We Dive at Dawn (1943)

Director:

Anthony Asquith

Writers:

J.B. Williams (story) and
Val Valentine (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 May 1943 (UK)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Plot:

All leave is canceled so that a British submarine can be sent after a new German warship. They chase it so far that they have no fuel to get home.

Plot Keywords:

Submarine | World War Two | Nazi War Prisoner | Machine Gun | Tommy Gun

Cast

John Mills	...	Captain - Lt. Taylor, R.N.
Louis Bradfield	...	First Officer - Lt. Brace, R.N.R.
Ronald Millar	...	Third Officer - Lt. Johnson, RNVR
Jack Watling	...	Navigating Officer - Lt. Gordon, R.N.
Reginald Purdell	...	Coxwain - C / P.O. Dabbs
Caven Watson	...	Chief Engine Room Artificer - C / P.O. Duncan
Niall MacGinnis	...	Torpedo Gunner's Mate - C / P.O. Mike Corrigan
Eric Portman	...	On Hydrophones - L / S. Hobson
Leslie Weston	...	Leading Torpedo Operator - L / S Tug Wilson
Norman Williams	...	Periscope Operator - 'Canada'
Lionel Grose	...	Torpedo Operator - 'Spud'
David Peel	...	Helmsman - 'Oxford'
Philip Godfrey	...	Steward - 'Flunkey'
Robb Wilton	...	Cook - 'Pincher' (as Robert Wilton)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marie Ault	...	Mrs. Metcalfe (uncredited)
Victor Beaumont	...	German Airman (uncredited)
Franklyn Bennett	...	(uncredited)
Frederick Burtwell	...	Sidney Briggs (uncredited)
George Cross	...	(uncredited)
Kenneth Evans	...	(uncredited)
Ian Fleming	...	Captain (uncredited)
Philip Friend	...	Humphries (uncredited)
Walter Gotell	...	Luftwaffe Captain (uncredited)
Vincent Holman	...	Danish Captain (uncredited)
Joan Hopkins	...	Ethel Dabbs (uncredited)
Mike Johnson	...	ARP Man at Wedding (uncredited)
Molly Johnson	...	(uncredited)
Vi Kaley	...	Old Lady in Chip Shop (uncredited)
Olaf Olsen	...	Lufwaffe airman (uncredited)
Bryan Powley	...	(uncredited)
John Salew	...	Drake (uncredited)
Gerik Schjelderup	...	(uncredited)
Johnnie Schofield	...	Policeman in Chip Shop (uncredited)
John Slater	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Joan Sterndale-Bennett	...	(uncredited)
Vi Stevens	...	Publican's Wife (uncredited)
Merle Tottenham	...	(uncredited)
David Trickett	...	Peter Hobson (uncredited)
Beatrice Varley	...	Mrs. Dabbs (uncredited)
Ben Williams	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Ian Wilson	...	Cigarette Customer (uncredited)
Josephine Wilson	...	Alice Hobson (uncredited)

Directed by
Anthony Asquith

Writing credits
J.B. Williams		(story) and
Val Valentine		(story)
J.B. Williams		(screenplay) and
Val Valentine		(screenplay)
Frank Launder		uncredited

Produced by
Edward Black	....	producer

Original Music by
Hubert Bath		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Jack E. Cox		(photography) (as Jack Cox)

Film Editing by
R.E. Dearing

Art Direction by
Walter W. Murton		(as Walter Murton)

Production Management
Maurice Ostrer	....	in charge of production
Fred Gunn	....	production manager (uncredited)

Art Department
Maurice Carter	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
E. Lindegaard	....	backings (uncredited)

Sound Department
B.C. Sewell	....	sound supervisor
Charles Wheeler	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Sydney Wiles	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Phil Grindrod	....	camera operator (uncredited)
David Harcourt	....	focus puller (uncredited)
George Stevens	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Charles Saunders	....	cutting
John Shirley	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Levy	....	musical director

Other crew
Jo Harcourt	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Gainsborough Pictures (as A Gainsborough Picture)
• Gaumont British Picture Corporation (presents) (as Gaumont-British Picture Corpn. Ltd.)

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1943) (UK) (theatrical)
• Better Television Distribution (2006) (worldwide) (TV)
• Elephant Films (2005) (France) (all media)
• Pickwick Video (1990) (UK) (VHS)
• Rank Video Library (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• VCI Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Admiralty, The  the producers wish to express their thanks for the co-operation of (as The Admiralty)
• Officers and Men of His Majesty's Submarines, The  the producers wish to express their thanks for the co-operation of (as the Officers and Men of His Majesty's Submarines)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (British Acoustic)

Certification:

UK:U (video rating) (1986) (1990) | UK:U (tv rating) | Finland:S | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Gaumont-British Studios, Lime Grove, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK

Company:

Gainsborough Pictures

Trivia:

Germany built 4 "Brandenburg"-class battleships, but *none* of them ever saw service during WWII.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Lt. Gordon is seen wearing the uniform of a sub-lieutenant with just a single ring on his sleeve.

Quotes:

L / S. Hobson:[serving customers in a fish and chips shop] Fish is good for the brain...
[looks at a woman customer]
L / S. Hobson:*You* look as though you could do with an *extra* bit!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Adventuress (1946)

Good dub dub 2 submarine movie

I am a fan of submarine books and movies. Most of the movies are crap. I happened to stumble on this movie on UCSD-TV (San Diego) last night and was instantly enthralled. So much more realistic (IMHO) than the typical (American) submarine movie. Compare to "Destination Tokyo" (which I like), for instance. In that movie everything is bright and shiny and relatively uncramped. In WDaD I was thinking "whoa, Das Boot but British". Yeah, it's not perfect but I (like a previous reviewer) was impressed by the portrayal of the difficult submerged attack on the "Brandenburg".

So is this where the old "shoot a bunch of junk out of a torpedo tube so they'll think we're sunk" ploy actually originated?

Anyhoo, on my (short) list of good WWII submarine movies, I would have to put this in the top 5.