Il sottomarino fantasma

Not every film of a great director is filled with identifying and interesting touches, and this is a case in point. (Having sat through three such films yesterday -- the others being "Slightly French" and "Sleep, My Love" -- the point was made ad nauseum.) Not a bad picture, but a pretty dull one. The never-very-interesting Macdonald Carey is the leading man, and the supporting cast is generally lacking in interest (particularly the US G-men, who seem barely to be professional actors), but leading lady Marta Toren has moments of interest (and is quite beautiful), and it is always nice to see Carl Esmond (a/k/a Willy Eichberger), a character actor who lived to the ripe old age of 102 and began his career with a memorable performance in Ophuls's "Liebelei." On the whole, though, this is a film for those (like me) who feel obliged to see everything directed by the great Sirk -- who, when he was fully engaged, was among the greatest.