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IMDbPro

Action in the North Atlantic

  • 19431943
  • PassedPassed
  • 2h 6m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
4.2K
YOUR RATING
Humphrey Bogart and Julie Bishop in Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
Trailer for this drama about merchant marines
Play trailer2:16
1 Video
42 Photos
  • Drama
  • War
An American tanker is sunk by a German U-boat, and the survivors spend 11 days at sea on a raft. Their next assignment - bound for Murmansk through the sub-stalked N. Atlantic.An American tanker is sunk by a German U-boat, and the survivors spend 11 days at sea on a raft. Their next assignment - bound for Murmansk through the sub-stalked N. Atlantic.An American tanker is sunk by a German U-boat, and the survivors spend 11 days at sea on a raft. Their next assignment - bound for Murmansk through the sub-stalked N. Atlantic.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
4.2K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Lloyd Bacon
    • Byron Haskin(uncredited)
    • Raoul Walsh(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • John Howard Lawson(screenplay)
    • Guy Gilpatric(story)
    • A.I. Bezzerides(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Humphrey Bogart
    • Raymond Massey
    • Alan Hale
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Lloyd Bacon
    • Byron Haskin(uncredited)
    • Raoul Walsh(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • John Howard Lawson(screenplay)
    • Guy Gilpatric(story)
    • A.I. Bezzerides(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Humphrey Bogart
    • Raymond Massey
    • Alan Hale
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 48User reviews
    • 16Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Action In The North Atlantic
    Trailer 2:16
    Action In The North Atlantic

    Photos42

    Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
    Humphrey Bogart in Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
    Humphrey Bogart and Julie Bishop in Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
    Alan Hale, Iris Adrian, and Dick Wessel in Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
    Chick Chandler, Dick Wessel, and Peter Whitney in Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
    Dane Clark, Dick Wessel, and Peter Whitney in Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
    Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey in Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
    Julie Bishop in Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
    Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
    Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
    Humphrey Bogart and Kane Richmond in Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
    Humphrey Bogart, Alan Hale, Frank Mills, Cliff Saum, and Peter Whitney in Action in the North Atlantic (1943)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Humphrey Bogart
    Humphrey Bogart
    • Lt. Joe Rossias Lt. Joe Rossi
    Raymond Massey
    Raymond Massey
    • Capt. Steve Jarvisas Capt. Steve Jarvis
    Alan Hale
    Alan Hale
    • Boats O'Haraas Boats O'Hara
    Julie Bishop
    Julie Bishop
    • Pearl O'Neillas Pearl O'Neill
    Ruth Gordon
    Ruth Gordon
    • Mrs. Sarah Jarvisas Mrs. Sarah Jarvis
    Sam Levene
    Sam Levene
    • Abel 'Chips' Abramsas Abel 'Chips' Abrams
    Dane Clark
    Dane Clark
    • Johnnie Pulaskias Johnnie Pulaski
    Peter Whitney
    Peter Whitney
    • Whitey Laraas Whitey Lara
    Dick Hogan
    Dick Hogan
    • Cadet Ezra Parkeras Cadet Ezra Parker
    Virginia Christine
    Virginia Christine
    • Pebblesas Pebbles
    • (scenes deleted)
    Ray Montgomery
    Ray Montgomery
    • Aherneas Aherne
    • (scenes deleted)
    Louis Adlon
    Louis Adlon
    • German Ensignas German Ensign
    • (uncredited)
    Iris Adrian
    Iris Adrian
    • Jenny O'Haraas Jenny O'Hara
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Alten
    Frank Alten
    • Germanas German
    • (uncredited)
    Kirk Alyn
    Kirk Alyn
    • Brazilian Gun Captainas Brazilian Gun Captain
    • (uncredited)
    C.E. Anderson
    C.E. Anderson
    • Bearded Lieutenant Commanderas Bearded Lieutenant Commander
    • (uncredited)
    Tod Andrews
    Tod Andrews
    • Ahearnas Ahearn
    • (uncredited)
    Louis V. Arco
    • Submarine Commanderas Submarine Commander
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Lloyd Bacon
      • Byron Haskin(uncredited)
      • Raoul Walsh(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • John Howard Lawson(screenplay)
      • Guy Gilpatric(story)
      • A.I. Bezzerides(additional dialogue)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Very few early World War II films featured African-Americans in the US military. Humphrey Bogart was quoted in "The Pittsburgh Courier" on 26 September 1942 as saying that he wanted to have a black Merchant Marine captain in this film. He said, "In the world of the theatre or any other phase of American life, the color of a man's skin should have nothing to do with his rights in a land built upon the self-evident fact that all men are created equal."
    • Goofs
      The 'Northern Star' really is a doomed ship as the crew's quarters the portholes are not blacked out. The only better way to have your number called would be to light up the transmitter and send a signal "here we are".
    • Quotes

