User Reviews

This is one of very few films shot partly at the submarine base in Groton, CT, aka Submarine Base New London, CT.

A few naval combatants rarely seen in Technicolor are visible in the early part of the film. The PT boats seen near the beginning are the 77-foot Elco type. The submarine primarily featured as the fictional USS Corsair is the experimental USS Marlin (SS-205), with a conning tower modified to resemble her sister USS Mackerel (SS-204). A few O-class and R-class submarines, built in World War One and used for training in WW2, are visible in the background of some shots. For wartime security reasons, no submarine classes used in combat in WW2 appear in the film. The USS Semmes (AG-24 ex-DD-189) is seen in one shot; there are probably not many good Technicolor views of a four-stack destroyer available today. The Semmes was being used as a sonar testbed at the time.

I personally did not like how the love story progressed, as Tyrone Power is consistently deceptive and gets the girl anyway.

Another reviewer has assumed that the Nazi base would have to be near New England on the basis that WW2 submarines had a short range. This is incorrect. US submarines in WW2 routinely went from Pearl Harbor to Japan's home waters, patrolled for several weeks, and returned to Pearl Harbor on a single tank of diesel fuel. A Gato-class submarine could cover 11,000 miles without refueling, thus could have patrolled in German home waters while based in Groton if necessary. My assumption is that the Nazi base would be in Greenland, not likely given the realities of the war, but the raid on it still makes for good action.

There is plenty more of director Archie Mayo's films to be seen, but of the films already seen of his he has generally struck me as a very competent if not exceptional director. Most of the seen films of his ranged for me between average and pretty good, with a few very good ones ('It's Love I'm After', 'The Petrified Forest' and 'Legion'). Tyrone Power is not a favourite of mine either, but starred in a fair share of good and more films and showed more than once that he had acting ability in him.

'Crash Dive' was seen for those two main reasons. Other reasons being my love of classic/golden age film and seeing that the special effects won an Oscar (so wanted to see if the win was deserved and whether they held up today). Finally seeing it, 'Crash Dive' struck me as an uneven film that doesn't completely thrill with some noticeable flaws. Yet it also doesn't crash and burn either, with a lot of great things so there was enough for it to warrant a watch.

A lot of great things can be seen in 'Crash Dive'. First and foremost, the production values which are still mighty impressive. The Technicolor photography is truly ravishing, with colours that really pop up at you. The sets are not elaborate but don't look fake, but the standout visually is the special effects which were wholly deserving of the Oscar. They still look incredible, so much money and time clearly went into the ones featured in the climax, and they are used thrillingly towards the end. The music score is haunting and Mayo's direction in the action is accomplished.

Furthermore, the action does excite and move and does fare a lot better than what is going on in the more dramatic and romantic moments. Some of the script is intelligently done and the acting is fine. Power, in his last role before his military service, is a noble lead, while Dana Andrews is equally amiable and Anne Baxter has enough charm to her to make the romance believable. Really appreciated the sympathetic portrayal of Ben Carter's character, nothing stereotypical or demeaning here and nothing to be offended by either while Carter gives a dignified performance.

Mayo's direction is not as confident however in the non-action scenes and becomes rather undistinguished and like his heart wasn't in it. The romance is both bland and stale and too much of the storytelling borders on the ridiculous, complete with some rather leaden pacing.

It also gets rather heavy handed towards and at the end, don't like being talked down to and that's how the writing towards and at the end made me feel. The writing is on the most part daft and lacking in life and there wasn't enough to the film to make me connect all the way through for the characters, Carter's being the exception.

Overall, uneven with a lot of good but an equal amount of not so good. 6/10

Crash Dive was one of many films to be released during WWII. Its pluses are good acting, supplied by Tyrone Power, Anne Baxter and Dana Andrews and award winning special effects. The story takes place in and around our then American sub base in New London Ct. In between battles with the German navy, a love story evolves with Tyrone Power and Dana Andrews after the same woman played by Anne Baxter.James Gleason is a bonus as one of the sub's seasoned crew memebers.

