This is an early movie from John Ford. It starts out that sailors from the U. S. Submarine S-13 are on shore leave in Shanghai. They are having a great time at various bars with drinking and women.
The Captain Carson (Roy Stewart) receives reports of rough weather coming in. Also the Captain believes one of his crew, Chief Torpedoman Burke (Kenneth MacKenna), was an officer he used to know as Quartermain, a former commander of the British ship Royal Scot, which was sunk by the Germans when a Field Marshal aboard. The Germans were informed of the ship by a German spy who is thought to have been Quartermain. What the Captain Carson doesn't know is that Quartermain had told his sweetheart that the Field Marshal would be aboard, not knowing that she was the informant for the enemy. The Captain is determined to know if it's him so as to bring Quartermain ( Burke ) to trial for treason and the murder of his crew.
So the crew is rounded up to go back on board. Most of the crew is still inebriated and very rowdy. The captain is trying to get the sub into safer waters before the storm hits, but it takes to long with a drunken crew. Once the crew are on board, the sub leaves port with high winds and rough seas. Before the sub can submerge to safer depths a tanker comes along. Nether ship see each other until to late. The tanker rams the S-13 and the sub heads for the bottom of the ocean. Captain Carson and the lookouts on top were swept overboard when the tanker hit. As the sub sinks, the tanker radios a message to S-13 that she will try to get help for the sunken sub.
Once on bottom of the ocean, the crew checks damage. The engine room crew is killed by flooding, air is slowly running out, and sea water is leaking in heading towards the batteries. If seawater gets into the batteries compartment, it will release chlorine gas and kill the remainder of the crew. Ens. Albert Edward Price (Frank Albertson) is now in command of the sunken submarine. One sailor volunteers to get out through the gun deck hatch to get help. The hatch valve is jammed. With the last remaining tank of air, Burk decides to release a little air at 30 minute intervals to keep the crew alive until help comes. This will give the crew a few hours more life until help comes. Sailor Cobb (Walter McGrail) demands to release all the air from the tank so they can breath easier. The radioman is sending out SOS with the subs position, but the batteries of the radio is slowly dieing. All they can do is wait for help, if help comes. Sailor Polluk (George LeGuere) becomes stir crazy, grabs detonators and threatens to send everyone to fiery blazes. Ens. Price has to kill him.
After almost running out of air, British destroyers arrive at the scene. On board of the British destroyer is a Cmdr. Weymouth (Charles K. Gerrard) who is looking for Quartermain to take him back to England for sentencing.
The only way to get to the surface is through the forward torpedo tubes. The surface is roughly 90 feet up. Each man will have to be helped into the tube, one man remains inside the sub to fire the tube to release a crew member to the surface. All remaining crew are helped through the forward torpedo tube one at a time. Chlorine gas is now starting to mix in with the air making it unbreathable. The destroyers are sending down divers to help bring up the surviving crew. Soon only two men are left on the S-13, one man has to remain on board to push the firing mechanism so the other can reach the surface. Who will sacrifice his life??
Frank Albertson who played Ensign Albert Edward Price also played Midshipman Albert Edward Price in the previous movie Salute, also with John Wayne. It is uncertain if both characters are the same.
This isn't a bad movie giving for the time. It was made during the transition between talkies and silent area. The movie will be part silent with screen titles and talking also with titles. Being a John Ford film, I would recommend giving it a watch. You won't be disappointed.
John Wayne appears at the end of the film as a radio man. You can see him clearly behind the diving apparatus with earphones on several times. He even has a short speaking part.
I picked this DVD up on eBay for 10$. It was a recorded DVD, but that was ok for me. If you have any questions, please email me at: Sgt_klink@yahoo.com . Please include in the subject line John Wayne. Also give me a while to get back to you.
