every other hit target. There were enrichment shots in the film that looked more like U boats than Gatos. The important thing is this movie ruined Ronald Reagan's film career. From this movie came TV and a B movie or two(made for big and little screens) and finally life in the desert as narrator of "Death Valley Days".

It seems to me a few reviewers are letting their feelings for Reagan as a president seep into their views on the movie. Probably doesn't help matters that this was his only on-screen pairing with his future first lady, Nancy Davis.This movie is pretty generic in its conflicts. A captain has to make tough decisions in wartime, decisions that cost people their lives. Considering the budget, the scenes were well shot.This was one of Reagan's last movies, before he went on to be a pitchman and then a politician.Also surprising is the participation of Admiral Chester Nimitz playing himself. perhaps Nimitz felt the submariners didn't get their due, with all the war movies being made about pilots and infantry, so he lent his credibility to this film.If you check your feelings about President Reagan at the door, you can enjoy this film for what it is.

Routine submarine warfare film engaged in the old story of how one reacts when one is in command. Obviously, when the shoe is on the other foot, we act accordingly.Nancy Davis did a poor job here. She was certainly no Jane Wyman. Thank the lord that she just said no to a further movie career and went on her way with her Ronnie and the rest is history!Reagan is a real commander here. Am surprised he didn't want to cut men in his never ending assault on cuts. O yes, this was the military and he was strong on defense.No wonder, after seeing this tedious film, that it is said that Jack Warner told Reagan that his career was over. Look what Jack didn't know what was in store for us.The film itself has some strengths, particularly where the bombs go off. It ably showed that team effort will pay off, especially when the code of discipline is enforced.The film might have worked better if it were in color and Ann Sheridan was the nurse. That would have made a 15 year reunion between the future president and Ann, after the marvelous King's Row. That was President Reagan at his best in his movie career.