Search - The Atomic Submarine on DVD

Content Advisory: Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1959 DVD Release: 06/24/1998 Format: DVD - Black and White SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 12 mins Studio: Image Entertainment Members Wishing: 10 Genres: Science Fiction, Sea Adventure, Alien Film

Seasoned serial director Spencer Gordon Bennett helmed this story of a one-eyed, octopoidal space alien, wreaking havoc upon atomic subs at the North Pole. The monster is determined to take over the world, though it seems ill equipped for that purpose. Heroes Arthur Franz, Dick Foran, and Brett Halsey head underwater to neutralize the alien's submerged flying saucer. The cast is peopled with such veterans as Tom Conway, Bob Steele, Victor Varconi, Selmer Jackson, and Jack Mulhall. Movie buffs may wish to take note of the exterior scenes in Atomic Submarine; several of them are played out in front of the easily recognizable studios of Allied Artists, formerly Monogram and later the home of LA's PBS channel 28. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Arthur Franz - Reef
Dick Foran - Wendover
Brett Halsey - Carl Nelson
Tom Conway - Sir Ian Hunt
Paul Dubov - Dave

The Atomic Submarine is a prime guilty pleasure among fans of low-budget sci-fi -- especially among baby boomer guys. It has the tone and pacing of a Saturday morning kids show of the 1950s, such as Captain Midnight (including one of the latter series' cast members, Sid Melton), and the male heroics to go with it, but is also laced with eerie special effects and a script touching on some surprisingly topical issues for its time. Set in the future (the 1970s), when nuclear-powered cargo submarines regularly cruise under the Arctic, Dick Foran (playing probably the oldest U.S. sub commander in creation) is ordered to take his nuclear submarine, the Tiger Shark, in search of a mysterious force destroying undersea shipping in the Arctic Circle. Arthur Franz plays the Tiger Shark's hot-shot executive officer, who ends up being forced to work with Brett Halsey, who plays the pacifistic scientist-son of his former mentor. They spar about politics and duty as the sub hunts down the force, which turns out to be a hydra-like alien invader with an agenda of its own for the planet Earth. It's all silly but great fun, and is supported by good low-budget special effects (including some grisly deaths once they board the invader's ship) and an eerie, pulsing score featuring electric organ, electric piano, and orchestra. In 1959, this movie was as hot as a low-budget sci-fi chiller could be -- atomic submarines were the headline-making new development in technology and warfare, and flying saucers were still a subject of fascination. Assuming one overlooks the ridiculously high ceilings and uncramped quarters, the movie works as diverting entertainment, and was also the predecessor to any number of scripts from the television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
Director Spencer G. Bennet's career went back to silent-era serials, while former silent leading man Jack Mulhall and early '30s cowboy star Bob Steele are also aboard in supporting roles. Combining the all-male cast (except for Joi Lansing, in an eye-candy cameo) doing all kinds of macho posturing with a script filled with log entries, 24-hour time references, and longitude/latitude references galore (the predecessor to those time/place references in modern television and movie thrillers), decent model work, and an icky-looking alien, The Atomic Submarine was a huge success with young audiences in 1959. It was also a perennial television favorite of baby boomers for a decade or more afterward, mostly thanks to the eerie pacing, effects, and music. The DVD is about as good as this movie has looked in four decades. The image is so sharp that the lattice pattern of screens in the background of one shot shimmers, and viewers can practically see the pores on the skin of peoples' faces in the medium shots; the sound is equally impressive. One wishes there were more than a dozen chapters to break down the script and story better, but otherwise the disc is well programmed, albeit a little simply. The menu, which doesn't come up automatically, is easy to navigate, and the original trailer is programmed laserdisc-style, to follow the end credits of the film without accessing it on the menu. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide