The Atomic Submarine (1959)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Spencer Gordon Bennet

Writer:

Orville H. Hampton (written by)

Release Date:

29 November 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

"Our fleet of atomic submarines has disappeared!"

Plot:

Ships mysteriously disappear on route across the Arctic Sea, and a specially-equipped submarine is sent to investigate.

Plot Keywords:

Submarine | Arctic | North Pole | Part Narrated | Torpedo

Cast

Arthur Franz	...	Cmdr. Richard 'Reef' Holloway
Dick Foran	...	Capt. 'Skipper' Dan Wendover
Brett Halsey	...	Dr. Carl Neilson Jr.
Paul Dubov	...	Lt. David Milburn
Bob Steele	...	CPO 'Grif' Griffin
Victor Varconi	...	Dr. Clifford Kent - [Hungarian] scholar
Joi Lansing	...	Julie - Reef's Blonde Date
Selmer Jackson	...	Adm. Terhune - Chairs Pentagon Meeting
Jack Mulhall	...	White-haired Sec.of Def.Murdock (Pentagon meet)
Jean Moorhead	...	Helen (Mrs Dave) Milburn
Richard Tyler	...	Blond Frogman Carney
Sid Melton	...	Yeoman Chester Tuttle
Kenneth Becker	...	Dark-haired Frogman Powell (as Ken Becker)
Frank Watkins	...	Watkins
Tom Conway	...	Sir Ian Hunt - British scholar

Also Known As:

The Atomic Sub (USA)

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | USA:Passed (PCA #19423) | West Germany:12

Company:

Gorham Productions

Trivia:

The film inspired the movie and TV series VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. It was also remade as an episode of that series.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Magnetic North Pole is not located under the Geographic North Pole, which is where the UFO returns in the film to "recharge its batteries" from the Earth's magnetic field. Science had acknowledged this at least two decades before 1959, which was when the film had been released. More current maps show it shifting a bit to the north of Canada.

Quotes:

Voice of Spaceman: At last Commander, we meet as your people say... face to face!
Cmdr. Richard 'Reef' Holloway: That's a face?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Atomic Recall (2007) (V)

THE ATOMIC SUBMARINE (Spencer Gordon Bennet, 1959) **

All the shortcomings one would normally associate with low-budget sci-fi are evident in this film: a talky script (whose solemnity, typical of this era, gives rise to unintentional hilarity) which provides little opportunity for action (and this is mostly stock footage and obvious models) and delivers a ridiculous-looking monster (a sort of octopus/cyclops hybrid).

THE ATOMIC SUBMARINE does, however, feature an eclectic cast - comprised of veterans (Dick Foran, Tom Conway and Bob Steele), genre regulars (Arthur Franz) and newcomers (Brett Halsey); the only female character - a blonde bombshell (played by Joi Lansing, Frank Sinatra's then-girlfriend!) who adds some much-needed spice to the film - is regrettably forsaken after the first reel. It's interesting that the spaceship involved is capable of diving underwater - whereas the one in, say, INVADERS FROM MARS (1953; which I rewatched recently), could conceal its presence by hiding in the sand dunes! The vessel's influence on the submarine crew causes them to go berserk: a similar fate befell the astronauts who landed on the PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (1965); likewise, the Arctic chase plot anticipates THE BEDFORD INCIDENT (1965).

I had read that the Commentary is a dull listen, but I enjoyed it quite a bit: as in his brother Richard's case, Alex Gordon proves very articulate and well-prepared; though he veers off-topic a lot throughout the discussion and, even if he's speaking about unpretentious 'B' horror flicks that were basically intended as exploitation, one is never bored to learn about this particular area of film-making. Gordon also spends a considerable amount of time listing and reminiscing about the old Hollywood stars he continuously employed (even for bit parts) in his films - there's an especially amusing anecdote about Anna Sten. The Criterion DVD also includes, among other things, a nice interview/career overview with the gracious Brett Halsey.