We Dive at Dawn


We Dive at Dawn

title card
Directed by Anthony Asquith
Produced by Edward Black
Written by Story & screenplay:
Val Valentine
J. B. Williams
Uncredited:
Frank Launder
Starring Eric Portman
John Mills
Music by Hubert Bath (uncredited)
Cinematography Jack E. Cox
Editing by R.E. Dearing
Studio Gaumont British Picture Corporation
Gainsborough Pictures
Distributed by General Film Distributors
Release date(s) 20 May 1943 (UK)
Country United Kingdom
Language English

We Dive at Dawn is a 1943 war film directed by Anthony Asquith, starring Eric Portman and John Mills as submariners in the Royal Navy in the Second World War. It was written by Val Valentine and J. B. Williams with uncredited assistance from Frank Launder, and was produced by Edward Black.

Contents

Plot

When the British submarine Sea Tiger docks after an unsuccessful patrol, the skipper, Lieutenant Taylor (John Mills), and his crew are given a week's leave. Hobson (Eric Portman) goes home to try to save his troubled marriage, while a reluctant Corrigan (Niall MacGinnis) heads off to his wedding. However, all arrangements are cancelled as a recall order is issued to return to duty, much to Corrigan's relief (though he later has second thoughts).

Back at sea, the crew find out that the Sea Tiger is on a top secret mission to sink Nazi Germany's newest battleship, the Brandenburg. They are to intercept her before she enters the Kiel Canal for the Baltic Sea to begin sea trials.

On their way to the German Bight, the sub picks up three shot-down Luftwaffe pilots from a rescue buoy. When the submarine enters a minefield, one of the airmen panics and reveals that the Brandenburg is much further ahead than anticipated, before another prisoner beats him nearly to death. Taylor takes a desperate gamble and enters the Baltic in pursuit.

When the Brandenburg is spotted, the Sea Tiger fires all its torpedoes, then dives to evade German destroyers dropping depth charges. As the attacks intensify, Taylor convinces the hunters that the submarine has sunk with all hands. The surface ships leave, but the Sea Tiger is left desperately low on fuel.

Taylor decides to have his crew abandon ship near a Danish island. However, Hobson is fluent in German and is familiar with the port on the island. He persuades Taylor to let him go ashore dressed in one of the airmen's uniforms to see if he can find oil. He succeeds. The Sea Tiger refuels while Hobson and some of the other men hold off the German garrison. Upon returning to base, the crew are informed that they sank the Brandenburg. Waiting for them at the dock are Corrigan's would-be bride and Hobson's wife and son.

Cast

John Mills as Lieutenant Taylor
  • Eric Portman as L/S (Leading Seaman) Hobson, on hydrophones
  • John Mills as Lieutenant Taylor, Captain
  • Louis Bradfield as Lieutenant Brace, First Officer
  • Ronald Millar as Lieutenant Johnson, Third Officer
  • Jack Watling as Lieutenant Gordon, Navigating Officer
  • Reginald Purdell as C/P.O. (Chief Petty Officer) Dabbs, Coxswain
  • Caven Watson as C/P.O. Duncan, Chief Engine Room Artificer
  • Niall MacGinnis as C/P.O. Mike Corrigan, Torpedo Gunner's Mate
  • Leslie Weston as L/S Tug Wilson, Leading Torpedo Operator
  • Norman Williams as "Canada", Periscope Operator
  • Lionel Grose as "Spud", Torpedo Operator
  • David Peel as "Oxford", Helmsman
  • Philip Godfrey as "Flunkey", Steward
  • Robb Wilton as "Pincher", Cook
  • Walter Gotell as the ardent Nazi pilot, uncredited

Production

We Dive at Dawn, which was filmed at Gaumont-British Studios in London,[1] was made with the cooperation of the British Admiralty. John Mills prepared for his role as the captain of the HMS Sea Tiger by riding along on a submarine on a training mission down the Clyde. He later recalled a crash dive:

The ship then seemed to stand on her nose and I felt her speeding like an arrow towards the sea bed; charts and crockery went flying in all directions; I hung on to a rail near the periscope trying to look heroic and totally unconcerned; the only thing that concerned me was the fact that I was sure that my face had turned a pale shade of pea-green.[2]

Exterior shots were made using two different British subs, P614 and P615, with the final number painted over to make P61.[3]

Video

The film has been released on VHS by Madacy Records and Timeless Multimedia, among others, and on DVD by ITV DVD and Carlton.

References

  1. ^ IMDB Filming locations
  2. ^ Steinberg, Jay "We Dive at Dawn" (TCM article)
  3. ^ We Dive at Dawn at the Internet Movie Database

External links







stock | retire | vm
Why are we here?
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
This page is cache of Wikipedia. History