Archie Mayo's film lurches between a straightforward war movie (with impressive effects in the later section, concerning an attack on a submarine) and a tug of love romance between two friends and the girl they both want to marry. The balance between the two stories isn't always effective, and perhaps the film would have been better one thing or the other.

However, Tyrone Power is top-billed - in his last movie before real-life active service - and close following in the cast are Dana Andrews, reliable as ever in what could have been a unsympathetic role, and Anne Baxter as the schoolmistress who wins their hearts. All are very good. James Gleason, as 'Mac', is as watchable as ever, while the great May Whitty makes an impact when the focus moves away from the boys at sea.

'Crash Dive' is perhaps a noble failure, but yet another interesting war film, this time propaganda for the submarine units. It is also of note for the blink-and-you-miss-him film debut of Steve Forrest (younger brother of Dana Andrews).

This was a very enjoyable WWII film, though before I discuss why I liked the movie, I should point out that the film does have one BIG cliché. When Tyrone Power meets a woman (Anne Baxter--here with dark brown hair) and they immediately hate each other, lovers of classic Hollywood films know that this can only mean one thing---they are destined to fall in love by the end of the film!! Aside from this predictable aspect of the film, I really did like the movie.

The first thing I noticed about the film was the gorgeous color film. For 1943, it was terrific--with the most vibrant blues I've ever seen--much like the look of the great film, THE CAINE MUTINY. Twentieth-Century Fox really pulled out the stops to make this film look nice.

As far as the plot goes, it's a pretty exciting and standard submarine film. Now that I write this, I realize that they sure made a lot of great sub films over the years--with hardly a stinker among them. This film maintains the excellent tradition of such lovely films as RUN SILENT RUN DEEP, THE ENEMY BELOW and DESINTATION TOKYO--all lovely films that are both gripping and entertaining.

The film has more plot than just subs and Anne Baxter. It seems that Tyrone Power was very happy and successful aboard PT boats. When he was transferred to sub duty, he wasn't particularly excited, as he thought that patrol boats were the greatest thing since sliced bread. However, over time, he makes good and grows to love the submarine.

CRASH DIVE has some excellent action scenes--particularly the attack on a secret base near the end. The acting good, script very good for a wartime propaganda flick and I particularly liked the sympathetic portrayal of the Black sailor--something pretty rare in a film of the era. Overall, a good and enjoyable film.

Fantastic special effects highlight this World War II submarine drama starring Tyrone Power, Dana Andrews, and Anne Baxter - Power's last before going into the Marines.

Power is charming as a man who captures the heart of Anne Baxter, who though he doesn't know it, just happens to be the girl of Dana Andrews, Power's new commanding officer.

Out on the submarine, there's some exciting action as the sub searches for a secret base set up by the Nazis. One interesting subplot is the friendship of Oliver, a black soldier, with Mac, portrayed by James Gleason. Ben Carter, who played Oliver, does a great job, and his role as a concerned friend and brave soldier is not the usual stereotypical one blacks were often forced to play.

The ending, of course, is pure propaganda as Power, supposedly talking to his uncle, talks about the fighting men, subs, PT boats, and the like all doing their job. I'm in no way trying to denigrate it - propaganda is a fascinating part of film history and at that time was deemed important to the war movement. It's all very interesting to view today. And Power is gorgeous.

This is one of these propaganda and efficienty made warfare movies of the 40s that delivers comic relief in the form of romance . WWII glory movie with a love triangle, submarine battles and agreeable scenes. It deals with second-in-command, a handsome lieutenant : handsome Tyrone Power, who falls hopelessly in love for school teacher : Anne Baxter, only to find out after that she is Submarine Commander Dana Andrews' fiance. Once this little tidbit information is disclosed, things go wrong. Later on, the two sea officers embark on a mission to destroy a Nazi port and a submarine responsible for laying mines in the North Atlantic. And subsequently taking place a terrestrial intervention by a brave commando to vanquish the Nazi enemy fortress, using machine gun, dynamite and other destructive means.

