During WWII an American destroyer discovers a German U-boat, and in the ensuing duel the American captain must draw upon all his experience to defeat the equally experienced German commander... Read allDuring WWII an American destroyer discovers a German U-boat, and in the ensuing duel the American captain must draw upon all his experience to defeat the equally experienced German commander.During WWII an American destroyer discovers a German U-boat, and in the ensuing duel the American captain must draw upon all his experience to defeat the equally experienced German commander.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 3 nominations total
- Von Stolberg
- (as Curt Jurgens)
- Lt. Ware
- (as Al Hedison)
- Ellis
- (uncredited)
- American Sailor
- (uncredited)
- QM1 Quiroga
- (uncredited)
- FMB Operator
- (uncredited)
- Chief Engineer
- (uncredited)
- German Soldier
- (uncredited)
- German Sailor
- (uncredited)
- German Sailor
- (uncredited)
- German Sailor
- (uncredited)
- German Sailor
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn an interview in July 1977 with 'The New York Times,' Curd Jürgens (who played the German submarine commander Capt. Von Stolberg), said: "This was an important picture for me because it was the first film after the war in which a German officer was not interpreted as a freak." Other reviews commented that the film was notable because the clash between the captains was not portrayed as black and white or good and evil.
- GoofsWhen the U-boat captain first observes the Destroyer, he describes it to his first lieutenant, including the observation that it has "No tubes." The lieutenant refers to the manual and declares that it is a Buckley Class Destroyer. Buckley Class Destroyers were, in fact, equipped with a triple-mount of torpedo tubes, just aft of the stack.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Von Stolberg: I should have died many times, Captain, but I continue to survive somehow. This time it was your fault.
Captain Murrell: I didn't know. Next time I won't throw you the rope.
Von Stolberg: I think you will.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: WORLD WAR II THE SOUTH ATLANTIC
- ConnectionsEdited into Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Killers of the Deep (1966)
- SoundtracksSo leben wir alle Tage
(Drinking Song) (uncredited)
Traditional German folksong sung to the tune of the "Dessauer Marsch"
English lyrics by Charles Henderson
Sung by Curd Jürgens and the crew of the U-Boat
More than a blood-and-guts war movie (though it has plenty of terrific action scenes), it's more of a man-vs-man "cat and mouse" story. Absolutely excellent direction (by Dick Powell) and some terrific cinematography. Terrific scene between Jurgens and Theodore Bikel (who plays his Exec. Officer), that is nothing but facial gestures and eyebrows.
A very "moral" tale, it shows that even sworn enemies serving their countries in wartime can show respect and compassion toward each other, especially since they're all men-of-the-sea: sailors. Conversations between Mitchum and his ship's doctor and between Jurgens and his exec officer mirror each other. Note the scene of the American sailors pulling the German sailors aboard their lifeboats near the end; Mitchum helping rescue the U-boat captain and his exec after ramming them.
Great tale, well-scripted, acted, directed and shot. An model of how to make a terrific story into a movie.
- kalex
- Sep 8, 2004
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Obračun na Atlantiku
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,910,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1