The Frogmen (1951) User Reviews

My Dad was one of the real Frogmen in the film...

[davida-mccarley · 8/10 · 28 February 2008]

My dad used to tell us stories about the film every time it came on - he was in UDT Platoon 2 on TDY from Korea and got to spend part of his rotation for R&R doing the film with his team. They did all the underwater work, the scenes with the landing craft picking up the team from the water, and they set the satchel charges for the shot when they blow up the beach obstacles prior to the landing.

He also used to to tell stories about Dana Andrews and his drinking during the filming, but that is another story. It is a good movie and, from Dad's and the UDT's perspective, had some BS in it - but relatively accurate overall.

In Korea, his team was assigned to swim in from off-shore and go inland to blow up installations, bridges, etc. overrun by the North Koreans/Chinese. They had to swim their stuff in from miles offshore, hump the explosives inland (armed with a knife and a pistol - Dad said he used a .38 because he couldn't hit much of anything over 30 yards away with a .45), blow up the objective then make it back out. Of course, things were even MORE primitive for the combat swimmers of WWII!

Dangerous When Wet

[howdymax · 8/10 · 27 May 2006]

Richard Widmark plays the new skipper of an elite UDT (Unerwater Demolition Team) unit in WW2. In many ways it was typical of the patriotic fare that was popular back then. The skipper takes over for a popular commander that was lost in a previous mission. We watch as he agonizes over almost every decision he makes. He constantly second guesses himself and compares himself to the ever popular Cassidy at every turn. As you can imagine, he grudgingly gains the respect of the team while making these life or death decisions.

The support cast is reliable - even talented. Unavoidably for the genre, we have the guy from Brooklyn - in this case Canarsie - played believably for a change by Harvey Lembeck. Not once did I hear him say the word "goil". Dana Andrews plays a veteran CPO who identifies too well with his crew and resents the skipper. Gary Merrill does a very credible job as the captain of the transport ship that delivers the UDT crew to their targets.

A couple of things caught my attention. Although this movie was produced in 1951, it depicts what amounts to an experimental unit developed in WW2. I couldn't help but notice how primitive the operations were back then. No underwater breathing gear, no communications once they were in the water, simple slates and pencils to record the details of their mission. As a launch brought them into target range, they would jump into a rubber boat, then roll off into the water. Worse yet, at their pick up point, they had to tread water, raise their hand, and wait like sitting ducks to be pulled back into the rubber boat at speed.

This is not a silly movie. It celebrates the courage of men doing a very dangerous job under impossible conditions. There are a few clichés here, but nothing we can't overlook. A good action adventure flick, well worth watching.

Stock plot benefits from fine technical detail-- an interesting historical document

[puzzow · 6/10 · 5 February 2007]

The story in this one is nothing new-- the captain of an underwater demolition team (UDT) during WWII, who is a replacement to the previous beloved captain, must gain the respect of his men. The dialogue is at times a little hokey, and the performances are solid, but nothing stellar.

However, the project was obviously a heart-felt effort to capture, in detail, life aboard a WWII vessel, the procedures, the politics, and the rather fascinating methods and exploits of early UDTs, and that's what makes the film stand out. What you get is (I'm guessing) a pretty accurate representation of naval special forces in WWII, and it is quite interesting to watch how a team would covertly get in and out of shallow water near a beach to plant explosives and do recon, while being heavily shelled, often with nothing on them besides swim trunks, flippers and goggles! There are also a few very good, tense scenes. (the scene where their explosives expert has to disarm a torpedo with a tongue depressor is particularly nice-- expresses all the emotion and tension of such a moment without forcing it with a dramatic score).

Recommended to anyone interested in war history, or who enjoys a nicely crafted war movie.

Decent naval procedural with familiar faces.

[Poseidon-3 · 15 December 2006]

What was probably a rather revelatory naval film in 1951 is a bit ordinary by today's standards, though it is still worth a viewing, especially for fans of Widmark. Here he plays the newly-assigned commander of an underwater diving team during WWII who is charged with the demolition of a Pacific island's shore defenses. Widmark is not popular among his men because he's replacing a beloved, but now deceased, predecessor. He loses even more points when he neglects to take time to memorialize even more recently killed seamen. Andrews is his chief antagonist while Merrill is the even-keeled voice of reason, advising Widmark through the choppy waters of command. There are many shots filmed underwater in what was then quite a novelty. Today, this footage looks pretty murky, though it's not altogether terrible. A few tense situations unfold as Widmark and his (frog)men dive and plant explosives, etc... One neat aspect is the showing of how the UDT (now morphed into Navy Seals) disembark and reboard the boats that transport them. Split-second timing was required. Widmark (or more likely his stunt double) does have the unfortunate distinction of being pulled back onto the craft at high speed and having his white jock dart out from the underside of the black trunks he is wearing! Not a particularly dignified reentry, but at least he was saved. Widmark, always an intriguing screen presence, does a nice job in the film, balancing toughness with sensitivity. Andrews is less impressive, seemingly walking through the thing at times. Merrill is pretty inactive, always sitting, lying down or smoking an ever-present pipe, but he lends solid support. One real asset is the appealing and attractive Hunter, who is especially sympathetic during the climax when he is threatened with drowning or worse. The cast is filled with then-up-and-coming actors who would later gain somewhat greater fame. Stevens, Lembeck, Gregory and Warden all have at least one moment to register. Fans of sixth-billed Wagner, however, will be greatly, greatly disappointed. He's barely visible at all and has one line, "Aye aye, sir." The later "Creature From the Black Lagoon" would up the ante on underwater cinematography (in 3-D no less!) along with other subsequent films, but this one was one of the earliest.

THE FROGMEN (Lloyd Bacon, 1951) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 4 April 2008]

As would be the case with DESTINATION GOBI (1953), which I’ve just watched, this unusual war film about a specialized outfit also happens to be a starring vehicle for Richard Widmark (and, similarly, featured no prominent female roles). Fox were noted for the documentary-style approach to their films for the first few years of the post-war era; this was a typical example, mixing realistic detail (while the underwater photography in itself is well done, the film tends to drag during these sequences) with a number of established Hollywood conventions.

Widmark begins by rubbing his men the wrong way because of their devotion to his predecessor, with Dana Andrews as his chief antagonist (especially after the former opts to leave the latter behind during a reconnaissance operation). At one point, however, Andrews has to take over a mission when Widmark becomes indisposed (where the former’s lack of responsibility leads to serious injuries sustained by one of the men); eventually, the two acquire a mutual respect – which occurs when a torpedo fired at the ship by the enemy fails to explode and has to be delicately dismantled.

The latter sequence is one of four suspense/action set-pieces in the film: the others being the two underwater missions themselves and the trial run for the first operation mentioned above. The supporting cast is led by Gary Merrill (acting as, more or less, the voice of conscience) and Jeffrey Hunter (as a brash young member of the team); also appearing, in unbilled roles, are subsequent favorite character actors James Gregory and Jack Warden.

A Dangerous Business

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 12 November 2005]

The Frogmen is a film based on the exploits of the U.S. Navy's Underwater Demolition Teams during World War II. The primary task of these guys was to go in ahead of any island landing and clear away any obstacles put up by the enemy in the water. That meant going in ahead of the Marines as the Frogmen point out. Today that function is now that of the Navy Seals.

The plot is similar to Flying Leathernecks. Richard Widmark is the new commanding officer of the team assigned to Gary Merrill's ship and he's taking the place of a popular commander who was recently killed. He meets with a lot of resentment from the men, some of that resentment fueled by Dana Andrews who is the CPO of the team and very popular also with the crew. How Widmark and Andrews deal with their personal issues as well as get the job done is the basis of the film.

Nice underwater photography highlights the dangerous mission of these men. Both Widmark and Andrews despite their differences do get their assignments accomplished, not always in the most expeditious manner. These guys and their team are professionals in the real and the cinematic sense.

War films usually aren't chick flicks, but I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of female fans saw this one for a glimpse of some 20th Century Fox's top young talent topless like Robert Wagner and Jeffrey Hunter.

Good an excuse as any to see a well made war film.

A nice tribute to some amazing men

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 8 February 2009]

After watching and enjoying this film, I checked out the trivia section for this film and found that many of the events in this film are based on the real life unit they were named for in the film--including the banner on the beach scene. At first I thought this scene totally ridiculous and didn't fit the film--seeing it REALLY happened is amazing! This is an interesting war film even if it didn't get made until well after the war. Most people never think about the need for naval demolitions crews, yet their incredibly dangerous job is shown in this film. How dangerous it was and how they actually performed it was truly interesting for history buffs like myself. Seeing them often diving with no real equipment such as snorkels or tanks (these were only used late in the film) and simply free-diving to set demolition charges is pretty amazing. What was more amazing was seeing how they picked up these guys on the fly, so to speak.

