User reviews

The Bedford Incident is a Cold War Navy story with the captain of the destroyer, USS Bedford playing a game of cat and mouse with a Soviet submarine which has strayed inside the territorial waters of Greenland.

These kinds of things happened quite a lot during those tension filled days of the Cold War. Fortunately neither we or the Soviets had a captain like Richard Widmark who is determined to push the envelope all the way if he can.

On the voyage that this game of nuclear tag takes place, Widmark is saddled with a pair of outsiders and he doesn't like it at all. First is Sidney Poitier a photojournalist who constantly keeps getting underfoot as Widmark sees it. The second is a medical officer Martin Balsam whom he didn't request.

Widmark is a frightening man. He keeps everything and everyone on the ship so tense he's even got Eric Portman concerned. Portman is a NATO adviser and a former German U-Boat commander. As Poitier says, 'Hitler's Navy to which he's corrected, 'no Admiral Doenitz's Navy.

Under his command, young ensign James MacArthur is afraid to breathe wrong and sonar man Wally Cox suffers a nervous breakdown. The lack of relief for both of these guys has tragic results.

The Bedford Incident remains a curiously forgotten film while such work as Dr. Strangelove and Failsafe people remember better. That's not right, The Bedford Incident is in some respects superior to both of those classics. It's about the strain of command as much as anything else and it's also about the dangers of a truculent attitude in the person with the command.

Hopefully this forgotten classic will get more recognition one day.

You can't watch this movie without being impressed by the performance of Richard Widmark. He was absolutely outstanding as Captain Eric Finlander - a totally obsessed Cold Warrior in command of an American warship off the coast of Greenland. Having detected a Soviet submarine in the same area, Finlander becomes fixated on forcing the sub to surface. It might be "peacetime" (even if it is the Cold war) but Finlander wants to prove to the world that the Soviets were where they shouldn't be. The best moment of the movie probably came when the West German commodore and former U-Boat commander in World War II (played by Eric Portman) aboard Finlander's vessel the Bedford described Finlander as "frightening." That pretty much summed things up - and Widmark captured the description perfectly. There's a strong supporting cast in this (it includes Sidney Poitier as a reporter on board and Martin Balsam as the Bedford's new medical officer) but it's Widmark's movie from start to finish.

This would be best described as a tense and suspenseful movie but there are scattered times throughout when you start to wonder if this is all worth it. It is, after all, depicting the COLD War. Nothing's really going to happen as a result of all this. It looks like an interesting depiction of a cat and mouse game between the Bedford and the sub, but really it comes across as more of a psychological study of Finlander himself and you do wonder if the tension and suspense are going to lead up to unrealized potential and leave the viewer frustrated. They don't.

The end of this movie is quite shocking, and captures what the fears of a lot of people during the Cold War were - the fears of a nuclear accident or even an accidental nuclear war. Those fears were very real in people in the era, and this movie plays on those fears. The end actually is quite stunning. It grows out of the psychological study - Finlander having ridden a young officer (played by James MacArthur) so hard that he was so afraid of doing something wrong that you almost knew he would have to do something wrong. He does. This is a very well done film. (7/10)

I must confess I'd not heard of this film as it was off my radar (no pun intended) despite starring those two fine actors Sidney Poitier and Richard Widmark in the leads and the solid Martin Balsam in support. More fool me as it proved to be a fine, gritty Cold War thriller, highlighting explicitly then and still, I'd contend, now, that one wilful or accidental action in the heat of the moment could lead to catastrophe for the world. The film skilfully combines a study of men under pressure with the wider political picture, at the same time cleverly invoking the classic story of Moby Dick, with Widmark's Captain Freelander as obsessed with catching a fleeing Russian submarine as old Captain Ahab was his pesky whale.

All the action takes place on Freelander's US navy destroyer encompassing a gradually increasing character examination of the wilful Captain, driving his crew to exhaustion and the end of their wits by keeping them constantly at attention or GQ as it's called here, so that in the end a simple misunderstanding by a pressurised, even terrorised young officer of a phrase used by the captain in conversation leads to disaster. The abrupt ending is particularly memorable, the better for being so inevitable and brutal.

