The Bedford Incident (1965)

Director:

James B. Harris

Writers:

James Poe (screenplay)
Mark Rascovich (novel)

Release Date:

January 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Drama | War

Tagline:

The cold war just got hotter.

Plot:

An American destroyer captain is determined to confront a Soviet submarine caught violating territorial waters. Perhaps too determined.

Plot Keywords:

Crew | Subordination | Ocean | Deep Sea | Nuclear Weapon

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Richard Widmark	...	Captain Eric Finlander U.S.N.
Sidney Poitier	...	Ben Munceford
James MacArthur	...	Ensign Ralston (as James Macarthur)
Martin Balsam	...	Lieut. Cmdr. Chester Potter, M.D., U.S.N.
Wally Cox	...	Seaman Merlin Queffle
Eric Portman	...	Commodore Wolfgang Schrepke Deutsche Marine
Michael Kane	...	Commander Allison Executive Officer - Bridge
Colin Maitland	...	Seaman Jones - Bridge
Paul Tamarin	...	Seaman 2nd Class - Bridge
Frank Lieberman	...	Seaman 1st Class - Bridge
James Caffrey	...	Seaman 1st Class - Bridge
Burnell Tucker	...	Seaman 1st Class - Bridge
Michael Graham	...	Lieutenant Krindlemeyer U.S.N. - Bridge
Bill Edwards	...	Lieutenant Hazelwood U.S.N. - Bridge
Stephen von Schreiber	...	Seaman 2nd Class - Bridge (as Stephen Von Schreiber)
Ronald Rubin	...	Seaman 1st Class - Bridge
Eugene Leonard	...	Seaman 2nd Class - Bridge
Gary Cockrell	...	Lieutenant Bascombe U.S.N. - C.I.C.
Roy Stephens	...	Seaman 2nd Class - C.I.C.
George Roubicek	...	Lieutenant Berger U.S.N. - C.I.C.
John McCarthy	...	Seaman 1st Class - C.I.C.
Shane Rimmer	...	Seaman 1st Class - C.I.C.
Glenn Beck	...	Seaman 2nd Class - C.I.C. (as Glen Beck)
Brian Davies	...	Lieutenant Beckman U.S.N. - Communications
Ed Bishop	...	Lieutenant Hacker U.S.N. - Communications (as Edward Bishop)
Paul Carson	...	Seaman 1st Class - Communications
Laurence Herder	...	Petty Officer - Communications
Phil Brown	...	Chief Hospitalman Mckinley - Sick Bay
Donald Sutherland	...	Hospitalman Nerney - Sick Bay
Warren Stanhope	...	Hospitalman Strauss - Sick Bay

Directed by
James B. Harris

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
James Poe		screenplay
Mark Rascovich		novel

Produced by
Denis O'Dell	....	associate producer
James B. Harris	....	producer (uncredited)
Richard Widmark	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Gerard Schurmann

Cinematography by
Gilbert Taylor		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Jympson

Casting by
James Liggat

Art Direction by
Arthur Lawson

Makeup Department
Eric Allwright	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Victor Peck	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Clive Reed	....	assistant director

Art Department
Lionel Couch	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Leslie Hammond	....	sound recordist
Bob Jones	....	sound recordist (as Robert Jones)
Winston Ryder	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Derek V. Browne	....	camera operator (as Derek Browne)

Editorial Department
Roy Benson	....	assistant editor
Pamela Tomling	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Gerard Schurmann	....	conductor

Other crew
Lieutenant Commander Ian Cox	....	technical advisor (as Lieut. Commander Ian Cox, D.S.O., R.N. Rtd.)
Phyllis Crocker	....	continuity
Captain J.D. Ferguson	....	technical advisor (as Capt. J.D. Ferguson, U.S.N. Rtd.)

Production Companies

• Bedford Productions Ltd. (uncredited)
• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia-Bavaria Filmgesellschaft m.b.H. (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Video Ltd. (1987) (UK) (VHS)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

Russian | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Netherlands:AL | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Finland:S | Norway:16 | Sweden:11 | UK:A (original rating) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Bedford Productions Ltd.

Trivia:

Donald Sutherland's feature film debut.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The USS Bedford fires an ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) from their forward MK 16 Launcher. Almost immediately it's asked if they can abort it. First ASROCs are not fired from the Bridge. The Bridge only give the permission to fire via a key as turned by the Captain (his key and he holds it). Once fired, ASROCs can't be exploded as there are no communications from the ship to the missile. Shooting it down is virtually impossible because of the speed of the ASROC as well as the size (about 21" in diameter).

Quotes:

Commodore Schrepke: That permission specifically said "if the sub is still in territorial waters", is that not so?
Captain Finlander: A matter of interpretation, Commodore.
Commodore Schrepke: But the Russian is in international waters. The ocean is free, my captain.
Captain Finlander: Yeah, so it is.
Commodore Schrepke: So you have lost your opportunity. It was magnificent -
Captain Finlander: Look, if I catch a man robbing my house and he makes a break for the street, do I let him go just because he made it to the sidewalk?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "American Masters: Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light" (2000)

Brilliant Cold War thriller

For me, this is one of the best movies of the cold war era, up there with the likes of "Fail Safe" and "On the Beach". Extremely well directed and acted, it should be on any collector's shelf as DVD when so released. The tension is maintained throughout and the climax is one of the best in a film that I have ever seen. Also significant is the fact that Sidney Poitier's colour is never an issue either verbally or by implication, something quite remarkable for a movie made over 35 years ago.