Q-Ships

With their eyes squarely on the international market, the producers of this film made sure to mention as many nationalities as possible and to make the German U-Boat commander an aristocrat who, as a title notes "Would prefer to fight men than to starve women and children." It's a far cry from war films during the First World War, in which Eric von Stroheim would throw babies out of upper windows. Still, if you wanted your movie to play in Germany....

This movie, about the program to send out armed Navy boats disguised as fishing boats and single merchantmen, and so lure out German U-boats, is pretty title heavy in between the lively scenes of fighting, explosions and the bits where the submarine crew "endure agony in their steel prison", just like every other submarine movie. Still, this one has the advantage of being a fairly early example of the now too-familiar drama.

There isn't much talent in this movie that I recognize. John Gielgud's big brother Val has a credited role, but I don't recognize him at this age, and he would shortly become a big wheel at the BBC and stop performing. You also get to see clips of Admiral Jellicoe and it is claimed that some of the cast were actual Q-Ship crew during the Great War. Could be.