Widmark as the crusty old captain is excellent in his portrayal of this particular single-minded sailor, while Poitier is also fine as the journalist who by questioning the captain's methods effectively acts as the conscience of the film, for once his skin colour having no bearing on his character''s relevance to the plot. Balsam too steps up as the passed over new medical officer who yet predicts the climactic outcome from way back.

Tautly directed in black and white, the tension is palpable as the American ship closes in on its prey and nerves become frayed to breaking point on the bridge, in so doing making an early case for greater psychological consideration due to crew members as advocated by Balsam's character.

Topical and relevant, especially with recent events echoing even today in Syria, this is an unflinching and superbly acted contemporary thriller which deserves to be better known.

Excellently acted and directed. I came to this movie late, too. I've always held the better known "Dr. Strangelove" and "Fail Safe" close to my heart, but I happened to catch "Bedford" on a cable channel a couple years ago and was completely blown away. Absolutely brilliant plot device by keeping the soviet sub unseen, mysterious; focusing instead on the character dynamics on the destroyer.

No outrageous special effects, huge explosions, ridiculously unbelievable stunts, or mannered performances. Why can't Hollywood make politically suspenseful films like this, "Dr. Strangelove", "Fail Safe", and "Seven Days In May" anymore???? Of course, I know the answer. Modern movie audiences have the attention span of a gnat, the cerebral tenacity of a chipmunk, and the spoiled expectations of a pampered child.

For me, this is one of the best movies of the cold war era, up there with the likes of "Fail Safe" and "On the Beach". Extremely well directed and acted, it should be on any collector's shelf as DVD when so released. The tension is maintained throughout and the climax is one of the best in a film that I have ever seen. Also significant is the fact that Sidney Poitier's colour is never an issue either verbally or by implication, something quite remarkable for a movie made over 35 years ago.

Richard Widmark is a determined naval ship captain in "The Bedford Incident," which also stars Sidney Poitier, Eric Portman, Martin Balsam, James Macarthur, and Wally Cox. This is quite a different meeting from the one Widmark and Poitier had in "No Way Out," where Widmark is a bigot who lashes out at Poitier. Poitier in this film plays a journalist, and there is never any mention of his color. This is not only remarkable but marvelous. Martin Balsam is the ship's new doctor. Poitier and Balsam board ship together and pick up almost immediately that there is a tension on board and that the men are intimidated by their cold, tough captain.

The Bedford's assignment is to patrol for Russian subs and ships.

When a submarine is detected in the area, the captain seems to want to take the matter too far. Portman, as a German adviser, disagrees with him.

The role of the captain, Finlander, is the type of role normally associated with Widmark, and he is excellent as an uncompromising man reminiscent of Captain Queeg. Poitier turns in a stellar performance, which really builds as he becomes more and more concerned about the captain and the potential international situation. Martin Balsam is very good, actually providing, along with Wally Cox, a little comic relief.

The scenes showing the gray sea and huge icebergs might be dated now, given what film technology is capable of, but they are no less evocative of the atmosphere. After the buildup of drama and tension, the last moments of the film are incredibly exciting - staggering even. And you'll do what I did - just sit and stare at the words "The End." A very good film.

In The Bedford Incident, Richard Widmark, so often miscast in heroic roles, is up to his old bad guy tricks of the sort that first brought him fame almost twenty years earlier. He plays a paranoid Navy captain playing cat and mouse with a Russian sub in the icy waters of the North Atlantic. This is a good, tense film in the urgent black and white Lumet and Frankenheimer manner popular in the sixties, only it's directed by James Harris, who handles the material well, especially in the film's dramatic moments. Sidney Poitier is on board as a Life magazine reporter whose race is never mentioned. A nice touch. Obvious, but well done. Martin Balsam plays a doctor not cut out for Navy life, as Captain Widmark is wont to remind him. This is a well-acted Cold War melodrama, reminiscent of the teleplays Rod Serling used to write. It was indeed written by live television veteran James Poe. It would have been a lot better if it was not so reminiscent of other movies, such as Fail-Safe, and in a way The Caine Mutiny, whose Captain Queeg the Bedford's skipper is an alpha version of. The supporting performances of Michael Kane and Wally Cox are especially good, but it's Widmark's show, and he does not disappoint.