Apart from the technical aspects of the film, the plot itself is somewhat formulaic but interesting. Richard Widmark plays the typical hard-as-nails commanding officer and naturally the men miss their old C.O. since he was "one of the boys" (see THE FLYING LEATHERNECKS and TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH and you'll see what I mean). The whole "loneliness at the top" angle has been done many times before, though this one was played a bit better. Having such pros as Dana Andrews, Jeffrey Hunter and Gary Merrill on hand sure didn't hurt! What did hurt, however, with the formula was that, at times, it made the men seem like whiners.

Overall, rather exciting and well worth seeing despite its roots in Hollywood formula and a fitting tribute to some incredibly brave men.

This film has a lot to say of the dedication, hard work and honor of men of war doing a tough job.

[kmiller12 · 10/10 · 18 May 2004]

The first time I saw this I was 10 years old, very impressionable and wanted very much to be like these men of war. This film has a lot to say about dedication and hard work learning the art of war. As John Wayne once said in "Sands of Iwo Jima" about the learning of the proper procedures of how to fight a war, because if we don't do it right a whole lot of men don't walk away from it, "forevermore they don't". As has been said this is the precursor to the modern day Seals. Sure I know they are tougher men today, but in my estimation not any more honorable and dedicated than the men portrayed in this "great" film.

The acting is outstanding and very real, especially to be so good that an old man like myself, remembers how I felt all the times I saw the film. If a film and the men involved in telling the tale of "The Frogmen" left that much impression and remembered to this day, then it had to be great acting, direction and favorably produced. There was no outlandish computer graphic techniques of today nor scenes of blowing up the world that come so common place in todays action genra films, but a reason and purpose for the gritty life and death struggle each man faced to become a frogman in the U. S. Navy or UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams) as they were and are called.

This black and white picture was dominated by the snarling Richard Widmark in perhaps his best performance in his career. I know many remember him for other films, but to me, he made this film and was the quintessential commander training his men to do a very difficult job with nothing more than shear strength of character and leadership. They did not have the high tech apparatus of todays Seals, but for what they lacked in equipment they more than made up for in "guts and glory" beneath the waters.

The rest of the cast, Dana Andrews, Gary Merrill, Jeffrey Hunter and Robert Wagner, just to name a few seemed to be portraying what is best in the Navy and men of war. Several more gave memorable performances in telling the tale of "The Frogmen" and the U. S. Navy's dedication to the finest in warfare.

The standard war movie is one thing, but this is a classic not seen much today and one in which many that followed learned by this tale of the U. S. Navy.

Underwater!

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 31 March 2011]

Interesting story of underwater demolition teams exploring the landing beaches around Okinawa in World War II. The cast has some well-known names too, though some were just getting started. Don't blink or you miss Robert Wagner and Jack Warden.

If the story of their work is engaging -- and it is -- the group dynamics aren't, nor does anything in the dialog particularly sparkle. Richard Widmark takes over a UDT team after the death of the commander they idolized. He does things by the book. He's resented by the crew who continually compare him to their previous leader and who believe he's an inept and unfeeling poltroon.

Widmark is understandably unhappy and broods a bit. Standing against him in the crew are the chief, Dana Andrews, and the usual motley cast of World War II movies -- the Brooklyn wise guy, the family man. The combat scenes are handled well enough. SCUBA gear was still a novelty at the time. The production had the cooperation of the U. S. Navy, and why not? It's basically a promotional film. The large ship on which the team is berthed in an APD, a fast transport. Proper protocol is usually followed. When a man receives an order on the radio, he doesn't say, "Roger. Over and out." He says the correct, "Wilco, out." There are some exceptions though. Two or three times, Widmark shouts to the coxswain, "Full speed ahead!" That belongs in a comic book. At least nobody wears caps indoors or salutes without them, as they do in the far more lavishly funded "Crimson Tide." By the end, of course, after a final dangerous mission and the tense disarming of a dud torpedo, in both of which enterprises Widmark plays an important part, the team comes together as a group.

