Submarine Alert

Richard Arlen generally took on films which had some thought involved over action. Here, the thought is missing.

It is a McCarthy era style film about espionage, with Arlen as a "brainy" sort who gets into a lot more fisticuffs than one would imagine. We're given the FBI characters who really don't fit into any mold-they're not McCarthy, they're not sharpshooters, they're not any of the usual cinema stereotypes, and that may be the only thing going for this very generic spy piece, since the plot never even begins to make any sense.

We have a "cute kid" of course, since a Hollywood male hero has to be a family man or former family man. The kid does an excellent job, too, but is really just a gimmick in this formula film.

Don't be too quick to judge this WWII espionage caper, while it appears to labour early on, it picks up the pace and delivers a coherent, economical jaunt through a Nazi plot to scuttle oil tankers en route to the allies, after acquiring a top secret transmitter that's capable of pinpointing the location of ships using pre-determined supply routes. Arlen is the recently unemployed radio engineer who inadvertently finds himself wanted by the FBI when he's duped into assisting the enemy.

Arlen is stoic in his patriotism, even giving a little call to arms rally in the film's post script, while Asther, Biberman and the prolific Marc Lawrence play the principal bad guys within contemporary stereotypes. Wendy Barrie plays an FBI operative whose ends up fighting the good fight alongside our noble hero.

It's a shame the film ends the way it does, as there needn't have been the unnecessary jingoism - this is a film after all, not a propaganda reel. Nevertheless, for your 66 minute investment you'll get a reasonably well paced espionage pot-boiler with a hint of intrigue, the usual raft of clichés and for bonus material, there's even a "MacGyver" moment to rally the allies into action. Solid plot and taut execution, just a shame that it morphs into trite propaganda.

Well made and edited, this is a focused, no nonsense WWII spy movie that has a somewhat interesting technological foundation regarding radio transmission. Richard Arlen always had a wooden acting style but he is a bit less stiff than usual in this one and his capable action-star abilities are well used in the vigorous aspects of his role. Nils Asther, Marc Lawrence, Wendy Barrie and others provide solid performances and do excellent work.

If you can ignore the final two minutes that are spliced on for propaganda purposes and concentrate on the film itself, you will be rewarded with a solid, surprisingly well made action/spy flick. Surprising especially since it was only a quickly conceived WWII studio effort that was a product of the Hollywood switch to war themes following the sudden outbreak of the war. While obviously quickly made, "Submarine Alert" lacks any sloppiness, unnecessary padding or other b- quality attributes in its acting or overall results.

I consider my rating of "6" as being for the film itself, since it completely ends before the final add-on section.

Very light on reality (Japanese sub and German spy's?) and even lighter in the acting, this terrible movie doesn't measure up either as a professional work or condition (as stored in someone's attic for too many summers).

Add 'Submarine Alert' to the long list of films that wasted Wendy Barrie's considerable acting skills. You'll note she's the sole competent actor in this close to being a kid's film about spies, the FBI, a sick child and lots and lots of plot holes. Too many to mention. If....and it's a big 'if', you can keep from saying 'hey wait a minute' or 'that just doesn't make any sense' out loud while watching, then this movie might have some merit as a time piece. Beyond that, it's a mess.