The Atomic Submarine (1959)

Director:

Spencer Gordon Bennet

Writer:

Orville H. Hampton (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

29 November 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

"Our fleet of atomic submarines has disappeared!"

Plot:

Ships mysteriously disappear on route across the Arctic Sea, and a specially-equipped submarine is sent to investigate.

Plot Keywords:

Submarine | North Pole | Arctic | Cyclops | Navy

Cast

Arthur Franz	...	Lt. Cmdr. Richard 'Reef' Holloway
Dick Foran	...	Cmdr. Dan Wendover
Brett Halsey	...	Dr. Carl Neilson Jr.
Tom Conway	...	Sir Ian Hunt
Paul Dubov	...	Lt. David Milburn
Bob Steele	...	CPO 'Grif' Griffin
Victor Varconi	...	Dr. Clifford Kent
Joi Lansing	...	Julie
Selmer Jackson	...	Adm. Terhune
Jack Mulhall	...	Justin Murdock
Jean Moorhead	...	Helen Milburn
Richard Tyler	...	Frogman Carney
Kenneth Becker	...	Frogman Powell (as Ken Becker)
Sid Melton	...	Yeoman Chester Tuttle
Frank Watkins	...	Watkins
Pat Michaels	...	Narrator (voice)
John Hilliard	...	Saucer Voice (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edmund Cobb	...	Passerby (uncredited)
Frank Lackteen	...	Passerby (uncredited)

Directed by
Spencer Gordon Bennet		(as Spencer G. Bennet)

Writing credits
Orville H. Hampton		(written by)
Irving Block		story (uncredited)
Jack Rabin		story (uncredited)

Produced by
Irving Block	....	producer associate
Alex Gordon	....	producer
Orville H. Hampton	....	associate producer
Jack Rabin	....	producer associate
Henry Schrage	....	co-producer

Cinematography by
Gilbert Warrenton		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William Austin

Art Direction by
Don Ament
Daniel Haller		(as Dan Haller)

Set Decoration by
Harry Reif

Makeup Department
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist (as Emile Lavigne)

Production Management
Edward Morey Jr.	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Clark L. Paylow	....	assistant director (as Clark Paylow)
Arthur M. Broidy	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Max Frankel	....	properties

Sound Department
Ralph Butler	....	sound
Martin Greco	....	sound editor (as Marty Greco)

Special Effects by
Milton Olsen	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Irving Block	....	special effects designer and creator
Louis DeWitt	....	special effects designer and creator
Jack Rabin	....	special effects designer and creator

Camera and Electrical Department
George Satterfield	....	chief set electrician
Arthur Lane	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Harry Lewis	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Norah Sharpe	....	wardrobe
Roger J. Weinberg	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Neil Brunnenkant	....	music editor
Alexander Laszlo	....	conductor

Other crew
Ruth Alexander	....	assistant to producer
Jack W. Cash	....	dialogue supervisor (as Jack Cash)
Jack W. Cash	....	production associate (as Jack Cash)
Judith Hart	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Gorham Productions

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Pathé Distributors (1960) (UK) (theatrical)
• Mercator-Film (1963) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Included in the "Monsters and Madmen" box set.)
• Epoca (Argentina) (video)
• Monterey Video (video)
• Teleworld (19??) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Ryder Sound Services  sound recording

Also Known As:

"The Atomic Sub" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | USA:Passed (PCA #19423) | West Germany:12 | UK:PG | USA:Not Rated

Company:

Gorham Productions

Trivia:

This was the last feature for the team of Jack Rabin, Irving Block and Louis DeWitt.

Goofs:

Plot holes: After the Tiger Shark rigs for "silent running," they continue to communicate over the loud speakers.

Quotes:

Voice of Spaceman:At last Commander, we meet as your people say... face to face!
Cmdr. Richard 'Reef' Holloway:That's a face?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Atomic Recall (2007) (V)

Definitely the blueprint for VOYAGE's The Seaview

What a difference the three years separating ATOMIC SUBMARINE and VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA made! Of course, Allen's much larger budget sure helped too. Still, one can see The Tigershark as being the direct parent of The Seaview.

We have an advanced nuclear sub capable of firing missiles or torpedoes and equipped with a secondary submarine. The Seaview originally carried a small fleet of 2-man submersibles but they got eclipsed by the flashier Flying Sub. And of course you have the senior officer, the younger guy who actually handles the action scenes, and a couple onboard scientists just for the heck of it.

The plot itself is pretty much the model for many of the Voyages to the Bottom of the Sea. The hidden mystery at the heart of an otherwise normal mission, the unexpected monster.... Yeah, this could have been a VOYAGE episode. And in fact, eventually IT WAS! VOYAGE did an episode that adapted ATOMIC SUBMARINE pretty much straight, just changing the sub, the crew names, and a few details (and ditching Joi Lansing's character, alas!).

While ATOMIC SUBMARINE does look frightfully low budget compared to VOYAGE, let alone today's super-bloated budget busters, it works pretty well for a product of its time. And the minimalist, barely illuminated alien saucer interior is surprising effect. I know it creeped me out when I first saw this late one night in '66!