The plot is lifted from "Twelve O'Clock High," also a Twentieth-Century Fox Production, and the dialog is by the notorious Oscar Millard. He was the guy responsible for the speeches in John Wayne's classic "The Conqueror." There, Wayne had to say things like, "She is much wummin." And, "Yew're beautiful in yewr wrath."

I saw "The Frogmen" as a kid and all of us kids were excited by it. The frogmen rolling one by one off the speeding landing craft into a tethered rubber raft and then over the side with a great white splash of impact. It was all new to us, as it was to the rest of the audience. Some of us tried playing "Frogman" in Lake Hopatcong but it's hard to roll off a speeding boat when the boat is a ten-foot-long rowboat moving at the pace of an unskilled swimmer doing the breast stroke. I didn't enjoy it quite so much this time around, but then I don't enjoy ANYTHING quite as much these days.

Won't Spawn Any Sequels

[writers_reign · 5/10 · 3 July 2009]

Here we go again; virtually all the comments posted here are favorable if not mild raves for a movie I found pedestrian at best. It was Widmark's eleventh movie and he had a lot of good stuff behind him and a lot of good stuff to come; this was the middle of three ho-hum entries he was saddled with, preceded by Halls Of Montezuma and succeeded by Red Skies Of Montana, potboilers all. In 1951 it was unorthodox to say the least to make a film without even a female presence let alone a love interest but for reasons best known to themselves, Fox decided it was viable. The main thrust - a martinet disliked by his men until finally earning their grudging respect, was stale even when Sophocles was writing out of Athens and this entry offers no new insights or twists. There's a fairly competent supporting cast led by Dana Andrews, Gary Merrill, Jeffrey Hunter and Harvey Lembeck but don't cancel a whist drive to catch this one.

Friend was stunt double on this movie

[BrianD7 · 8/10 · 4 May 2005]

I have not seen this movie in many years but I would like to note that my friend Herschel Spurlock and his buddy Harold Tucker were stunt-men on this movie. They were UDT men and got paid $50 per day for there work. I plan to buy a copy of the movie and give it to my friend. This movie seems to have quite a group of primary actors. In the old days Navy men were call UDT, today the modern term is Navy Seals. UDT means underwater demolition team. My friend did a lot of work from submarines and was injured once descending a ladder, broke both legs. He also had a hand grenade thrown at him and just recently had a brass piece of shrapnel removed from his back. In addition my friend is on deck in the middle picture on the back of the DVD. He is looking left and has a bathing suit on. Herschel Spurlock died in the California Veterans Home in Yountville 5/20/2009.

Underwater bravery.

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 27 January 2009]

Lloyd Bacon directs this World War II drama with Richard Widmark in the lead role as Lt. Commander John Lawrence, who must earn the respect of a group of underwater demolition divers. The strict hard nosed Lawrence is replacing a popular senior officer that was very close to his men. He does manage to tighten up the already tight, but independently brave underwater warriors.

Exceptional photography with a well rounded cast to support Widmark. Also featured are veterans and fresh faces like: Gary Merrill, Jeffrey Hunter, Dana Andrews, JackWarden, Robert Wagner, James Gregory and Harvey Lembeck.

Frogs Abound In WWII.

[hitchcockthelegend · 5/10 · 19 February 2015]

Directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Richard Widmark, Dana Andrews, Gary Merrill, Jeffrey Hunter and Robert Wagner. Plot finds Widmark as a strict disciplinarian who takes command of the Navy Underwater Demolition Team and quickly upsets the men with his forceful ways. With the team building up to a crucial mission the question is if the men and commander can find an accord for the war effort?

Like the men at the film's heart, this is a sturdy war film that's for those who don't mind the focus being more on characterisations than action. The sets and construction of certain scenes show their age, but the underwater filming is neat and the strong cast keep the viewer engaged enough till the big mission arrives. Not essential war film buff viewing, but a decent time waster at least. 5.5/10

Precursors of Today's SEAL Teams

[Piafredux · 21 June 2003]

Pity 'The Frogmen' isn't yet on DVD. It features the techniques developed and applied by WWII's U.S. Navy UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams), many of which techniques formed the basis for the methods employed by today's SEAL teams - and the UDT's did their bit with rebreather rigs that weren't nearly as sophisticated or reliable as today's high-tech SCUBA and rebreather gear. The UDT's were pioneers on the cutting edge of their mission, an edge the likes of which will not likely be seen again.

