UP PERISCOPE

US, 1959, 112 minutes, Colour.
James Garner, Edmond O’ Brien, Andra Martin, Alan Hale Jr, Carleton Carpenter.
Directed by Gordon Douglas.

Up Periscope is one of the better submarine films. It is fighting World War Two over again, this time at the end of the 1950s. It is the style of story that was very popular in the British films of the 1950s, a focus on a particular mission and heroic achievement.

Edmond O’ Brien portrays the commander of a submarine who, with secret commands, has had to act in such a way that one of his men was killed. He is then in charge of a special mission, taking James Garner as a trainee commando to go to a Pacific island to recover the Japanese code for messages.

There is tension in the submarine, a focus on the chain of command in the submarine – as well as the particular excitement of an attack on the submarine by Japanese planes and the counterattack of the submarine on a pursuing Japanese destroyer. The mission also has its own tension – though it is strange that James Garner does not have any dark camouflage on his face for a night mission.

James Garner was appearing in Maverick at the time and was a popular figure – prefiguring his performances over the next fifty years. Edmond O’ Brien had just won an Oscar for best supporting actor in The Barefoot Contessa. Alan Hale Jr supplies some cheerful humour. The film was directed by Gordon Douglas, a director of many action films like Only the Valiant as well as the later detective stories with Frank Sinatra, Lady in Cement and Tony Rome.

1.An interesting film? The perspective on the Pacific war from the 50s? From later decades? A re-enactment of a heroic mission?

2.The San Diego settings? The ocean? Underwater? The details of the submarine, the interiors? Surfacing? The title? The musical score?

3.The opening, the introduction to Kenneth Braden, with Sally Johnson, on the beach, falling in love? The proposal? His sudden call to the mission? His instructions? The revelation that Sally was a naval officer and was recruiting him? His going aboard? The nature of his mission, his commando skills, knowledge of Japanese?

4.Commander Stevenson, the mission, the background of the previous attack, the man dying, the funeral, the reaction of his men and alienation? Questioning of his authority? His reliance on Phil Carney for support – even though he differed and would not have gone exactly by the book? Pat Malone and his cheerful presence? The other members of the crew? His wariness about the new mission?
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6.The attack by the Japanese planes, the deaths? Phil Carney and his being injured, telling the other men to go down and close the hatch? The reaction of Captain Stevenson? The new promotions, the new orders? The pursuit by the destroyer, the tactic of evading the destroyer, the depth charges? Lining up the torpedos? Firing them and success?

7.The mission, the strict attitude of Stevenson towards Braden? The time limit? Braden and swimming, the Japanese, the explosion, photographing the code? Swimming back, the tapping sound to guide him back, Stevenson waiting the extra minutes? Success?

8.Stevenson, dictating the letter to ask for an investigation into his own behaviour – and his not going by the book as he always did? Braden saying that the letter was lost?

9.Pat Malone, cheerful, promotion, the girls in Hawaii? The return – and the girls turning up? Sally Johnson turning up? Happy ending?