La guerra di domani

The Atomic Submarine is atmospheric and creepy, especially when out in the frozen wastes of the North Pole.

A lot of stock footage didn't spoil my enjoyment, although we see different submarines. Good performances from 50s B movie regulars like Arthur Franz and Tom Conway keep the movie going. The monster in the flying saucer has to be seen to be believed. Great stuff, considering the low budget.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

**SPOLIERS** After some half dozen US Navy subs have been destroyed in the Arctic Ocean within 200-from 87 to 90 degrees North latitude-miles of the North Pole it's decided by the US Military to send it's most advanced atomic submarine The "Tiger Shark" there to see what's causing all this destruction.

With Camdr. Reef Holloway, Arthur Franz, and his second in command Capt. Dan Wendover, Dick Foran, put in charge of the nuclear sub "Tiger Shark" in a top secret mission to the North Pole things get a bit sticky when Dr.Carl Neilson joins the sub's crew. Despite his youth, he's in his late 20's, Dr. Neilson is one of the top oceanographers in the world.

Dr. Neilson is also an unashamed peace-nick who had his old man, Reef's mentor the top naval war tactician in Annapolis,and the person whom Reef worshiped the very ground he walks on,end up hospitalized with a career ending nervous breakdown! That resulted in Dr. Neilson insinuating to the press that his father is a warmonger in his obsession with the use of nuclear submarines- and their payload of Polaris nuclear missiles-in the defense of freedom.

This tension between Reef and Dr. Neilson goes on unabatedly during the entire trip to the North Pole until it's realized that what's been sinking US military vessels up there is a hostile 300 foot in diameter flying saucer!

This UFO identified as the Cyclops, because of its flashing blue light, is using the magnetic pull of the earth, centered at the poles, to regenerate itself with magnetic energy. At the same time the UFO in order to keep it's existence secret zaps any ship or underwater sub that's unfortunate enough to get in its way!

It's also later found out straight from the UFO's pilot's-a hairy one eyed alien- mouth, or subconscious, that it's planing to have it's fellow one eyed monsters colonize the world and enslave the earth's human population!

It takes a while, with a number of the "Tiger Sharks" crew members getting killed, to figure out how to handle this alien, or aliens, from space. But later with the help of the now, he finally saw the light, kill em first and don't ask questions later ex-pacifist Dr. Neilson the human race in the end prevailed.

The problem now, after destroying the Cyclops, is just how many more of these one eyed monsters are still out there in space watching and monitoring us! And also will we have the both strength and fortitude, as well as the military hardware, to combat and defeat them in the not so far off distance future?

I decided recently to dive into Criterion's collection of films to find some good stuff that I have either wanted to watch for a long time or that I've never heard of. "The Atomic Submarine" fell into the latter category, and I decided to pair it with "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" as a Criterion sci-fi double feature.

I was left wondering what it is about "The Atomic Submarine" that compelled Criterion to select it over the hundred other similar 50s sci-fi movies they could have included. It's not much longer than a single episode of any number of television series, and it looks like it was made for about $5. It's entertaining in that kitschy retro way that films of this genre from this time period always are, but I found myself trying hard and failing to see what was so good about it that it warrants inclusion in a list of culturally significant films.

The most interesting thing about it to me was that it features the brother of George Sanders in a supporting role.

Grade: C

Following a series of attacks on cargo ships and, most notably, nuclear submarine's, the Pentagon send their best ship, The Tigershark, to investigate. On board is Lieutenant Commander 'Reef' Holloway (Arthur Franz) and noted scientist Sir Ian Hunt (Tom Conway), who after examining the previous incidents and eye-witness statements, soon form the belief that they are dealing with some kind of underwater alien craft. Holloway's attack-first-ask- questions-later approach puts him at loggerheads with young pacifist Dr. Neilson, Jr. (Brett Halsey), the son of a revered scientist. They soon discover their speedy enemy, and Holloway finds himself confronted by a one-eyed monster intent on world domination.

There is a lot to criticise about The Atomic Submarine, regardless of the obvious budget limitations and drive-in aspirations. Sci-fi movies from the 1950's and 60's manufacture most of their charm from bad special effects and clunky dialogue, but The Atomic Submarine looks particularly ropey, with miniature toys and a fish-bowl filling-in for apparently state-of-the-art aquatic engineering and the great blue yonder. The first two-thirds of the film is extremely talky, which would be fine if not for the characters being little more than B- movie archetypes, either puffing their chest with patriotic defiance or providing some light comic relief.

Yet the climax, which sees a lot of the crew massacred by the drooling extra-terrestrial (voiced by John Hilliard), proves worth the wait. It's certainly formulaic, but it's full of wobbly, retro sets and a genuinely creepy score by Alexander Laszlo, key aspects in what makes these films so fun to watch. The face-off between Holloway and the spaceman also contains some unintentionally hilarious dialogue. "At last Commander, we meet as your people say... face to face!" says the alien. "That's a face?" Holloway replies. The Atomic Submarine is immediately forgettable, best watched late at night when you feel like you're the only person left awake in the world, but this effortlessly likable fluff.

www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

Five years after the Nautilus the first atomic powered submarine made its debut, the nuclear submarine was still a unique enough weapon of war that films could be made about them. Such was this low budget science fiction thriller entitled simply The Atomic Submarine that came from Allied Artists.

Dick Foran is the skipper of the USS Tigerfish and he's been given a heavy duty assignment by the Chief of Naval Operations, Selmar Jackson. Something's been destroying all shipping in the Arctic Sea causing untold damage. The whole crew has been brought aboard, all leaves canceled.

The Executive Officer, Arthur Franz, has a heavy duty date with Joi Lansing so you can imagine it didn't put him in the best of moods. Especially when an old rival, Brett Halsey, is also assigned to the submarine. These two have an artificially scripted conflict which I'm still at a loss to understand. I guess the producers felt they needed something to occupy the time before we found out who's sinking the polar shipping of earth.

Of course it's a particularly nasty alien creature and it's a flying saucer that goes underwater that's doing the job. What he's on earth for and how they deal with it you'll have to see The Atomic Submarine.

Remember at the time The Atomic Submarine was considered the cutting edge of technology. Now practically our whole fleet is nuclear powered so it's not as big a deal as in 1959. The film is set in the futuristic date of 1968 and that's interesting to see what the film's creators take of the near future would be.

Also remember that this is Allied Artists which used to be Monogram Pictures. No great original special effects here just decently edited clips from other submarine and science fiction films.

The Atomic Submarine is a decent enough B film and I'm sure it was big hit with the kiddie trade back in the day.