Nice film containing good action, thrills , evocative and impressive sea battles and adequate special effects with a lot of explosions. As FX, miniatures and scale models are pretty well, however, some boats look like toys. Based on a story by prestigious W. R. Burnett and script by Jo Swerling, though it relies heavily on the silly and improbable love story with a non-sense triangular romance. It provides an excessively jingoist view point, as at its final part, it pays a real tribute to Navy, its Cruisers, PTs, Destroyers , Submarines and its crews. Stars three big name actors of the Forties and Fifties, the good-looking Tyrone Power, the always brilliant Dana Andrews and Academy-Award winning Anne Baxter as the woman loved by two naval commanders aboard the same sub. This one has the bonus of a fine support cast, such as : the veteran James Gleason, Dame May Witty, Henry (Harry) Morgan, John Archer, Ben Carter, Frank Conroy, Stanley Andrews, among others.

It contains a thrilling and moving musical score by David Buttolph. As well as shimmering and glimmer cinematography in Technicolor by master cameraman Leon Shamroy who won three Oscars to his name by 1945, and he photographed several super-productions. The motion picture was professionally and skillfully directed by Archie Mayo, though with not originality, being a simple super-patriotic movie. Archie Mayo had a decent cinematic career, directing acceptable films, such as : Night after night, The Mayor of hell, Bordertown, It is love I'm after, Four sons, Confirm or deny, Orchestra wives, Night in Casablanca, being his greatest hit : The petrified forest. Rating : 6/10 acceptable and passable wartime picture that will appeal to genre lovers.

Tyrone Power and Dana Andrews take on the Nazi's in their submarine. When it comes to nautical movies you just can't beat a good old submarine story, the claustriphobic atmosphere of the sub, the inevitable sweating in the dark, listening to the ping of the sonar and anticipating the rocking explosions of the depth charges... And it's all in glorious colour, which is unusual for a war movie actually made during the war. Throw in a love triangle and a commando attack on a secret Nazi base and you have a solid patriotic entertainment (it even encourages you to buy war bonds over the final credits!).

Crash Dive is a typical WWII propaganda film with a stirring musical score by Hugo Friedhofer that prompts any young man to want to enlist in the navy. The cast is uniformly good, especially Tyrone Power as he cleverly tries to woo a reluctant Anne Baxter. Sub skipper Dana Andrews always excelled in military roles. The plot borders on the ridiculous. A German naval base in the north Atlantic- where? An American submarine conducting offensive operations in the Atlantic would likely have been attacked on sight by Allied forces who would naturally assume all subs in the Atlantic were German (such was the fate of one U.S. sub which left New London for the Panama Canal and was never heard from again). Good action scenes for a film of this genre with many of the clichés that would be repeated in other WWII submarine films.

Tyrone Power's last film before going to war was this World War II epic which co-starred him with Dana Andrews and Anne Baxter and a good cast of supporting players. This did win an Oscar for Special Effects with the raid on the Nazi Submarine base.

And that's what makes this thing so stupid. Where was that base? Given what World War II vintage subs could do in performance, that base had to be Block Island, Martha's Vineyard or at worst, the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. You're asked to believe that the Nazis constructed a secret submarine base somewhere on some mythical isle in the Atlantic. These guys went off on some short cruise from New London to find this base. Just where were the Nazis operating?

Tyrone Power must have laughed himself silly every time he thought of this one. Especially in the South Pacific where served with the Marines in several major Pacific campaigns. At his funeral, there was a Marine honor guard as would befit a retired Major.

The rest of the story is your standard triangle the kind Power played in with Don Ameche during peacetime in the 30s. Except that here, the Ameche part was played by Dana Andrews.

