Operation Disaster (1950)

The crew of a submarine is trapped on the sea floor when it sinks. How can they be rescued before they run out of air?

Director:

Roy Ward Baker (as Roy Baker)

Writers:

William Fairchild (screenplay) (as W.E.C. Fairchild), Kenneth Woollard (based on the stage play of the same name by)

Stars:

John Mills, Nigel Patrick, Peter Hammond

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Mills	...	Lieut. Commander Armstrong
Nigel Patrick	...	Lieut. Manson
Peter Hammond	...	Sub Lieut. Oakley
Andrew Crawford	...	Sub Lieut. (E) J. McFee
Michael Brennan	...	C.P.O. Barlow
George Cole	...	E.R.A. Marks
Victor Maddern	...	Leading Telegraphist Hillbrook
Roddy McMillan	...	Leading Seaman Andrews
Frank Coburn	...	Leading Seaman Brough
Jack Stewart	...	Leading Seaman Kelly
James Hayter	...	Able Seaman Higgins
Wylie Watson	...	Able Seaman Nobby Clarke
Richard Attenborough	...	Stoker Snipe
George Thorpe	...	Capt. Fenton
Bernard Lee	...	Commander Gates

Storyline

The crew of a submarine is trapped on the sea floor when it sinks. How can they be rescued before they run out of air?

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Plot Keywords:

submarine movie | military | soldier | trapped underwater | closing a dead person's eyes | 

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Taglines:

THRILLING SEA DRAMA! (ad for "Operation Disaster" - all caps)

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening credits state as a disclaimer: "This film does not portray the latest Admiralty developments in submarine escape and salvage." Similary, this message is reiterated during the closing credits by saying "this film . . . does not portray the latest developments in submarine escape and salvage."

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Goofs

In the scene where the destroyers are first seen searching for the Trojan, the pennant letters on the side of one of the destroyers are seen in reverse.

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Quotes

Helen Armstong: Why does the Navy insist on doing everything at the crack of dawn? The sea's there all day.
Lieutenant Commander Armstrong: It impresses the taxpayers.

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Connections

Featured in Talkies: Remembering Kenneth More: Part Two (2019)

User Reviews

Routine equipment exercise goes very wrong for submariners.

A Rank production, with passable production quality and excellent acting. Much stock footage and a healthy amt. of rear projection, par for keeping costs down on Rank dramatic quickies. Since the screenplay was adapted from a play, its stage origins are still somewhat apparent. The performances of Mills, and a very young Attenborough, plus seemingly one-half the J.R. Rank stable of regulars are very good. The sets and costumes were surprisingly ratty--long in the tooth! Still, this is only a few years after the war, and things were still very hard-up in England. Ultimately, this is a "talker" and not an "actioner", and it does fairly well for all that, though not spectacularly so. The ending, to me, disappointed. I do recommend this for classic movie fans.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 May 1950 (France)

Also Known As:

Operation Disaster

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

J. Arthur Rank Organisation, Jay Lewis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1