      Lt. Joe Rossi: Now, that's the word of God. And it's good. But I don't think He'd mind if I put my oar in. These are eight men we knew and liked, guys like us. Guys we ate with and slept with and fought with. Well, we were just a little luckier than they were. We'll miss them. All of them.

    • Alternate versions
      The colorized version and many b&w TV prints are edited to fit a two-hour time slot. Most of the cuts involve the interactions of the crew (notably Alan Hale) in the rec room and virtually all of Raymond Massey's domestic scenes with Ruth Gordon with the exception of his actual arrival home. Also omitted are most of the scenes of the cook, extended scenes of the destruction of Massey's ship early on, as well as several interstitial and transitional scenes.
    • Connections
      Edited into Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
    • Soundtracks
      Night and Day
      (uncredited)

      Written by Cole Porter

      Performed by Julie Bishop (dubbed by Martha Mears)

    User reviews48

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    The Real Merchant Marine
    This film was so meaningful to me. My grandmother's first cousin, Alexander Miller MacKinnon 19, drowned during a March 1942 attack while serving in the Merchant Marine.

    He was aboard the "Colabee," having just left Cuba with a load of sugar for Baltimore. 10 miles out they were hit by the German submarine U-126. 23 dead, 14 survivors. Ironically the U-126 was itself destroyed the following year with no survivors.

    As a child in 1940s Buffalo all our windows were carefully covered with black-out shades each evening. I heard the adults whispering that this was in case the Germans came up the St. Lawrence to the Great Lakes but we did not really know U-Boats were operating so close to our shores.

    A year earlier Alex had been assigned to the SS Santa Elisa, hauling sugar cane from Chile to New York, arriving Christmas Eve 1941. But on the return trip to Chile in January 1942 the Santa Elisa was attacked, just as she left NYC carrying crates of safety matches and barrels of highly explosive carbide crystals. She was then towed back to the Brooklyn Yard for repairs. Which is why Alex was aboard the Colabee.

    After being refitted the Santa Elisa set out to carry gasoline from England to Malta as part of Churchill's 62 vessel Operation Pedestal. That August 1942 she was attacked a second time and torpedoed by Italian motorboats, the gasoline caught fire and she went up in flames off of Tunisia. (One account says no survivors; official MM record states no deaths.)

    Many parts of the movie show what our Merchant Marine was really going through. Yet it wasn't until 1988 that President Reagan signed the bill conferring Veteran status on all mariners who served in WWII, guaranteeing their benefits.
    helpful•9
    1
    • max843
    • Feb 7, 2012

    FAQ1

    • I've seen a shot of Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey playing chess during a break on the set of Action in the North Atlantic. Both men are wearing face masks. Can anyone explain why they would need to wear face masks on the set?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 12, 1943 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • Russian
      • Norwegian
      • French
      • Spanish
      • Dutch
    • Also known as
      • Heroes Without Uniforms
    • Filming locations
      • Santa Barbara, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,600,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 6 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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