In the late 30s up until the US entered WWII, Hollywood made a ton of pictures featuring men in our military. Part of this, I am sure, was to appeal to patriotism and part of it, I am sure, was because the films were popular and made money. And, the military loved the pictures because it improved their image and helped with recruiting. These are mostly very enjoyable films but I also must admit that they were very formulaic--thus quite predictable. They made a ton of 'em--and I saw one ("Parachute Battalion") just last week. Today, it was yet another--"Submarine D-1". And, like the rest, there is the tough old timer (Pat O'Brien) and the brash, somewhat selfish but more handsome seaman (Wayne Morris)--pretty much the same plot I saw in "Parachute Battalion" and others. And, you know by the end that the brash young guy will prove himself and impress his rival--who will then step aside to let the younger man have the girl. I am writing this only a half hour into the film and can almost guarantee this is how the film will end. This isn't so much a spoiler--EVERY military film of the era had this plot (or something very much like it). And, they all reinforced the notions of bravery and teamwork.
The film begins with a couple sailors (Morris and Frank McHugh) transferring from the regular navy to the submarine service. Their trainer in sub school is, not surprisingly, Morris' old rival (Pat O'Brien). Unlike some of these films, not much time is actually spent on them going through this training program. Instead, after completion, the two sailors are transferred to the SAME sub as O'Brien. Naturally, there is lots of tension between Morris and O'Brien--with O'Brien later saying that '...one of them has to leave (i.e., service on the new D-1) sooner or later'. HOWEVER, this film, while formulaic, did surprise me a bit--so my prediction above was not completely on the mark. Sure, one of these men ended up leaving the sub and all the usual heroics occurred. But HOW it occurred took me a bit by surprise and was amazingly well done--really. Like all these films, lots of footage was allowed on the subs, in the training facility and at naval bases. However, fortunately, very little stock footage is used and what is used looked really good--particularly with the finale. I know it kept me guessing and was a bit harrowing as well--something you wouldn't expect from such a film.
If you liked this sort of thing, try a few similar films--some dramas and some comedies. They include: "Here Comes the Navy", "I Wanted Wings", "Dive Bomber", "Buck Privates", "Caught in the Draft", "High Flyers", "Tanks a Million" and I am sure MANY more.
The film begins with a couple sailors (Morris and Frank McHugh) transferring from the regular navy to the submarine service. Their trainer in sub school is, not surprisingly, Morris' old rival (Pat O'Brien). Unlike some of these films, not much time is actually spent on them going through this training program. Instead, after completion, the two sailors are transferred to the SAME sub as O'Brien. Naturally, there is lots of tension between Morris and O'Brien--with O'Brien later saying that '...one of them has to leave (i.e., service on the new D-1) sooner or later'. HOWEVER, this film, while formulaic, did surprise me a bit--so my prediction above was not completely on the mark. Sure, one of these men ended up leaving the sub and all the usual heroics occurred. But HOW it occurred took me a bit by surprise and was amazingly well done--really. Like all these films, lots of footage was allowed on the subs, in the training facility and at naval bases. However, fortunately, very little stock footage is used and what is used looked really good--particularly with the finale. I know it kept me guessing and was a bit harrowing as well--something you wouldn't expect from such a film.
If you liked this sort of thing, try a few similar films--some dramas and some comedies. They include: "Here Comes the Navy", "I Wanted Wings", "Dive Bomber", "Buck Privates", "Caught in the Draft", "High Flyers", "Tanks a Million" and I am sure MANY more.