The Cold War is one of the world's most frightening conflicts ever as it nearly extinguished humanity. During this time, suspicious nations rattled atomic sabers at one another and secret agencies scurried about disseminating Ideological propaganda and psychological warfare, but for the most part the only thing accomplished was that Americans spent billions threatening a distant enemy who ultimately became our friend. One exceptional film which appear during this era, was " The Bedford Incident." It is the story of an American reporter Ben Munceford (Sidney Poitier) who seeks out a controversial naval officer, because he believes him to be a rare individual. That particular man is Captain Eric Finlander. (Richard Widmark) a no-nonsense commander who is determined to do his duty, even if it means destroying a stray Russian Submarine, armed with nuclear missiles. While Munceford is trying to fathom the Captain, he notices everyone under Finlander's command is being subjected to increasing pressure, enormous stress and intolerable strain to remain on high alert as if war could be initiated at any time. From an audience point of view, the tension on board the Bedford, mirrors the terrifying state of fear in the world. Helping the audience analyze the situation is Lieut. Cmdr. Chester Potter (Martin Balsam) a naval Doctor who warns the Captain of mounting psychological dangers of his crew. One such officer is Ensign Ralston (James MacArthur) who the doctor warns is wound 'too tight' to be on duty. Another is Seaman Merlin Queffle (Wally Cox) who believes he controls the ship. This is a remarkable film, for it's characters, it's drama and eventually it's inevitable ending. It's a reminder, the fears we create are as real as our nightmares. ****

The Bedford Incident (1965)

A tightly focused moment in an imaginary cold war naval confrontation, the Incident in question is an example a small thing becoming a big one. This was the big fear in the Soviet/American nuclear buildup. Richard Widmark as the ship's captain is in a intense mode without the snarling excesses that made him a film noir staple. Martin Balsam as the newly arrived doctor, and Sydney Poitier as a congenial photographer both fill in roles of reason and normalcy--the you and me of the situation. And then there are the side characters, and the one impulsive moment that changes everything.

It's hard to call this a great film. The pace and editing, the photography, and the acting are all first class, certainly. The writing on a broad level is fine, the concept in total. On the immediate level, the dialog is good with a slightly predictable edge to many lines. But it works overall, just not brilliantly.

What holds it together for us is a sense of history--the very real fear of atomic annihilation--and it's a history that is thankfully starting to feel a little distant. Not that I think nuclear war is less likely now than then, but that this kind of war, with superpowers toe-to-toe at the brink, is no more. And so something the movie had then, the immediacy of pure terror, the walking out of the theater into the street and looking up with sweat at the sky, it doesn't have now. And it might need that to fully succeed.

The film contains one (or more) of the great character studies of its period--and indeed, is one of the few films that can sustain itself principally on character interaction, irrespective of plot (and the plot itself builds steady tension, a la Hunt for Red October). The pacing is brilliant, the acting is top-shelf, the claustrophobic shipboard mood is electrifying, the escalating, multi-tiered sense of confrontation between the key characters is riveting, and the payoff--though admittedly predictable, by the time you get there--is effective and unnerving nevertheless, especially if one is able to toggle back to the Cold War mentality that birthed this film.

I too was a bit put off by the studied and self-conscious Widmark reactions at two or three points in the film--the tactic becomes a well to which Widmark/Lumet go back at least twice too often (the last time, I found myself almost wanting to scream, "We GET it!"). But that's a very small price to pay for the overall cinematic genius (not too strong a word) of this movie. The script alone--in particular the climactic riposte Portman delivers unto the increasingly pathological Widmark towards the end of the film--is a masterwork rivaled by few other films of the era (or any era, for that matter). If you've seen the film, you know the line to which I'm referring. If you haven't seen the film, do yourself a favor and rectify that shortcoming.

