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Minesweeper

  • 1943
  • Approved
  • 1h 7m
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
452
YOUR RATING
Richard Arlen, Russell Hayden, and Jean Parker in Minesweeper (1943)
ActionAdventureComedyDramaRomanceWar

After deserting from the U.S. Navy in the 1930s, an officer re-enlists under a fake name after Pearl Harbor and serves on a minesweeper.After deserting from the U.S. Navy in the 1930s, an officer re-enlists under a fake name after Pearl Harbor and serves on a minesweeper.After deserting from the U.S. Navy in the 1930s, an officer re-enlists under a fake name after Pearl Harbor and serves on a minesweeper.

  • Director
    • William Berke
  • Writers
    • Edward T. Lowe Jr.
    • Maxwell Shane
  • Stars
    • Richard Arlen
    • Jean Parker
    • Russell Hayden
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.1/10
    452
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • William Berke
    • Writers
      • Edward T. Lowe Jr.
      • Maxwell Shane
    • Stars
      • Richard Arlen
      • Jean Parker
      • Russell Hayden
    • 17User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos9

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    Top cast28

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    Richard Arlen
    Richard Arlen
    • Richard Houston - aka Jim 'Tennessee' Smith
    Jean Parker
    Jean Parker
    • Mary Smith
    Russell Hayden
    Russell Hayden
    • Seaman Elliot Nash
    Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams
    Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams
    • CPO Ichabod Ferdinand 'Fixit' Smith
    Emma Dunn
    Emma Dunn
    • Mom Smith
    Charles D. Brown
    • Cmdr. Lane
    Frank Fenton
    Frank Fenton
    • Lt. Ralph Gilpin
    Chick Chandler
    Chick Chandler
    • Seaman 'Corny' Welch
    Douglas Fowley
    Douglas Fowley
    • Cutter Lt. Wells
    Ralph Sanford
    Ralph Sanford
    • Seaman Cox
    Billy Nelson
    Billy Nelson
    • Bos'un 'Freshwater' Heims
    • (as Bill Nelson)
    Grant Withers
    Grant Withers
    • CPO Gregg - in Charge of Diving Crew
    William 'Billy' Benedict
    William 'Billy' Benedict
    • Inoculations Corpsman
    • (uncredited)
    Ralph Dunn
    Ralph Dunn
    • Madigan
    • (uncredited)
    Edward Earle
    Edward Earle
    • Officer at Briefing
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Gardner
    • Ship Officer Lookout
    • (uncredited)
    Jody Gilbert
    Jody Gilbert
    • Fat Girl in Bar
    • (uncredited)
    Jon Gilbreath
    • Sailor
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • William Berke
    • Writers
      • Edward T. Lowe Jr.
      • Maxwell Shane
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews17

    5.1452
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    Featured reviews

    5drystyx

    Painful viewing, but well done

    This is the story of a man who tries to make amends for past misdeeds in the service by reenlisting under another name, and whose experience in the service gives him an edge in the disarming of water mines.

    It is a well written story, with interesting characters all around, including the minor ones. Everything is very believable, not just by film standards, but by normal standards.

    However, I gave this only a ranking of 6, which is still above average, because for me it was painful viewing. It is not because of a bad story, but because it shows the pain involved with gambling addiction in a true light, which means it will be difficult to watch. This is still quality work, and if you aren't afraid of the pain, this may be the film for you.
    4planktonrules

    At best, ordinary....

    Perhaps my score of 4 is a bit generous. All I know is that this isn't the sort of film I'd heartily recommend, as it's pretty dull and pretty cheap.

    The film begins with Richard Arlen traveling the rails. He's a hobo with a secret--and a very patriotic hobo at that. It's just after Pearl Harbor and Arlen has a fight with his fellow 'bos about the war and volunteering. Soon, Arlen meets up with Guinn Williams (in one of his better roles) and the two go off to volunteer with the US Navy. Williams was a retired navy man and Arlen seems to have some knowledge of the navy BUT he also has a secret. What it is and why he's posing as someone else is something you'll have to see for yourself---if you care.

