The Enemy Below (1957)

During World War II, an American destroyer discovers a German U-boat, thus ensuing in a deadly duel between the two ships. The American Captain must draw upon all his experience to defeat the equally experienced German commander.

Director:

Dick Powell

Writers:

Wendell Mayes (screenplay), D.A. Rayner (novel) (as Commander D.A. Rayner)

Stars:

Robert Mitchum, Curd Jürgens, David Hedison

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Mitchum	...	Capt. Murrell
Curd Jürgens	...	Von Stolberg (as Curt Jurgens)
David Hedison	...	Lt. Ware (as Al Hedison)
Theodore Bikel	...	'Heinie' Schwaffer
Russell Collins	...	Doctor
Kurt Kreuger	...	Von Holem
Frank Albertson	...	Lt. Crain
Biff Elliot	...	Quartermaster

Storyline

During World War II, the USS Haynes, an American destroyer escort discovers a German U-boat in the South Atlantic. A deadly duel between the two ships ensues, and Captain Murrell must draw upon all his experience to defeat the equally experienced German commander.

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Plot Keywords:

u boat | german submarine | u.s. navy | naval battle | submarine crew | 

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Taglines:

The Amazing Story of the Destroyer Captain and the Sub Commander Tracking Each Other Down Across 1000 Miles Above and Below the Sea!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The entire movie takes place over a 24-hour period.

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Goofs

Early in the movie the u-boat fires two torpedoes from its stern tubes at the DE. However, the model is clearly a Type VII u-boat, which would have had only a single stern tube.

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Quotes

Doctor: Captain Murrell oughtn't to be here at all. He's as weak as a kitten. A man that gets his ship torpedoed and spends 25 days on a raft in the North Atlantic oughtn't to have to hit the ball again with only a few days in the hospital. I guess there aren't enough commanding officers to go around. Well, at least they gave him an easy ship.
Lt. Bonelli: Huh! Boy, easy's no word for it. Listen, he'd get more rest on this boat...
Lieutenant Ware: Ship!
Lt. Bonelli: Ship, boat, what's the difference? He'd still get more rest here than he would if ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: WORLD WAR II THE SOUTH ATLANTIC

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Connections

Edited into Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Killers of the Deep (1966)

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Soundtracks

Ich hatt' einen Kameraden
(My Comrade) (uncredited)
Music by Friedrich Silcher (1825)
Lyrics from the poem by Ludwig Uhland (1809)
Arranged by Leigh Harline
Sung at the funeral

User Reviews

Two men, caught in the conflict of WWII, engage in a hunt-and-seek situation that has only one final outcome.

"The Enemy Below" released in 1957, was one of those films directed by Dick Powell, and starring Robert Mitchum, that sparked with genuine realism and utmost attention to detail. This film also showed the harsh realities in war, and the dedication that men on both sides of the conflict can give to the task appointed. Mitchum plays the commander of a US Naval vessel that has the task of seeking out and destroying enemy submarines; having just recently lost one command, he is going to make sure such doesn't happen twice. The renowned German actor, Curt Jurgens, portrays the submarine commander whose presence has been detected by Mitchum's destroyer, and the chase is on.

Both commanders, Mitchum and Jurgens, in their characters, reveal that each was firm in their beliefs toward their respective countries. While Jurgens is not a gung-ho Nazi, he does have a firm dedication to his fatherland, and what it was before the war. Mitchum has the same firm devotion to his country, and what he is doing is the right course to bring a successful ending to the war, ultimately. There is a lot of verbal discussion during the course of the film, who is right, why are we engaged in this action, etc., but both commanders are desperately trying to out think and outmaneuver the other.

There were several good movies made during the 50s, this film, "The Enemy Below",and "Run Silent, Run Deep" come to mind, and are certainly worth a view. This film does give a look at both sides involved in the type of chase done here. An 8/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

17 January 1958 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

The Enemy Below

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,910,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1