The Atomic Submarine 1959

Ships mysteriously disappear on route across the Arctic Sea, and a specially-equipped submarine is sent to investigate.

The Cast

Arthur Franz-Lt. Cmdr. Richard 'Reef' Holloway
Dick Foran-Cmdr. Dan Wendover
Brett Halsey-Dr. Carl Neilson Jr.
Tom Conway-Sir Ian Hunt
Paul Dubov-Lt. David Milburn
Bob Steele-CPO 'Grif' Griffin
Victor Varconi-Dr. Clifford Kent
Joi Lansing-Julie

The Director: Spencer Gordon Bennet
The Writers: Orville H. Hampton, Irving Block, Jack Rabin
Music by: Alexander Laszlo
Certificate : A

Film Trivia

The film inspired the film Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961) and the TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964). It was also remade as an episode of that series.
Producer Alex Gordon wanted to hire veterans Frank Lackteen and Edmund Cobb as passersby. The studio objected to the $100 salary for each, contending that they were functioning as extras and were only entitled to $20. Wanting these old-time actors to get a day's pay, Gordon paid them out of his own pocket.
The trailer for this Allied Artists release played down the science fiction elements and made it look more like a military action film.
Producer Alex Gordon claimed that the production averaged 50 set-ups per day and on one occasion did 72.
Final film of Victor Varconi.
According to Alex Gordon, the film cost $135,000 to make. Allen Connor, then an agent for Wallace Middleton's talent agency, was among those who loaned Gordon the money to get the movie off the ground.
This was the last feature for the team of Jack Rabin, Irving Block and Louis DeWitt.
Producer Alex Gordon's first choice for director was Edward L. Cahn.
Final film of Jack Mulhall.
During the "hush-hush-super-secret-meeting' conducted in the Bureau of Arctic Defense War Room in the second five minutes of the film, Commander Wendover (Dick Foran) is introduced to Sir Ian Hunt (Tom Conway) and asks if he was "the Dr. Hunt, winner of the Nobel Prize for oceanography?" There is no Nobel Prize for Oceanography. The original five "Nobel Prizes" specified in Alfred Nobel's will were for physics, chemistry, peace, physiology/medicine, and literature. Fourteen other fields have significant prizes that are inaccurately referred to as "Nobel Prizes" but none of them are for oceanography.
This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #366.