John Chard
February 12, 2015
5.5
Frogs Abound In WWII.
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
Richard Widmark is the new, hard-nosed, squandron commander "Lawrence" who takes charge of a specialist underwater diving team after the death - in action - of their previous boss. He is trying to make his presence felt and they - led by "Chief Flannigan" (Dana Andrews) are clear they want little to do with him. He changes their training regime, intensifies it, reinvigorates it - and makes it clear that he is now in charge. Gradually, some of the men realise that maybe he's not such a bad guy and Lloyd Bacon quickly sidelines the personality conflicts to turn out a series of action escapades as this team carry out their tasks bravely and successfully. Thanks to a little intervention from "Pappy"(Jeffrey Hunter) and "Vincent" (Gary Merrill who commands their mother ship, things begin to improve before a perilous denouement at a well defended Japanese submarine pen. It's not Widmark's most natural performance, this, and there is little actual jeopardy with the narrative - it's all pretty obvious. That said, the adventures are exciting, the photography captures well the riskiness of their jobs (and the dangers) and the complete absence of any opportunity for romantic interludes is also to be commended. It packs a lot into ninety-odd minutes and flies the flag proudly for a group of sailors who risked life and limb on a daily basis. I enjoyed this.
