Purely Joyful Movie!

Good concept, poorly executed.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Tepid WWII drama that never catches fire and tries to impress with overlong action sequences. Well, i say action: if you think that endless scenes of frogmen diving off a boat is thrilling, this is the movie for you. They probably thought that getting the technical details right would make up for the lack of drama. As if we care that the details are factually accurate, i guess. What is the Big Drama here? Well, the diver boys don't really like their new C.O. cause his P.R.-skills are sub-par. Oh, and their former commander was like a cross between Flash Gordon and John Wayne. And would you believe that their new boss, played with unconcealed indifference by Richard Widmark, actually gets miffed when they pull a prank that gets one of them shot and jeopardizes the mission? What a spoilsport! No fun, that guy, so they collectively ask for transfer. (In the middle of a war?) These guys sure have their priorities mixed up. It might have made more sense to have had Dana Andrews and Richard Widmark switch roles. Why use a volatile actor like Widmark and a laconic performer like Andrews and not let them play to their strengths? To see Widmark do one of his famous tantrums would have made it worth watching, now it's just a waste of time and talent.

Directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Richard Widmark, Dana Andrews, Gary Merrill, Jeffrey Hunter and Robert Wagner. Plot finds Widmark as a strict disciplinarian who takes command of the Navy Underwater Demolition Team and quickly upsets the men with his forceful ways. With the team building up to a crucial mission the question is if the men and commander can find an accord for the war effort?Like the men at the film's heart, this is a sturdy war film that's for those who don't mind the focus being more on characterisations than action. The sets and construction of certain scenes show their age, but the underwater filming is neat and the strong cast keep the viewer engaged enough till the big mission arrives. Not essential war film buff viewing, but a decent time waster at least. 5.5/10

What was probably a rather revelatory naval film in 1951 is a bit ordinary by today's standards, though it is still worth a viewing, especially for fans of Widmark. Here he plays the newly-assigned commander of an underwater diving team during WWII who is charged with the demolition of a Pacific island's shore defenses. Widmark is not popular among his men because he's replacing a beloved, but now deceased, predecessor. He loses even more points when he neglects to take time to memorialize even more recently killed seamen. Andrews is his chief antagonist while Merrill is the even-keeled voice of reason, advising Widmark through the choppy waters of command. There are many shots filmed underwater in what was then quite a novelty. Today, this footage looks pretty murky, though it's not altogether terrible. A few tense situations unfold as Widmark and his (frog)men dive and plant explosives, etc... One neat aspect is the showing of how the UDT (now morphed into Navy Seals) disembark and reboard the boats that transport them. Split-second timing was required. Widmark (or more likely his stunt double) does have the unfortunate distinction of being pulled back onto the craft at high speed and having his white jock dart out from the underside of the black trunks he is wearing! Not a particularly dignified reentry, but at least he was saved. Widmark, always an intriguing screen presence, does a nice job in the film, balancing toughness with sensitivity. Andrews is less impressive, seemingly walking through the thing at times. Merrill is pretty inactive, always sitting, lying down or smoking an ever-present pipe, but he lends solid support. One real asset is the appealing and attractive Hunter, who is especially sympathetic during the climax when he is threatened with drowning or worse. The cast is filled with then-up-and-coming actors who would later gain somewhat greater fame. Stevens, Lembeck, Gregory and Warden all have at least one moment to register. Fans of sixth-billed Wagner, however, will be greatly, greatly disappointed. He's barely visible at all and has one line, "Aye aye, sir." The later "Creature From the Black Lagoon" would up the ante on underwater cinematography (in 3-D no less!) along with other subsequent films, but this one was one of the earliest.

I didn't expect too much from this movie as I watched it for the first time, but it was even more minor than I originally thought. Widmark is a bland star for this one, as is Dana Andrews, but young Jeffrey Hunter does a decent job. However, the characters on the ship (which is the setting for the whole movie) are simply too immature and childish to be believable as navy men. Also, the story is simply not interesting (though it has a few intriguing moments) and the climax is sleepy and trite. On top of that, the underwater sequences are not impressive. But the biggest disgrace in this movie is the publicity stunt that was pulled for Robert Wagner. In the opening credits of this movie Wagner is billed fifth, with his name in huge letters, but he appears literally in no more than five seconds of the movie, has no lines, and can only be seen at a distance. Apparently, when this movie was made, he was nothing, but by the time it was released, he attained some popularity, so the company pulled a fast one on the young girls who hoped to see him in this movie. Years ago I noticed that a similar stunt was pulled for Wagner for the 1950 film "Halls of Montezuma" but to a lesser extent.