A standard plot is redeemed by fine performances from all, and by exciting action sequences that have not dated as much as one might suspect they would have by 2003.

Straightforward gung-ho heroics

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 14 October 2016]

For better or worse, THE FROGMEN is a straightforward wartime thriller from our American cousins. As with most WW2 movies, it's based on true stories. The heroes are a bunch of underwater explosives experts whose job is to sail close to Japanese fortifications, jump into the water, set bombs and timers, and then escape before everything blows up.

It's not a subject matter I had much knowledge of despite being a war buff, so this film interested me. It's a well made little picture with some good actors butting heads and a series of action sequences which are well shot and resolutely suspenseful. The film seems to gather momentum as it progresses and the situations become more life and death, the stakes raising every second.

Richard Widmark and Dana Andrews, both looking youthful, are well cast as the officer and his second in command who spend most of the screen time. Robert Wagner is listed in support but don't bother trying to spot him. While I imagine THE FROGMEN will be become a fairly forgettable film as time passes since I saw it, it's hard to say that it puts a foot wrong regardless.

the action scenes are the highlight

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 19 October 2021]

The film details the exploits of the US Navy's elite Underwater Demolitions Team, aka the Frogmen. New team leader Lt. Comdr. John Lawrence (Richard Widmark) is a no-nonsense professional who has trouble being accepted by the UDT veterans who recently lost their previous, beloved leader. Flannigan (Dana Andrews) in particular dislikes the new commander's coldly efficient style, but they'll all have to work together to survive their dangerous duty of readying remote island beaches for Allied landings.

The action scenes are the highlight in this otherwise routine war tale of men under pressure. It's very interesting to see the techniques used by these precursors of the modern Navy SEALs. Now they are among the most highly-equipped soldiers in the world, but back in the WW2 days, they went into their very specific form of combat wearing only swim trunks, flippers, and a face mask. Their chief responsibility was to surveil enemy waters for mines and other hazards, and then to blow them up if possible. It all seems extremely difficult and dangerous, and it makes for compelling cinema. The movie earned Oscar nominations for Best Original Story (Oscar Millard) and Best B&W Cinematography (Norbert Brodine).

The Unsung Heroes of the Uncle Sam's Underwater Warriors!

[zardoz-13 · 6/10 · 9 April 2010]

Billed as 'the untold story of Uncle Sam's underwater commandos,' "Action in the North Atlantic" director Lloyd Bacon's "The Frogmen" concerns the daring exploits of the U.S. Navy's Underwater Demolition Team (U.D.T.) during the twilight of World War II. This thoroughly routine secret mission fodder casts Richard Widmark as Lieutenant Commander John Lawrence, the new kid commander on the block and depicts his efforts to win the respect of his fellow frogmen. If you've seen another Twentieth Century Fox classic "Twelve O'Clock High," "The Frogmen" is somewhat reminiscent of it as well as "The Flying Leathernecks.: It seems that the guys revered their former commander, Mr. Cassidy, who died in the line of duty and have a difficult time accepting Lawrence as his replacement. Cassidy was a favorite about the men, but Lawrence does nothing but antagonize them. At one point, everybody on the UDT team requests a transfer out. For the record, "The Frogmen" is a movie for guys because there are no women in cast and virtually all the action happens at sea.

The action transpires for the most part aboard a navy ship as our heroes are called upon to survey beachheads for future assaults and later blow-up a Japanese submarine pen. Bacon and "So Dear to My Heart" scenarist John Tucker Battle don't exactly have much to work with here and there is only the barest reference to the time frame during which these adventures occur. Presumably, since they mention Iwo Jima, everything in "The Frogmen" takes place afterward as America considered invading Japan. The ship's captain, Lieutenant Commander Pete Vincent (Gary Merrill of "Twelve O'Clock High") offers the green skipper advice, such as holding a funeral service after several men in his command die when their boat receives a direct hit. Lawrence has to contend with thick-skulled personnel , like Chief Jake Flannigan (Dana Andrews of "The Ox-Bow Incident") and Pappy (Jeffrey Hunter of "The Searchers") when they jeopardize their lives playing a prank to get back at the Marines. Pappy has a $50 dollar bet that the Marines will wade ashore and see a banner that Flannigan and he stake out on the beach welcoming the jarheads. On the way back, Pappy catches a couple of bullets near the spine and has to be laid up in traction. Of course, the team will eventually accept Lawrence as one of their own but not under this 96-minute, black & white epic is almost finished. One scene that generates some suspense occurs when a Japanese torpedo penetrates the hull of Vincent's ship and Lawrence has to disarm it. Complicating matters considerably is the presence of the torpedo in the same room where Pappy is strung up with counterweights until they can reach the surgeons at Pearl Harbor. Lawrence has the task of disarming the torpedo.