    The film is only occasionally entertaining, but to me finding out Arlen's secret wasn't worth time I invested in this WWII propaganda film. Aside from Williams' nice part, the rest of the cast just seemed pretty dull and the story was, at best, lackluster--showing the earmarks of a B-movie produced by a third-rate studio.
    6nfladavid

    Frank Lloyd Said It Best

    Although this is an old in-theater movie, not television, this is the kind of thing Frank Loyd Wright had in mind when he said "television is chewing gum for the eyes."

    If you're looking for a captivating war movie watch Twelve O'Clock High. This movie is exactly what it was intended to be: a short movie before the main feature back in the days when there were news reels, cartoons, and "warm-up movies" before the main feature showcased box office stars of the day.

    I won't bother restating the plot, plenty of other people have summarized that. I'll simply say was a fine way to kill an hour on a lazy Sunday morning.

    PS-Another entertainingly corny performance by well-known character-actor Guinn "Big Boy" Williams
    4peapulation

    Get them to serve the country...

    From the man that would have brought you the Navy Way came a film that, towards the end of the second world war, seemed determined to get those young men in army or navy uniforms to fight for their countries.

    So, the story of a deserting Navy captain with a gambling problem who decides to join the troops again, even as a lowly minesweeper and seaman, is perfectly politically correct for the blossoming of the US involvement in the world's biggest monetary conflict to date a.k.a. WWII.

    It's obnoxious. The storyline is predictable. The characters are caricatured. People, including myself, are always ready to shoot on Micael Bay's awful Pearl Harbour, but that is nothing more than a film like Minesweeper with a much bigger budget. In the end, it's all about God, country, killing those Japs, and if you die, you die a hero, and everyone is proud of you, cos you were a good kid.

    But what can you do? The film isn't laughable, and it's made in a straight forward way that means no harm. As a product of its times and indoctrinations, it can be forgiven, but as a poor film, it cannot.
    5bkoganbing

    To Redeem Himself

    Minesweeper is a product of the Paramount B picture unit where producers William Pine and William Thomas did things on an Assembly line basis to provide second features for Paramount's big budget items like the films Cecil B. DeMille did. They got the best training because William Pine served as an associate producer with DeMille for years before branching out on his own.

    A cursory list of their credits show that their early films either starred Richard Arlen, Chester Morris or both. Minesweeper stars Arlen as a former Navy officer who deserted because of a gambling problem and who comes back to enlist under an alias as a seaman when World War II breaks out.

    Arlen and Russell Hayden have a friendly rivalry for Jean Parker who is the niece of CPO Guinn Williams who lives with Parker and her mother/his sister Emma Dunn. Both Arlen and Hayden get assigned to, what else, duty on a Minesweeper.

    Discovering this film was a bit of a revelation since the only well known film dealing with a minesweeper is The Caine Mutiny. But the action in that film takes place years into World War II when the USS Caine was sweeping mines away from landing areas. This minesweeper is dealing with them right outside San Diego harbor.

    Arlen enlists in the navy to redeem himself and as this is a B film about a romantic triangle I think you can figure out how this will end.

    Robert Mitchum has a tiny bit in this film and Mitchum completists might want to check this out. As it is Minesweeper is a curiosity flag waving film of the times.

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    Related interests

    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance
    Band of Brothers (2001)
    War

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Robert Mitchum uncredited role involves knot-tying training( at 19 minutes into the film). Sailors stand in a row tying knots on a horizontal rope stretched across. Mitchum is the tall sailor on the right. He also is the oarsman in one of two rowboats lowered over the side of the ship (at 25 minutes). He is shown in the close-up shot near the striped ball-shaped mine. His mate chops haphazardly at its tow rope until they both are blown up.
    • Quotes

      CPO Ichabod Ferdinand 'Fixit' Smith: You get Liberty?

      Richard Houston - aka Jim 'Tennessee' Smith: Till tomorrow.

      CPO Ichabod Ferdinand 'Fixit' Smith: I got 48 hours and boy I'm gonna eat my way right through it!

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits prologue: DECEMBER 1941
    • Soundtracks
      Anchors Aweigh
      (uncredited)

      Music by Charles A. Zimmerman

      Heard behind the opening and closing credits

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 10, 1943 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Dragor de mine
    • Filming locations
      • Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA(underwater scenes)
    • Production company
      • Pine-Thomas Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 7m(67 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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