Two men are delivered to the American destroyer USS Bedford in the North Atlantic by helicopter. Civilian photojournalist Ben Munceford (Sidney Poitier) is doing a story and is slack with regulations. Dr. Potter (Martin Balsam) starts a new tour on active duty after 20 years in the reserves. The medical staff is excited by the garbage being found. They suspect a recent Russian sub. Hard-nosed Captain Eric Finlander (Richard Widmark) is hunting for his Russian sub and has no use for either of the newcomers. Commodore Wolfgang Schrepke is a former Nazi submarine captain who is now a NATO adviser. Captain Finlander pushes the pursuit until a mistaken command leads to dire consequences.

This is fine military drama. Sidney Poitier is pushing the clueless civilian character a little too far. It's not that funny and a bit annoying. Otherwise, the actors are top notch. The story is pretty simple. The miniature action is minimalist. They do use some realistic sets and real ship action to intensify the reality of the story. This is solid.

When reporter Sidney Poitier is assigned to a submarine to conduct a routine inspection, he ends up staying aboard for much longer than he planned. He gets to know the amiable crew, including Martin Balsam, Wally Cox, James MacArthur, and Eric Portman, but it's Captain Richard Widmark who proves to be a problem. He's a ruthless captain who isn't at all friendly to their visitor, and he's obsessed with destroying a Russian submarine!

If you don't like Cold War thrillers, you're going to want to rent a different film for this weekend. Yes, there are some arguments that are more ship-related than Russian-related, but they're not nearly as intense as The Caine Mutiny. And while the best scenes involve Martin Balsam, he's not the first or second lead, so he doesn't make up for a rather mediocre thriller. There are lots of other movies where you can see Richard Widmark playing an unstoppable bad guy, or Sidney Poitier playing a noble good guy. And if you grew up during the Cold War and love those movies—because I haven't met anyone who likes them for any other reason—you're better off watching The Fifth Missile. It has a better story and infinitely more tension.

Along the same lines as FailSafe this is a tense Cold War drama with a cat and mouse game going on between an iron willed Navy Captain and an essentially unseen Soviet submarine. Great performances all around are what make this a good film. Richard Widmark is great as the somewhat tyrannical ships skipper who has his crew drilled, trained and poised for all out war up to the breaking point. Sidney Poitier as always does another superb job as the journalist aboard to do a story of a Navy deployment and gets more than what was expected. Despite the fact that an individual like the Poitier character would not enjoy that much freedom aboard a US Naval vessel this motion picture is quite realistic. Martin Balsam and James MacArthur also put in outstanding performances with Balsam as a newly arrived unappreciated ships doctor and MacArthur as an Ensign who is dogged endlessly by his commanding officer.

Richard widmark is finlander, captain of a ship in the post WW II, cold war era. While patrolling the north seas, they encounter a russian submarine. And we see that finlander doesn't always follow orders. He's been told to stand down and just observe. But he may not be able to do that. Some other pretty big names here; sidney poitier is a reporter, who can't seem to do anything right, in the captain's eyes. Marty balsam is the ship's doctor. You'll recognize the voice of wally cox from television and commercials; he worked several times with lucy. Sadly, he died young at 48. James macarthur was also dan williams in hawaii five-O. What happens when a rogue captain can't keep his anger and pride in check? Lots of drama, and well done. Doctor strangelove had just come out the year before. Directed and produced by james harris. Based on the book by mark rascovich.

The Bedford Incident is directed by James B. Harris and is adapted by James Poe from the 1963 book by Mark Rascovich. It stars Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier, with Widmark co-producing. The cast also features James McArthur, Martin Balsam, Wally Cox and Eric Portman, as well as early appearances by Donald Sutherland and Ed Bishop.

