Run Silent, Run Deep

In one of his best and final roles (he appeared in only four films after this), Clark Gable plays a submarine captain without a command, having been saddled with a desk job after his previous ship was destroyed due to his overzealous pursuit of the enemy in dangerous Japanese waters. He finally gets another boat--this time with a vigilant first officer (Burt Lancaster), who stands poised to assume command if Gable puts his crew in unnecessary danger. The tension and mutual respect between these two principled men is superbly written and directed (Robert Wise was just two years away from his triumph with West Side Story), and the crucial inclusion of a strong supporting cast (including Jack Warden and Don Rickles) enhances the movie's compelling authenticity. Based on a novel by former submarine commander Edward L. Beach, Run Silent, Run Deep is rousing entertainment with the added benefit of paying honorable tribute to the men who navigated through the most frightening and claustrophobic channels of the Pacific theater. --Jeff Shannon

Captain Richardson (Gable), wanting to redeem himself for losing his submarine in the Bungo Straits off Japan the previous year, is successful in getting out from behind the desk and back in command of a sub, whose crew has already accepted Lancaster as their new skipper, with the previous captain being transferred to another station. However, Richardson is given command of the submarine, and the tension mounts as the power struggle continues, amidst constant diving drills and grumbling among the crew, who fear that they will be labeled "the best drill cowards in the Navy."

Richardson is out to prove his theory that he can take out an Akakaze destroyer with a bow shot. This type of destroyer had sunk his sub the previous year, but it is also discovered that Japanese submarines are also lurking in the area and have picked off several unsuspecting American subs.

A classic war movie, and a classic submarine movie. The only one that I would consider better is "The Boat."


True story   November 2, 2000
Mary (San Francisco Calif. USA)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful

Yes this really is a true story. I know because my Father : Robert V. Phillips CQM (COB) was on this patrol. It really did happen. Except for the personal drama between officers. The real Commander Was Commander McGregor. He was one of the top Sumbarine Commanders in the Navy. The ship that was sunk was the Unryn. She was a brand new Japanese aircraft carrier on her way to Midway, fully loaded. The U.S. Submarine Redfish. The only Submarine to sink a aircraft carrier by herself through WW2. The Redfish received a Presidential citation for her bravery. And Commander Mc Gregor received the Silver Star. What make this movie really authentic was the ORIGINAL USS Redfish was also used in the MOVIE. No Hollywood models. This is true USS Redfish ! For More Go to USS REDFISH web site. Read Story of ship and patrols. See Citation ! See Movie !!


The greatest submarine war film   June 23, 2003
magellan (Santa Clara, CA)
13 out of 15 found this review helpful

This is the quintessential submarine movie, and later sub movies borrowed liberally from it, and it's certainly one of the great war movies of all time. It by far outclasses the other submarine movies like "Torpedo Alley", "Torpedo Run", and "The Enemy Below" (although with Kurt Jurgens and Robert Mitchum the latter is actually pretty good). And although still not in "Run Silent, Run Deep's" league, the more recent "Das Boot" is excellent too.

Gable and Lancaster are utterly believable as captain and commander and the supporting efforts from Jack Ward and Don Rickles also deserve mention. Don looks like he's only 25 here (although he's probably more like 30) and he still has no hair! (That's okay, Don, we still luv ya.) The movie builds the tension up to an almost unbearable climax as Gable proceeds to train his crew to perform the risky bow shot maneuver to take out the Akekazi destroyer, despite the scepticism of both Lancaster and the crew. The tension is made all the more palpable when their first attempt at destroying the Akakazi fails and the Akekazi drops depth charge after depth charge on Gable's ship. But Gable manages to just barely slip away. Then finally, in a suspenseful climactic scene, Gable successfully torpedoes the deadly sub-hunter with the infamous bow shot.

The movie benefits from the sure direction of Robert Wise (who only a few years later directed West Side Story) and Gable was only four movies away from his last screen appearence in "Run Silent, Run Deep."

They don't make 'em like this anymore. Big Bubba says go rent it and don't Bogart the popcorn.


THE WWII Submarine Movie To See!   July 8, 2000
Barron Laycock (Temple, New Hampshire United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Never mind the new U-Boat movie about Americans manning a German U-boat; "Run Silent, Run Deep" is the WWII sub movie to see! I recall first seeing it in its initial release on a trip to New York City in the late 1950s when I was 11 or 12. Seeing this then brand-new release on a super-sized screen with all the advantages of a new sound system made a lasting impression on me. This is surely a classic, for like other war movies like "Bridge Over The River Kwai" or "All Quiet On The Western Front", it touches aspects of the human experience of war in such a responsive and responsible way that it neither glamorizes nor simplifies the experience. It provides no silly sub-plots of dames, booze, or any else but the basically authentic and accurate tale of men at war in the claustrophobic confines of an American attack submarine during World War Two.

Every element of this movie is excellent; the taut story line, the intelligent and thoughtful script, the superb acting by Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, and a number of excellent supporting actors, and the action scenes are quite suspenseful, well-photographed and choreographed, and nothing extraneous is there to rob one of total immersion in what is happening on the screen. The circumstances these men have to fight in are difficult to understand, and given the limitations of submarine capability in that time frame, it could certainly be a harrowing and unnerving experience. Add the element of mortal combat with enemies both seen and unseen, and you have the elements of an unforgettable movie with gripping suspense and terrific action. I heartily recommend this movie!