Up Periscope
Up Periscope is a 1959 World War II submarine film drama directed by Gordon Douglas and starring James Garner, Edmond O'Brien, Andra Martin and Alan Hale, Jr. The film was made in WarnerScope and Technicolor, distributed by Warner Bros., and produced by Aubrey Schenck. The film's screenplay was written by Richard H. Landau and Robb White, having been adapted from White's novel of the same name.
| Up Periscope | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Gordon Douglas |
| Produced by | Aubrey Schenck Howard W. Koch Edwin F. Zabel |
| Screenplay by | Richard H. Landau |
| Based on | Up Periscope 1956 novel by Robb White |
| Starring | James Garner Edmond O'Brien Andra Martin Alan Hale, Jr. |
| Narrated by | Edmond O'Brien |
| Music by | Ray Heindorf |
| Cinematography | Carl E. Guthrie |
| Edited by | John F. Schreyer |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
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Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.5 million (est. US/ Canada rentals)[1] |
Garner called it "another piece of crap that Warner Bros stuck me in while I was under contract."[2]
Plot
Lt. Kenneth Braden (James Garner), a newly trained U.S. Navy Frogman, is unexpectedly ordered to report for duty without being able to notify his new girlfriend, Sally Johnson (Andra Martin), in whom he has taken a serious interest. He is informed that she is an officer of Naval Intelligence and was responsible for a recent confirmation of his character and fitness for a special mission.
Submarine commander Stevenson (Edmond O'Brien) (whose crew's morale is shaky because of the arguably unnecessary death of a crew member on his last mission) is ordered to take Braden to the island of Kosrae to photograph a code book at the Japanese radio station located there. The skipper originally told Braden that he would have to swim a considerable distance, fighting strong currents, but upon arrival he decides to enter Lelu Harbor and remain there while Braden carries out his covert mission.
After Braden returns, Stevenson dictates a letter accusing himself of putting his submarine and crew in danger in order to make Braden's mission easier. When they reach Pearl Harbor, Braden obliquely informs Stevenson that his crew "lost" the letter. To Braden's surprise and delight, Sally Johnson is waiting at the dock to greet him.
Cast
- James Garner as Lt.(JG) Kenneth M. Braden
- Edmond O'Brien as Commander Paul Stevenson
- Andra Martin as Sally Johnson
- Alan Hale, Jr. as Ensign/Lt.(JG) (promoted during the mission) Pat Malone (billed as Alan Hale after his actor father's death in 1950)
- Carleton Carpenter as Lt. Phil Carney
- Frank Gifford as Ensign Cy Mount
- William Leslie as Lt. Doherty
- Richard Bakalyan as Seaman Peck
- Edd Byrnes as Pharmacist Mate Ash (billed as Edward Byrnes)
- Sean Garrison as Seaman Floyd
- Henry Kulky as Chief Petty Officer York
- Warren Oates as Seaman Kovacs
See also
References
- "1959: Probable Domestic Take", Variety, 6 January 1960 p 34
- Garner, James; Winokur, Jon (2011). The Garner Files: A Memoir. Simon & Schuster. p. 252.
External links
- Up Periscope on IMDb
- Up Periscope at the TCM Movie Database
- Up Periscope at AllMovie
- Up Periscope at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Up Periscope at Rotten Tomatoes