Surprisingly incoherent and boring

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Tricky. It's a decent film, lovely to look at with its scope photography and technicolor palettes, James Garner and Edmond O'Brien are holding court in the acting stakes, and of course this being a submarine war film it has the requisite claustrophobic feel. Yet it never really gels as a whole, submerging too far into the mundane to play out a whole bunch of sequences that test the patience of the viewer. There's also the not too small problem of being able to suspend disbelief with the final mission.Now this is Hollywood and a Warner Brothers film, in 1959, so we don't naturally expect realism in our story telling, in fact we often want incredulity to stir the blood, but this kinda takes the rise too far. Alan Hale Junior is on hand for comic relief, and this proves good foil for Garner's lovable charm, but Gordon Douglas directs at such a snails pace you get the feeling that the comedy is just a merciful release for all involved. In short there's both the good and bad of 1950s war film making on show here; production value is high - narrative thrust is tepid. 6/10

BY THE YEAR of Anno Domini 1959, Television had take the upper hand in the struggle for supremacy of filmed stories. IOt was during this era that the small screen in our living rooms managed to dim the lights on so many, many of the old neighborhood movie houses that once populated our cities. It was by this time that the big Studios capitulated to the Networks; albeit in one, particular area.FOLLOWING YEARS of actively opposing any venturing into active participation in TV production; even to the point of forbidding their stars to do guest shots on television.* EVEN THESE Studio Moguls were compelled to rethink this position; opting that, "if we can't lick 'em, we might as well join 'em!" Before long, the Studios were in TV; enthusiastically supporting what they formerly held out against.STARTING OUT IN a manner that would seem to have been borrowed from Walt Disney's DISNEYLAND Show; MGM, 20th Century-Fox and Warner Brothers all had weekly hour long anthology series. In them, there would be some look at the history of movies, showcasing some of their old successes. They might interview a current Star and plug his/her current release. (Can you say, "Infomercial?" SO WAS THERE and then a sort of "cross pollination" between Actors on the Big and Small screens. Movie Stars did Guest Shots on TV and those starring in popular series would.............YES, THEY WOULD be featured in theatrical films. Our honoree of today, is just such an example.WITH THE PRODUCTION of UP PERISCOPE, the wheel had, indeed, the wheel had spun a full. The film starred James Garner (star of WB's hit series, MAVERICK) and also prominently featured Ed Byrnnes (popular as supporting character,"Kookie", on the same Studio's hot detective show, 77 SUNSERT STRIP.IN WHAT HAD echoes of Warner's DESTINATION TOKYO, the production team had assembled a great cast. Edmund O'Brien, Andra Martin, Alan Hale, Jr., footballer Frank Gifford and gruff, perennial Sgt. or Chief Petty Officer, Henry Kulky. Also look for a young Warren Oates as a seaman.THE STORY WAS somewhat similar to the previously mentioned DESTINATION TOKYO: but it had more of a "back home" subplot featuring Mr. Garner and his love life than the other film. There was a sort of modernization in the storyline; which was not made during the War, and hence lacked any element of propaganda.THE ACTION WAS good and it was filmed in Warnercolor; an advantage that the old, wartime productions lacked.WE DO RECOMMEND it, if you haven't viewed it, you may be pleasantly surprised. It's just too bad that they didn't make more movies like this in the 1950's. Maybe then there would be more Neighborhood Movie Houses still open today!NOTE:* This boycotting of television was a direct reversal of the Studios' policies about old time Radio; where they used it to their advantage at every possible instance. (Perhaps the Movies and Television were too similar, no?)

This film is a good thriller of a top secret naval operation in the South Pacific during World War II. James Garner's assignment calls for him to swim to a Japanese-controlled island and decipher a code that the Navy needs to anticipate enemy intentions. The film has a claustrophobic feel to it as most of the scenes are filmed below topside as the submarine makes its way to the destination island. There are Japanese destroyers about, dropping depth charges and making matters uncomfortable for the crew. Edmond O'Brien is the sub's by-the-book commander, still shaken by the loss of a crew member during a recent assignment, and he and Garner share a mutual dislike that sets in motion Garner's mission-impossible task. Garner's whirlwind courtship with Andra Martin is the only false note of the movie which adds nothing to the plot. The cast and tech credits are good.

Navy frogman goes on super secret mission to steal ultra secret Jap code books. Pretty phony actually - seems the Nips would have shouted "oy li chu dat lee ho phuk di hong fong fuuuuuuuuu!", or "those explosions looked like a ruse, let's check on the code books!". When Garner exited the water he made enough noise to wake the whole island, no real commando would have done that. Still not a bad film, fairly exciting: it had the usual Navy ships during combat footage plus a few "toys in the tub" scenes. I appreciated the submarine; it was cramped, hot, and miserable looking, exactly like the genuine article. I abhor those movie subs that sport hallways and rooms more fitting to the Trump mansion than a Naval vessel.