O Tigre dos Mares

Submarine Command is an excellent example of the type of good entertainment that Hollywood used to grind out regularly back in the fifties. The story isn't deep, but the writing (Jonathan Latimer) and direction (John Farrow) are very fine, and the actors, especially William Holden, in the leading role, are all in good form. William Bendix provides a kind of stubborn, moral center in the movie, and one can only hope that Holden can get into his good graces. Most of the technical military-professional side of the film is realistically or at least convincingly (to me) handled. The movie's otherwise ho-hum submarine stuff, with all the usual cliches, but so much life is breathed into the old material that it feels fresh and original, no small accomplishment in this kind of film.

This movie has to be William Bendix's finest role. Noted for his portrayal of comic characters, such as Chester A. Riley in "The Life of Riley," in this movie Bendix is a moody, brooding sailor harboring a deep-seeded resentment toward the commander of a submarine, played by William Holden. The other characters in the movie are quite forgettable and the storyline itself, although interesting, is nothing particularly special and as a post-World War Two movie, it lacks the intensity of movies made during the war. But William Bendix's portrayal makes this movie worth watching and makes this movie, if not a classic, at least a work of art that merits consideration and an honorable mention.

Imagine THE CAINE MUTINY, without a mutiny, and you might have the William Holden vehicle SUBMARINE COMMAND (actually more like THE FROGMEN) co-starring SUNSET BOULEVARD girl-next-door Nancy Olson as the wife of Holden's Lt. Commander Ken White, who, initially second-in-charge within the titular vessel, makes a quick decision to submerge when the stalwart/popular captain's still outside...

The audience can see he's been hit by a Japanese zero but the drama relies on Holden's character not knowing if the death was by gunfire or drowning, the latter to save the crew... yet what really matters is stocky CPO Boyer's opinion, and, played by always reliable William Bendix, he doesn't like Holden's guilt-ridden second-guessing lieutenant one bit...

Unfortunately there's no real tension between both otherwise intense actors, and either way, most of the picture takes place post-war as Holden goes from grouchy to grouchier... especially towards wife Olson... until a second chance to make up for past deeds when Korea rears up...

But by this time we're almost through, which is both good and bad: the first since things don't drag too long as the initial 20-minutes held most of the semi-suspenseful, claustrophobic action... and bad since we never experience Holden, Bendix, Arthur Franz or happy-go-lucky scene-stealer Don Taylor in any real threat or danger throughout.

William Holden did a nice job in this patriotic movie but for the most part this film seemed be the same plot from so many war-time movies. A commander had to make some hard decisions by letting people die in order to save the ship. Of course, at least a few of the people disagree with the decision- and there we have the rub of the story. The only difference in this tale than others. is the fact that most of the mental conflict about the decision comes at the close of the war instead of playing out during the war. So this seemed like a reused plot with names being changed for the audience approval.

Do not get me wrong, the movie has some gifted actors that gave nice performances. Along with Holden, William Bendix and Nancy Olson did a nice job keeping the story interesting and the viewer involved in the story. Even when the writing (at the end) was rushed and forgiveness came like a flash, the actors made the transition flawlessly. Perhaps a bit more time should have been planned for the ending instead of feeling rushed to an conclusion. But since this was not to be, we are left with a film that is at least entertaining and we can enjoy the talent of the actors. Nice watch.

William Holden stars in/narrates this rather humdrum submariner story from the end of WWII and the commencement of the Korean War that offers little by way of uniqueness or jeopardy. Holden, himself, is fine - but the tale of an executive officer making a tough, ultimately tragic, battle decision that causes him to become a pariah to many of his crew is just too old hat, as is the ending which offers a redemption that was never really in doubt. Technically, it conveys some of the claustrophobic aspects of living and working on a submarine well; and William Bendix as "CPO Boyer" demonstrates how effectively a man can hold a grudge, but (no pun intended) it's all just a bit too shallow and procedural. Worth a watch for the photography, but the story is neither here nor there...