Action in the North Atlantic (1943)

An American tanker's 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.

Directors:

Lloyd Bacon, Byron Haskin (uncredited)

Writers:

John Howard Lawson (screenplay), Guy Gilpatric (story)

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Raymond Massey, Alan Hale

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Lt. Joe Rossi
Raymond Massey	...	Capt. Steve Jarvis
Alan Hale	...	Boats O'Hara
Julie Bishop	...	Pearl O'Neill
Ruth Gordon	...	Mrs. Sarah Jarvis
Sam Levene	...	Abel 'Chips' Abrams
Dane Clark	...	Johnnie Pulaski
Peter Whitney	...	Whitey Lara
Dick Hogan	...	Cadet Ezra Parker
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Virginia Christine	...	Pebbles (scenes deleted)
Ray Montgomery	...	Aherne (scenes deleted)

Storyline

Lieutenant Joe Rossi is 1st Officer on a Liberty Ship in a great convoy bound from Halifax to Murmansk. After German subs crushed the convoy his ship loses the convoy and is heading alone to Murmansk. In spite of attacks by German planes and subs he get the ship safely to Murmansk...

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Plot Keywords:

sinking ship | tanker | raft | convoy | u boat | 

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Taglines:

If you like HUMPHREY BOGART You'll really enjoy this picture! (print ad - Lubbock Avalanche Journal - Tech Theatre - Lubbock, Texas - May 7, 1944)

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Genres:

Action | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

In his book "Bill Collins Presents the Golden Years of Hollywood", Collins quotes Alvah Bessie, a writer who worked uncredited on this film. He said that this movie " . . . was one of very few movies made in America which not only showed there was a trade union movement, but also had scenes in the union hall, said a few basic things about unionism and showed what being a union member could mean for a man."

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Goofs

There is no way a German U-Boat would pursue an unharmed American Victory ship after a very successful attack, for many reasons. For example, the U-Boat would have to run continuously on the surface (exposing themselves). Also, they would not have enough fuel, nor could they match the speed of the Victory ship.

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Quotes

Chips Abrams: I got faith in God, President Roosevelt, and the Brooklyn Dodgers in the order of their importance.

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Epic Movie Sea Battles (2016)

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Soundtracks

Home on the Range
(uncredited)
Music by Daniel E. Kelley
Played on the phonograph

User Reviews

Convoy

"Action in the North Atlantic" a war time tale of 1943 shows great special effects and battle scenes that have a realistic look to them. In fact, the film which turned up on cable recently, was a total surprise. Director Lloyd Bacon showed a flair with this WWII drama about the men that operated the Merchant Marine.

We are taken to the North Atlantic where a group of ships are made to form a convoy, hoping that being so close to each other, they might be protected from attacks. Little prepared the organizers of this idea for the arrival of the infamous German submarines and planes. The action one sees is centered in the Liberty ship that is heading for the old Soviet Union. The heroic account of what the crew of that ship experienced is a tribute to the courageous men that put their lives in peril in order to get their cargo to the different destinations.

Humphrey Bogart, as Lt. Joe Rossi, makes a great appearance. He is totally believable as the man who takes over for his wounded captain and brings the ship to safety. Raymond Massey plays Capt. Jarvis, a man totally dedicated to his profession. Alan Hale, Sam Levene and Dane Clark are seen as part of the brave crew of the Liberty. Ruth Gordon and Julie Bishop are the women left behind.

The film has a great black and white photography by Ted McCord and a haunting musical score by Adolph Deutsch. The battle scenes were staged by Lloyd Bacon with an uncredited assistance from Raoul Walsh and they are amazing for what was accomplished in those days where the technology wasn't so advanced.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German Russian Norwegian French Spanish Dutch

Release Date:

12 June 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Heroes Without Uniforms

Filming Locations:

Santa Barbara, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$2,600,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White Black and White (archive footage)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1