The grand finale at a Japanese submarine pen is the only time that we see the soldiers of the Rising Sun. There is a brief underwater struggle with Japanese divers before everything goes up. Nothing disparaging is ever mentioned about the Japanese enemy and they seem largely benign and pose little threat. Essentially, this is a traditional World War II opus where the men change their haughty attitude of dislike for their commander into one of adulation. However, at no time do they advocate killing him. The underwater photography looks good, but the suspense comes up short. Mind you, Bacon and company don't spout the war cliché that on the basis of a single mission hangs the fate of the war. Altogether, "The Frogmen" qualifies as tolerable.

The Frogmen

[CinemaSerf · 7/10 · 2 April 2023]

Richard Widmark is the new, hard-nosed, squandron commander "Lawrence" who takes charge of a specialist underwater diving team after the death - in action - of their previous boss. He is trying to make his presence felt and they - led by "Chief Flannigan" (Dana Andrews) are clear they want little to do with him. He changes their training regime, intensifies it, reinvigorates it - and makes it clear that he is now in charge. Gradually, some of the men realise that maybe he's not such a bad guy and Lloyd Bacon quickly sidelines the personality conflicts to turn out a series of action escapades as this team carry out their tasks bravely and successfully. Thanks to a little intervention from "Pappy"(Jeffrey Hunter) and "Vincent" (Gary Merrill who commands their mother ship, things begin to improve before a perilous denouement at a well defended Japanese submarine pen. It's not Widmark's most natural performance, this, and there is little actual jeopardy with the narrative - it's all pretty obvious. That said, the adventures are exciting, the photography captures well the riskiness of their jobs (and the dangers) and the complete absence of any opportunity for romantic interludes is also to be commended. It packs a lot into ninety-odd minutes and flies the flag proudly for a group of sailors who risked life and limb on a daily basis. I enjoyed this.

Solid WWII action in the Pacific

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 6 December 2012]

This Second World War drama follows a US Navy Underwater Demolition Team as it takes part in preparations for the invasion of Japanese occupied islands and comes to terms with the replacement of a popular leader who was killed in action. Form the way they talk it is clear that there former CO was very much one of the men but his replacement, Lt. Cmdr. John Lawrence, is very much a by the book officer. The men's opinion of him gets even worse when he orders his boat back to the ship after their second boat is destroyed leaving the survivors to wait for the rescue boat; is reasoning may have been militarily correct but it was unpopular enough to have three men request a transfer. It isn't long before everyman in the team wants out. Luckily for him an opportunity arises for him to demonstrate his courage and win the respect of his men before he must lead them on a top secret mission to attack Japanese submarine pens.

This is a solid film with decent action, a good cast and an interesting story to tell. It may be a fictional story but it nicely demonstrates the sort of work the Underwater Demolition Teams would have done without being gung-ho about it. The cast did a fin job; most notably Richard Widmark who put in a nicely understated performance as Lt. Cmdr. Lawrence; a character who wanted to do the right thing and respected his men even when he knew they didn't have such an opinion of him. The action looked believable; the underwater scenes especially so. The fact that it was filmed in black and white somehow gives it a more realistic feel... presumably because the vast majority of archive footage of the war was in black and white! The tension in the unit was there to add to the drama and it did so in a believable way; the men might not have liked Lawrence but they didn't do anything unrealistic about it; just griped a bit and got on with the job. We don't see much of the Japanese but when we do it was refreshing to see them depicted as ordinary soldiers sharing a cigarette rather than as 'the evil enemy'. If you enjoy films about the second World War I'd certainly recommend this as it shows the sort of operations not usually depicted in films in a fascinating way.