One positive note. Black actor Ben Carter played a cook in the submarine galley and he's shown in an actual combat mission. It was an unusual role for a black actor to play at that time and I think he played it well. Some racial stereotyping, but his concern and affection for James Gleason who was the CPO on the submarine was real and rang true.

This film is one of the most exciting and realistic depictions of a submarine raid against the Nazis ever made during WWII. The special effects are Academy Award winning, the color cinematography superb, and the acting some of Andrews and Power's best work. The tension during the battle scenes is almost unbearable as a few American commandos wreak destruction upon a secret Nazi base. Without spoiling the stunning means by which the American sub overcomes significant damage to destroy the Nazi fleet and facilities, suffice it to say you will be riveted by the action. There is an obligatory love triangle but it does not detract from the overall quality of the story and the sea sequences. This film is a proper tribute to those who served in the submarine service and ultimately brought the Nazi Atlantic forces to its knees. We owe the brave commandos a special debt of gratitude for the incredible risks they took in crushing Hitler's minions and terminating that mad man's dreams of world conquest. As is so well shown in this motion picture, the Americans were able to overcome overwhelming odds and in so doing saved our country from Axis domination. We should never forget nor take for granted their fantastic achievements on missions like those detailed in this truly superb film.

Taken from a story written by W.R. Burnett, this Navy yarn was directed by Archie Mayo. Typical Navy tale for War films of this sort were routinely produced during the 40's. It involves the standard war time plot of two men falling for the same woman. In this case we have our devilishly handsome officer Tyrone Power playing Lt. Ward Stewart who has a definite wartime preference for P.T.Boats and considers them the undependable heart of the U.S. Naval fleet. Unfortunately, he is being reassigned to Submarine duty with a stern commander, namely Lt. Cmdr. Dewey Connors (Dane Andrewa) as the ships's Captain. As per the formula scripts of the war-time era, the two men are in love with the same beautiful leading lady Jean Hewlett (Anne Baxter) and want to marry her. Although both find time to woe her, they also deal with war time problems, namely the enemy. Hazzards abound in the deadly seas they patrol, so much so it doesn't seem likely the officers will survive. The movie becomes standard stuff and because it's filled with guns, bombs and exciting situations, it promises to be interesting. Once that is accepted, the movie is good War-time exciting fun and could lead to you buying some war bonds after the show. If one is a fan of the two leading me, this becomes good entertainment. Nuff said, especially with additional cast members like James Gleason and Harry Morgan. Recommend for the patriotic crowd. ****

Tyrone Power is Lt. Stewart, transferred from his beloved PT boats to the silent service, Dana Andrews is sub captain Lt. Cmdr. Connors, and Jean Hewlett (Ann Baxter) is the girl that they are both after. The contrived and trite 'triangle' subplot slows the film to a crawl at times and everything about Stewart's shore life, from the 'meet cute romance' to his gruff but lovable grandmother ("Butch" to his "Stinky") is hackneyed beyond belief (even for the era). The action scenes are good and there is some great navel footage but it is scant reward for having to sit through Stinky's pursuit of Jean. The acting is generally OK considering the weak material although Tyrone Power's constant references to PT boats is tiresome. Unusual for the times, the cast includes a black American actor (Ben Carter as Oliver Cromwell Jones) who has a substantial part, including participating in the climatic commando raid. The epilogue/ending is pure Navy recruitment jingoism (and is seen just before the audience is encouraged to buy war bonds). Overall, OK submarine movie but not as good as some of its contemporaries, such as 'Destination Tokyo' (1943) or 'We Dive at Dawn' (1943).

Crash Dive is directed by Archie Mayo and written by Jo Swerling and W.R. Burnett. It stars Tyrone Power, Dana Andrews, Anne Baxter, James Gleason, May Witty and Harry Morgan. A Technicolor production out of 20th Century Fox, music is by David Buttolph and cinematography by Leon Shamroy.

