Richard Widmark stars in this 1951 effort that could, and probably did, serve as a recruitment film for the navy.
The film open with a bunch of soldier bickering. The navy regulars don’t like the supposed preferential treatment given to the operatives of the underwater demolition team or frogmen. We learn the frogmen are mourning the loss of their popular commanding officer who bought it at Iwo Jima. After a low rent scuffle their new CO arrives in the shape of Widmark. His first job is to tell them all off and this sets the tone of their fractious relationship.
The war in the Pacific is going well and it’s the frogmens’ job to lay explosives to clear underwater hazards prior to the invasion of the islands around Japan. The first mission goes OK until one of the support ships carrying some of the team is blown up by a shell. Widmark, resplendent in his trunks, refuses to turn back for survivors in favour of completing the mission and this increases the ire against him. We the viewer know he’s a stand up guy however, as he got scratched on some coral and didn’t moan about it.
Widmark knows he’s losing the team and three put in for transfers. He can’t go on the next mission due to his gamey leg, but when a frogman gets shot in the ass after a prank goes wrong he has to lay down the law again, demoting a popular but frankly stupid member of the team. Soon it’s more like Skidmark than Widmark as the rest of the team put in for transfers. Don’t they know there’s a war on?
As you’d expect Widmark’s chance of redemption comes along soon, when unexploded torpedo finds it’s way into sick bay where the ass shot man is recovering. I hate it when that happens. Widmark saves the day with his trusty screwdriver and things may be starting to thaw as he gains a sliver of respect from his hard to please crew.
Before the transfers take place they have one last mission - to blow up the Jap submarine pens - can Widmark save the day and win over his so not worth it crew?
This was a pretty enjoyable slice of navy life. The characters were all painted with broad strokes and the three acts were signalled prominently with nothing in the way of surprises on offer. From the start when we see the frogmen eulogising about their fallen Commander Cassidy we knew that Widmark would have a tough task on his hands and one he’d eventually succeed at.
The crew, who included ‘Number 2’ Robert Wagner and the Brooklyn one off ‘Sergeant Bilko’ were an unlikable lot and it was surprising that Widmark was so keen on winning their admiration. You’d have expected in a time of war that he’d be a bit more no-nonsense rather than whimpering like a schoolgirl about his lack of popularity.
The action scenes were good, especially the bombardments, and the under water stuff was well handled. The exploding ship however looked like some one had painted a big flash on the film and the underwater knife fights were a bit tame. The climatic raid was quite good but not a patch on the British derring do of ‘We Dive at Dawn’.
You did get the sense they were on a real ship with real navy men doing the stunts and it was quite a change from the normal WW2 clichés and settings. The word ‘frogmen’ is never used and it was only towards the end they actually put on the gas tanks.
It was undemanding stuff with a totally predictable narrative, but overall it was good fun apart from the bit where one guy’s left nut appears as he clambers off the boat - thanks a lot HD TV!
THE Tag Line - Please love me 70%
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