Run Silent Run Deep (1958)

A U.S. sub commander, obsessed with sinking a certain Japanese ship, butts heads with his first officer and crew.

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

John Gay (screenplay), Edward L. Beach (based on novel by) (as Commander Edward L. Beach)

Stars:

Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, Jack Warden

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Clark Gable	...	Cmdr. 'Rich' Richardson
Burt Lancaster	...	Lt. Jim Bledsoe
Jack Warden	...	Yeoman 1st Class Mueller
Brad Dexter	...	Ens. Gerald Cartwright
Don Rickles	...	Quartermaster 1st Class Ruby
Nick Cravat	...	Russo
Joe Maross	...	Chief Kohler
Mary LaRoche	...	Laura Richardson
Eddie Foy III	...	Larto
Rudy Bond	...	Sonarman 1st Class Cullen

Storyline

The captain of a submarine sunk by the Japanese during WWII is finally given a chance to skipper another sub after a year of working a desk job. His singleminded determination for revenge against the destroyer that sunk his previous vessel puts his new crew in unneccessary danger.

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Plot Keywords:

submarine movie | submarine | submarine crew | captain tyrannical | destroyer | 

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Taglines:

Gable and Lancaster make the seas boil in the battle adventure that hits like a torpedo!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

27 March 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Run Silent, Run Deep

Filming Locations:

Salton Sea, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions, Jeffrey Pictures Corp.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title at the beginning of the movie has no comma, but the title in the studio trailer does: "Run Silent, Run Deep".

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Goofs

A depth charge is seen rolling off the sub's deck and exploding directly under the keel. And later, three depth charges explode one after the other, all around the stern of the boat. A depth charge exploding that close under the middle of the keel would have broken the sub's back and sent it to the bottom, let alone three close in nearly simultaneous detonations. These images were meant to build tension, but are totally unrealistic.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Lt. Jim Bledsoe: [presiding at a funeral on his submarine] It's thirty-eight days now since we left Pearl Harbor. I know how some of us felt then; I think I know how some of us feel now. But let no one here, no one aboard this boat, ever say we didn't have a captain.
[as the body is buried at sea, he reads these remarks]
Lt. Jim Bledsoe: Unto almighty God we commend the soul of our shipmate departed. And we commit his body to the deep, in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection unto eternal life, when the sea ...

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Crazy Credits

Not sure why Bungo Straits is cited as a crazy credit. The Bungo Suido (translates to Bungo Straits) is the waterway between Kyushu and Shikoku.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #18.88 (2010)

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Soundtracks

It's Been a Long, Long Time
(uncredited)
Music by Jule Styne
Played on Tokyo Rose's radio broadcasts to American ships

User Reviews

Excellent Submarine Movie

The interaction between Gable and Lancaster is something to behold. That and the story, the tension and the realism of men under attack. Yes, the special effects are not to the "high" standards of today, but they serve the story well and do not detract from the important drama. As one poster said, this movie would be ill served in color as would Das Boot in B&W. An overall excellent adaptation of the book and as far as the points not explained, all the better. I hate movies that stop the action to then explain to a character what that character is about to experience/see/do, etc. Give the movie goer credit for being able to fill in the gaps. A must have for any WWII movie collection.