John Mills leads a typical cast of the day in this rather inadequately-funded tub-thumper. We're off to sink the Tirpitz, holed-up in a Norwegian Fjord.
It's the mid 1950's and budgets were no longer underwritten by wartime propaganda funds. Even so, private equity was available and much more memorable works were being produced at the time. I'm thinking here of 'The Cruel Sea' and the incomparable 'Dambusters'.
It's not a bad movie. It just seems a bit flimsy and hurried from time to time. There are plenty of dramatic moments, with lots of underwater tension. We are given a fairly accurate idea of what it was like to be stuck inside these tiny devices for hours on end. There's some nice, if economical, underwater takes.
John Gregson and Donald Sinden are in fine supporting form, as they was in 'River Plate' and 'The Cruel Sea'. James Robertson Justice features as a querulous admiral. The rest are all decent B-movie extras.
Considering the astonishing nature of the mission, which was largely successful - even if the German battleship wasn't actually sunk - I think a greater effort could have been made, especially in terms of funding. The heroes deserved at least that. But then I'm reminded of 'The Gift Horse' - an equally low-funded movie of the even more harrowing (and costly) raid on the docks of St Nazaire by HMS Campbeltown. We don't respect our heroes like we should.
It's well worth a watch if you haven't seen it. I have it in my collection courtesy of a Daily Mail freebie. It's decent entertainment - just on a bit of a shoestring.
My summary is a line from the movie. The captured crew of the mini-subs are on the deck of the Tirpitz after the mines have gone off. The battleship captain comes to inspect his prisoners after they've all but wrecked his ship. It's an hilarious throwaway comment.
It's the mid 1950's and budgets were no longer underwritten by wartime propaganda funds. Even so, private equity was available and much more memorable works were being produced at the time. I'm thinking here of 'The Cruel Sea' and the incomparable 'Dambusters'.
It's not a bad movie. It just seems a bit flimsy and hurried from time to time. There are plenty of dramatic moments, with lots of underwater tension. We are given a fairly accurate idea of what it was like to be stuck inside these tiny devices for hours on end. There's some nice, if economical, underwater takes.
John Gregson and Donald Sinden are in fine supporting form, as they was in 'River Plate' and 'The Cruel Sea'. James Robertson Justice features as a querulous admiral. The rest are all decent B-movie extras.
Considering the astonishing nature of the mission, which was largely successful - even if the German battleship wasn't actually sunk - I think a greater effort could have been made, especially in terms of funding. The heroes deserved at least that. But then I'm reminded of 'The Gift Horse' - an equally low-funded movie of the even more harrowing (and costly) raid on the docks of St Nazaire by HMS Campbeltown. We don't respect our heroes like we should.
It's well worth a watch if you haven't seen it. I have it in my collection courtesy of a Daily Mail freebie. It's decent entertainment - just on a bit of a shoestring.
My summary is a line from the movie. The captured crew of the mini-subs are on the deck of the Tirpitz after the mines have gone off. The battleship captain comes to inspect his prisoners after they've all but wrecked his ship. It's an hilarious throwaway comment.