The story is set during the Cold War and focuses on the captain and crew of the USS Bedford as it patrols the North Atlantic waters for Russian submarine activities. Capt. Eric Findlander (Widmark) is a tough authoritarian figure who drives his crew hard and keeps them ever ready for any sort of incidents that may arise. They respond loyally to his ethics, this is a crew where nobody ever goes on sick call such is the hard approach instilled in them by their captain. Two newcomers have boarded the ship by helicopter: Ben Munceford (Poitier), a liberal newspaper journalist, assigned to write a story about the Bedford and its grizzled captain and a ship's doctor, Lieut. Comdr. Chester Potter (Balsam), a reserve officer who has volunteered for active duty. Both men are quickly disliked by Findlander, he sees their being there as intrusive and upsetting the tough equilibrium of his ship. When a Russian sub is spotted unlawfully in Greenland's territorial icy waters, Finlander stalks it ready to take action. But the top brass doesn't want a perilous situation arising between the two nuclear powered ships and orders Finlander to sit tight, something he is unable to comprehend and intends to do things his own way. With his hard driven crew at breaking point, this could turn into a catastrophic incident...

Taut, tense and impeccably acted by the cast, The Bedford Incident is a superior psycho-drama that feeds off of the paranoia of the Cold War and cloaks it in military claustrophobia. It offers up the dangers of military aggression fuelled by some sense of patriotic duty, with an intriguing "hunt till we drop" iron fist ethic making for an engrossing narrative thread. The film of course is not alone in the "doomsday" scheme of things, even the previous year had seen the release of Sidney Lumet's Fail-Safe and Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (a link here coming courtesy of James B. Harris having been Kubrick's producer for almost ten years), but Harris' movie is more than the equal of any other film with the same thematics. The box office returns for the film at the time didn't do it justice, but time has been kind to the movie. For now it can be viewed as a lesson in jangling the nerves, a reference point in how to script polar opposite characters; thriving on dialogue set in amongst murky military zeal and an unstable political environment. Now more than ever the film serves as a cautionary tale. Tho there's some differences from the book, the film follows the novel fairly closely. However, the big change comes with the ending. I don't consider it hyperbole to suggest that the ending to the film is stunning. A fitting closure to the piece and the ultimate release from the stifling grip that the makers had held the viewers in throughout the story. Shot in stark black and white by Gilbert Taylor and with Widmark at the top of his game, The Bedford Incident is a must see for the serious War movie fan. 8/10

A thrilling and attractive movie in the High Naval Tradition and from the company that gave you "The Caine Mutiny¨ . As the United States and Soviet Union warily eye one another during the Cold War, and the destroyer USS Bedford is on patrol in the North Atlantic Ocean . There commands Captain Eric Finlander (Richard Widmark) , a stiff-upper-lip an authoritarian commandant . Meanwhile, a Navy helicopter ferries two men out to the ship in mid-ocean. One is civilian photo-journalist Ben Munceford (Sidney Poitier) ; the other is new ship's medical officer Commander Chester Potter (Martin Balsam). Things go wrong when USS Bedford discovers an unidentified submarine in North Atlantic waters . As the American ship tracking a Russian atomic submarine , as both steer an uneasy course through icebergs of the coast of Greenland . It is immediately obvious how tightly the ship is run by its skipper who drives his crew to the point of exhaustion as they find themselves the center of a fateful controversy , and little by little a relentless pursuit takes place to the breaking point ."Hunt her down...until she comes up!"The cold war just got hotter. As earth-shattering, and unexpected, as catching lightning in a bottle! High adventure on the high seas, from the company that gave you "The Caine Mutiny"! . It's not an incident, it's the works! Now...In the North Atlantic...High Adventure

