A might drama of the sea with adventures, romance, thrills and sensational scenes. This is a tale of love and heroism set to music of the wide seas of the world. It starts in the tropic waters of the Philippines, part of the Pacific Fleet was on duty. Mine Sweeper nº 31, clearing the harbour of one of the greatest perils of the deep -a sunken wreck. There, some sailor are operating US Navy standard diving apparatus. Later on, two valiant sailors, Jack Dorgan (Jack Holt) and Bob Mason (Ralph Graves), who are always competing against each other set their sights on the same girl, Bessie (Dorothy Revier). When she chooses one over the other, their friendship ends acrimoniously. However, things change when one the men is in a submarine trapped beneath the ocean and the other, a diver, is sent down on a rescue mission. Takes you 400 feet down to 40 men trapped in the ocean depths-striking sound effects,The "Big Parade" of the Sea!.The greatest and most spectacular of all sea pictures !. It will thrill you every moment. See the Navy in action! Visit a Submarine! Friendship as strong as that of Damon and Pythias- Love as colorful as that of Cleopatra! You bet it's a great show!.Thrills at the bottom of the sea!.
An enjoyable and attractive drama enacted by a superb cast at the bottom of the sea. Acceptable and decent film about submarines but it is marred by the 'soap opera' style, including the ordinary triangular love story and adding a buddy friendship. Packs everything you like to see - passionate love sequences - charming scenes and mighty thrills. There's compensation in some impressive special effects involving the irresistibly photogenic submarines and warships. This picture is dedicated to those heroes of the deep, who brave the winds of the sea and the treacherous depths -to the Men of the Submarine Service.
The plot is very similar to Frank Capra's subsequent ¨Dirigible¨ (1931), also starring Jack Holt, Ralph Forbes in which there're two pilots testing Dirigibles for use in antarctic regions, one crashes and the other, off the rescue covets his wife. This is a survival drama with overwhelming aviation images that was granted by Columbia Pictures to director Frank Capra to emulate the success achieved by Paramount Pictures with William Wellman's 'Wings'. Here too there are two friends facing each other for the love of a woman, and an attempt to rescue one of them, but while in the latter it ends in Antarctica, in "Submarine" the rescue takes place in the depths of the sea. Actually , it isn't quite sappy as it sounds, thanks to fine acting and careful pace but the triangle still creaks a little in a peculiar and stranged American way. These two movies: Submarine (1928) and Dirigible (1931) launched both Capra and his studio, Columbia, into the big time, there to stay.
This engrossing and moving Submarine was competently and originally directed by Frank Capra. Resulting to be one of the most unclassifiable rarities of Capra's filmography. Today, however, ¨Submarine¨ is considered a hidden gem, being one of the first American films in which the submarines and underwater rescues are shown. Frank Capra is deemed to be one of the best filmmakers in American cinema; always accompanied by his usual screenwriter and collaborator Robert Riskin, their the first collaboration was ¨The Bitter Tea of General Yen¨(1932). Frank directed seven Academy Award Best Picture nominees: ¨Lady for a Day¨ (1933), ¨It Happened One Night ¨(1934), ¨Mr. Deeds Goes to Town¨ (1936), ¨Lost Horizon¨ (1937) that won the Oscar for best production design as well as best editing, ¨You Can't Take It with You¨ (1938), ¨Mr. Smith Goes to Washington¨ (1939) and ¨It's a Wonderful Life¨ (1946). It Happened One Night and You Can't Take It with You both won Best Picture. ¨Submarine¨ (1928) rating : 6/10. Better than average. An odd film, but oddly stirring, being specially recommended to classic film fans. A rare treat for enthusiasts both Capra films and submarine enthusiasts.
