The Deep Six

Alexander 'Alec' Austen (Alan Ladd) flirts with Susan Cahill (Dianne Foster). They work at an ad agency on Madison Avenue. It's September '42. He is called back to active duty in the Navy. He's a Quaker and has pacifist leanings. He struggles with his beliefs in the midst of the war.

My initial issue is Alan Ladd's age. He's in his mid-forties. It's a little old to be so conflicted in his beliefs. It's an interesting subject matter, but the movie is struggling to handle it. I don't know what he's doing in the Navy anyways. It would make more sense if he got drafted, but he's at the upper most age. He seems to be a lapsed Quaker, but he never says it outright. Maybe the point is that everyone is supposed to fight or there are no pacifists in the foxhole. Edge is too overly hateful. This ends up being an average war movie in its execution. That would be fine, but the interesting subject matter is lost in a muddle.

I could not disagree more with CHRIS from South Adelaide who I feel really gave this film short shrift. Alec Austen is a commercial artist and Naval reservist called to active duty in WWII. Having long forsaken his Quaker upbringing he is thus completely blindsided when after reporting for duty on a destroyer he finds himself seriously conflicted regarding the taking of life. Alan Ladd, though in decline personally and professionally at this point in his life, is, nevertheless, very good as the troubled Alec. This film is further buoyed by an absolutely outstanding supporting cast including: James Whitmore, Keenan Wynn, William Bendix, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Jeanette Nolan and Joey Bishop. Other familiar faces include Perry Lopez,(Cowhand Pete Ramirez in THE LONE RANGER movie and a crewman in MR. ROBERTS) and Ross Bagdasarian who, aided by his chipmunks Alvin, Simon & Theodore, would later gain recording and TV fame as David Seville. The storyline is also unique in that the main WWII theater of operations setting is the Northeast Pacific and the Aleutians. Director Rudolph Mate's other credits as Director or Director of Photography include GILDA, SAHARA (1943) and PRIDE OF THE YANKEES. Alas, it has not yet found it's way to DVD. THE DEEP SIX is not SAVING PRIVATE RYAN or TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH, it is a solid production worthy of a look.

With the exception of William Bendix and James Whitmore the performance of the cast is flat. Alan Ladd sleepwalks through the picture as if he would rather be somewhere else. Film does not achieve its goal of exploring the inner turmoil between the Quaker beliefs and the need to fight in war.

Early scenes : French Restaurant and Ladd's Beach House are Paradise Cove, Malibu area.

The cast is terrific, especially the always under-appreciated Dianne Foster in a thankless role, and the dialogue is crisp. But most of the cast is considerably older than their roles, and this movie adds little new information. If you like character-study war movies, this is a good time. I give it 6/10.