It's flag waving time, 1943 style as Power and Andrews vie for the love of Baxter whilst conducting a submarine offencive against the Nazis. The love triangle feels twee but Mayo manages to keep it in check and not let it bog this particular sub movie down. When the pic is out on the water it's grand entertainment, nicely filmed and featuring Oscar winning effects work. Momentum is gradually built until the finale comes and delivers an action packed bonanza. Hooray! 7/10

Three-way submarine drama following an ambitious navy officer (Tyrone Power) who falls for a schoolteacher (Anne Baxter) prior to leaving for a mission aboard a submarine bound for German targets. He is unaware that she is the sweetheart of Dewey Connors (Dana Andrews) who is about to become his commanding officer. Engaging wartime adventure blending romance and action, with Oscar-winning special effects.

Summary: Simple premise Impressive special effects Decent acting An interesting study of propaganda in film

"Lieutenant Ward Stewart" (Tyrone Power) is a navy officer who has just been transferred from a PT boat to a submarine. He meets an attractive young lady by the name of "Jean Hewlett" (Anne Baxter) and sets out to win her heart. What he doesn't know is that she is dating another navy officer by the name of "Lt. Cmdr. Dewey Connors" (Dana Andrews) who also happens to be Lt. Ward's commander. Anyway for a movie produced during World War II, I found it to be surprisingly good. I say this for a couple of reasons. First, I expected the usual grade-B movie filmed in black and white. Instead, what I saw was a pretty good movie filmed in color-which was very rare during this particular period. Additionally, while I also expected a heavy amount of propaganda, I was delighted to see that it wasn't too bad--except for the very end, that is. Likewise, the acting was decent and the special effects were adequate for the most part. All things considered then, while this isn't the best submarine movie ever made, I thought it was worth a look all the same.

The best submarine movies, such as "Run Silent, Run Deep," "The Enemy Below," and "Das Boot," are focused on the action beneath the waves. Unfortunately, while "Crash Dive" has some good underwater scenes and decent action on dry land, too much time passes with a clichéd and unconvincing romantic triangle, before the sub and her crew set to sea.

Lensed in color by master cinematographer Leon Shamroy, the film highlights Tyrone Power at the peak of his fabled looks; as Lt. Ward Stewart, Power reluctantly accepts a transfer from PT boat duty back to a submarine, where he began. The sub has been out of duty for some time, because the commander, Dewey Connors, played by Dana Andrews, lacked an executive officer. Enter the brash, self confident Tyrone with family connections, and the sub commander and his new executive officer get off to a chilly start. As anyone reared on Hollywood movies will expect, the situation complicates when Tyrone meets Anne Baxter in a tired "meet cute" mix-up over a train berth; of course, Baxter initially dislikes Power, but, of course, he is persistent. The overly familiar story line follows the pair to wartime Washington, D.C., where the overcrowding, which was more amusingly portrayed in "The More the Merrier," provides a backdrop for the sparring between Baxter and Power. Of course, Baxter, as private school teacher Jean Hewlett, is seeing Dana Andrews, who wants to eventually marry her. When Andrews and Power go to sea on a mission, the unwitting rivals for the same girl, surprise surprise, develop mutual respect and a budding friendship. The stale rehashed plot, written by Jo Swerling from a story by W.R. Burnett, unfolds without a whiff of fresh creativity, and any film fan will know the ending long before the sub ever crash dives.

Made to instill patriotic fervor during World War II, "Crash Dive" includes gratuitous shots of U.S. naval ships, Washington, D.C. monuments, and an extended patriotic speech by Power at the finale. Amusingly, the film also posits an intriguing question: do submarines fly the Stars and Stripes while underwater? In this film, the sub emerges from beneath the sea with the flag flapping in the wind, instantly dry.

The cast is solid, although the performances are generally routine, and Power's persistent pursuit of Baxter is hard to fathom, when she seems better paired with Andrews. Veteran character actor, James Gleason, who is always a pleasure to watch, plays an old timer with a bad ticker. In an uncharacteristic turn for the period, African-American actor, Ben Carter, plays Oliver, the ship's cook, who develops a caring relationship with Gleason. Although Carter is a token in an otherwise all-white cast, his performance avoids the negative stereotypes that often marred minority appearances in early Hollywood films. The delightful Dame May Witty also appears in a brief, but amusing role as Power's grandmother.