Good old time WWII action

[byron-116 · 7/10 · 6 September 2019]

Just watched THE FROGMEN which kept my undivided attention throughout the film. Great story, great actors, great action and superb believable underwater scenes.

Sunk

[madmonkmcghee · 5/10 · 23 August 2015]

Tepid WWII drama that never catches fire and tries to impress with overlong action sequences. Well, i say action: if you think that endless scenes of frogmen diving off a boat is thrilling, this is the movie for you. They probably thought that getting the technical details right would make up for the lack of drama. As if we care that the details are factually accurate, i guess. What is the Big Drama here? Well, the diver boys don't really like their new C.O. cause his P.R.-skills are sub-par. Oh, and their former commander was like a cross between Flash Gordon and John Wayne. And would you believe that their new boss, played with unconcealed indifference by Richard Widmark, actually gets miffed when they pull a prank that gets one of them shot and jeopardizes the mission? What a spoilsport! No fun, that guy, so they collectively ask for transfer. (In the middle of a war?) These guys sure have their priorities mixed up. It might have made more sense to have had Dana Andrews and Richard Widmark switch roles. Why use a volatile actor like Widmark and a laconic performer like Andrews and not let them play to their strengths? To see Widmark do one of his famous tantrums would have made it worth watching, now it's just a waste of time and talent.

Excellent WWII Film on All Counts

[dglink · 8/10 · 21 July 2012]

A standard World War II film about a U.S. Navy underwater demolition team, "The Frogmen" stars a solid group of handsome 1950's leading men. Although the movie offers nothing unexpected and blazes no new trails, the standard here is lofty. All aspects are highly professional, and the story is engrossing and ultimately moving. The characters are stock: the tough leader, the older confidante, the easy-going second-in-command, the guy from Brooklyn. However, when such stalwart actors as Richard Widmark, Gary Merrill, Dana Andrews, Jeffrey Hunter, and Harvey Lembeck fill the roles, the results are sterling. No prima donnas here; the actors work as an ensemble, much as the demolition team rises above differences to coalesce during the film.

Tough by-the-book Widmark takes over for a well-liked now-dead predecessor and familiar tensions rise among the team. Each member turns in his resignation, a risky stunt misfires, a Japanese sub attack creates a tight situation, a daring climactic mission: great fodder for fans of these World War II films; produced while memories of the war were still fresh, they retain an authenticity and immediacy hard to recreate decades later. The underwater scenes are excellent, and the team's exploits create enough suspense and action to keep viewers engrossed. The fine black-and-white cinematography by Norbert Brodine was Oscar nominated, as was Oscar Millard's story. "The Frogmen" is a standard war film, but the standard is a high one to reach.

go for a swim

[lee_eisenberg · 6/10 · 6 August 2021]

The title might make it sound like a sci-fi or horror flick, but "The Frogmen" is a no-nonsense look at a specialized branch of the armed forces during WWII. The US Navy's Underwater Demolition Teams had the duty of taking on Japanese forces from beneath the surface. In this Academy Award-nominated movie, it's a life-or-death situation.

As often happens in these movies, there's tension amongst the characters, even as they all move closer to their goal. The vessel's leadership will change over the course of the movie, but the men have their orders nonetheless. All sorts of impressive stuff, if a little overboard on the patriotic tendencies.

I recommend it.

A Minor Disappointment with A BIG Publicity Gimmick

[yarborough · 23 March 2004]

I didn't expect too much from this movie as I watched it for the first time, but it was even more minor than I originally thought. Widmark is a bland star for this one, as is Dana Andrews, but young Jeffrey Hunter does a decent job. However, the characters on the ship (which is the setting for the whole movie) are simply too immature and childish to be believable as navy men. Also, the story is simply not interesting (though it has a few intriguing moments) and the climax is sleepy and trite. On top of that, the underwater sequences are not impressive. But the biggest disgrace in this movie is the publicity stunt that was pulled for Robert Wagner. In the opening credits of this movie Wagner is billed fifth, with his name in huge letters, but he appears literally in no more than five seconds of the movie, has no lines, and can only be seen at a distance. Apparently, when this movie was made, he was nothing, but by the time it was released, he attained some popularity, so the company pulled a fast one on the young girls who hoped to see him in this movie. Years ago I noticed that a similar stunt was pulled for Wagner for the 1950 film "Halls of Montezuma" but to a lesser extent.