This enjoyable story is plenty of power , intrigue , drama and good performances . Strong Cold War story dealing with an authoritarian Navy captain scouting Russian sub near Greenland and the mental conflicts develop on the ship in which the insanely patriotic warship skipper taking his men to the limits of their endurance and his country to the brink of war . It's exciting and tense , at time too much engaging and suspenseful wartime thriller . Interesting script by James Poe , best known for his adaptations of Tennessee Williams' plays for the screen , such as¨Cat on a hot tin roof¨, ¨Summer and smoke¨ , here he contributes to provide a brittle and concise screenplay . Cast excels in intriguing battle of wits . Main and secondary actors are frankly excelelent . Richard Widmark is superb as American destroyer Captain determined to confront a Soviet submarine caught violating territorial waters, while Sidney Poitier is a photo-reporter too good to be true and Martin Balsam is a likable doctor disliked due to Richard Widmark's authoritarism . Support cast are sensational , such as : Eric Portman , James MacArthur , Wally Cox and brief appearances from a very young Donald Sutherland , Phil Brown , Shane Rimmer, Michael Kane , Ed Bishop , among others .

It displays an atmospheric cinematography in black and white by great cameraman Gilbert Taylor , shot in Shepperton studios London and Shallow Tank, Malta Film Studios, St. Rocco Street, Kalkara, Malta Film Studios, St. Rocco Street. The motion picture was competently directed by James L. Harris who does a lot the tension and suspense . He's a notorious producer , he financed Stanley Kubrick's three awesome films (The killing , Paths of glory and Lolita) and occasionally director of thrillers (Boiling Point , Cop , Fast Walking) and other genres as melodrama (Some Call It Loving) and warfare (Bedford incident) . Rating : 7/10 , better than average and well worth watching . The movie will appeal to Richard Widmark , Sidney Poitier fans and warlike genre buffs.

I saw this film when it was released in the mid 1960s, again on VHS over the years and finally on satelite television. It holds up very well. The theme of obsession in the line of duty is as relevant today as it was when Melville wrote "Moby Dick". The acting is excellent. Hats off to Eric Portman as the West German Navy commodore advisor in submarine warfare. He sort of reprises his roles in the "49th Parallel" and "We Dive at Dawn". He is one Englishman who portrays a great German. Martin Balsam does his usual excellent work as the under appreciated ship's doctor. This also contains yet another of Sydney Poitier's race neutral rolls. Very revolutionary for the mid 1960s ("Lillies of the Field" being another).

The ship model and iceberg scenes seem a bit dated in this digital graphics era but I shudder with cold every time I there is an exterior scene. I sailed in Greenland waters once and I know what is feels like on that grey ocean under that grey sky.

Clearly, this is British production. One interior shot of the ship shows a rack of Enfield rifles, already obsolete by the time this film was made. Not a problem really.

The suspense and tesnion hold up well after several viewings and the inevitable ending is, well, inevitable.

If you did not grow up during the Cold War this film will have less impact than living with the bomb ("The bomb, Alexi, the Hydrogen bomb..." oh, that was another cold war film).

I was in high school, when the book, "The bedford incident" was published, Jan 1963.

Curiously, 3 months after JFK's cuban missile crisis. Watching this movie, I had the distinct feeling, there was an effort to recapture that same tension. Also handcuffing the captain, because there was a bigger political issue........was right out of instructions given to pilots flying over Cuba to collect data. They were instructed, "no matter what happens, you will not be fired upon, even if you are, you weren't."

I gave this movie a 7, because IMHO, it was a bit too wordy, a bit too much fleshing out minor characters like the doctor. For anyone born after 1962, and the near nuclear crisis, Kennedy facing down the Russians, and demanding the removal of 1st strike nuclear weapons from Cuba, needs to see movies reminiscent of that era, to understand the value of communication between nations.

In one of the many movies that grew out of the possibility of a nuclear apocalypse during the Cold War, a reporter (Sidney Poitier) gets to be a passenger aboard an American submarine that unexpectedly meets up with a Soviet submarine. I will say that "The Bedford Incident" isn't as good as "Dr. Strangelove" - hey, no Cold War movie is - but it has a different set of merits. The submarine's oppressive interior gives one a feeling of tension parallel to the one created by the possibility of nuclear war.

But probably the most important aspect is about the very idea of war. While the Cold War ended inconclusively, the weapons and warmongers still exist. What the people in this movie experience remains relevant as long as certain individuals are more intent on prestige than on human needs. Worth seeing.