Directed by Archie Mayo, "Crash Dive" maintains a decent pace during the action sequences, both at sea and on land; however, the predictable romantic triangle is for fans of the stars only.

Crash Dive shows America's heart on its sleeve in 1943. Filmed in stunning Technicolor and featuring the great Tyrone Power, along with fine support work by Dana Andrews, Harry Morgan, James Gleason, and Ben Carter, Crash Dive is a feel-good action/romance yarn that will stand up well to second or third viewings. Like many such vehicles, the movie is vulnerable to critical comments regarding technical issues ( like the German "sub base", and the submarine interiors) and the somewhat tiresome love triangle plot element. It also would have been nice to have seen crew members brought more to life ( like Destination Tokyo). Yet, the movie gives more focus on a black sailor (played estimably by Ben Carter) than you will see in other war pictures of the period. There are great exterior shots of New London Conn during the war too. Whenever I am on Rte 95 crossing the Mystic River, I gaze up and down that place and in my mind's eye I can envision USN subs--some doomed for Davey Jones Locker-- leaving for harm's way in 1943 in service to the Red Whit and Blue. That's the allure of Crash Dive. It brings it back to life. And when the credits roll by at the end, and you are urged to buy war bonds in this theater, somehow and only for a whisper of time, the echoes are awakened and the peril and glory are again alive.

The other reviews cover the pros and cons. I should say that this is not a "propaganda film". Speaking from the perspective of the second world war, the praise for the other branches of the navy and the war effort should not be seen as propaganda in the 21st century sense but as a bit of cheerleading. In 1943 the US was only 16 months into the war. They'd had a major defeat early in the Africa campaign and Patton's victory at El Guettar did not take place until the same month this movie was released. And five months before the film's release, the US forces in the Philippines were forced to surrender. Beyond this, the British defeats, including Singapore, worked together to make a very gloomy picture. Fighting in the Pacific was fierce and progress had been slow. The bloody months-long battle of Guadalcanal had just recently ended. Other victories, such as the battle of Midway, were often won through miscalculations on the part of the Japanese. Plus, the invasion of Europe was still 15 months away. In other words, the axis was running rampant and were still in control of most of what they had seized and the end of the war was nowhere in sight. In fact, had it not been for the atomic bombs (dropped two years and four months after the film's release) the war in the Pacific could have lasted another full year with the loss of an additional quarter million lives or more. And no one knew of any atomic bomb in April of 1943. In other words, this is not a propaganda film. The cheerleading at the end was patriotic, not political. Besides, the studio knew that this film would be shown to navy personnel from all branches and it was important that the servicemen and women have something to cheer for of their own, and not just the squadrons of submarines and PT boats. Someone who did not serve in WWII or have an immediate family member who did - especially those two generations or more separated from the war - might see this as "propaganda" but their seniors would not.

"Crash Dive" is an entertaining war film with a nice cast. This may be one of the earliest war romances of two guys after the same girl. The story isn't very strong, and its propaganda aspect is quite obvious. The cast are all very good. I don't have squabbles with the fictitious aspects of movies like this that seem to bother some people.

What makes this a very good film is the action and that it's filmed in color. It won the Oscar that year for special effects. It's interesting to me how real the special effects make the action seem. Films like this come across as much more realistic portrayals than so many movies of today that use Computer Generated Imagery.

I wonder if any other viewers noticed one very curious aspect of this film – one that I didn't see any other reviewer comment on. It was completely devoid of sonar use. Most naval action movies of WW II used sonar. Submarines and surface ships had various types of listening devices. But in this film – set in 1943 – the absence of such technology is most interesting. Of course, it would have made it impossible for the Corsair to sneak into the German base on the tail of a freighter.