The Deep Six
| The Deep Six | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Rudolph Maté |
| Produced by | Martin Rackin Alan Ladd |
| Written by |
Harry Brown Martin Rackin John Twist |
| Based on |
The Deep Six 1953 novel by Martin Dibner |
| Starring |
Alan Ladd Dianne Foster William Bendix |
| Music by | David Buttolph |
| Cinematography | John F. Seitz |
| Edited by | Roland Gross |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
|
Release date
|
January 15, 1958 |
|
Running time
|
108 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Deep Six is a 1958 Warner Bros. World War II drama film directed by Rudolph Maté, loosely based on a novel of the same name by Martin Dibner. The story depicts the conflicts of a naval officer in combat with his shipmates and conscience over values instilled in him by his Quaker upbringing. The film stars Alan Ladd, who co-produced it, William Bendix, Dianne Foster, Keenan Wynn, James Whitmore, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr.. It also marked the film debut of Joey Bishop.
In September 1942, during World War II, Susan Cahill (Dianne Foster), art director for an ad agency on Madison Avenue run by her fiance, is jealous of his business flirtation with a client's daughter to secure a deal. She accepts an invitation to dinner on Long Island from agency artist Alexander "Alec" Austen (Alan Ladd). Susan is disturbed by Alec's obvious feelings for her, but accepts a lunch date the next day anyway. After she leaves, Alec receives a telegram to report for active duty in the U.S. Navy but decides not to tell Susan as their relationship grows. Just before reporting for duty, Alec takes Susan home to meet his mother, a Quaker, revealing to them his hope to marry Susan—and his call up. His mother is hurt that Alec did not disclose his military obligation and saddened that he has disregarded the pacifist tenets of his upbringing. Susan admits she loves Alec, but will not break her engagement.
Alec reports aboard his ship, the destroyer USS Poe, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, with no one to see him off as it departs for San Francisco. The ship's captain, Cmdr. Meredith (James Whitmore), quickly takes a shine to Alec and he is befriended by his roommate and the ship's doctor, Lt. Blanchard (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.), who soon realizes Alec is "carrying a torch" for Susan. However, the ship's executive officer, Lt. Comdr. Edge (Keenan Wynn), has an immediate dislike of Alec's Quaker background and objects to his assignment as assistant gunnery officer. Alec introduces himself to the sailors in the gunnery division, catching them gambling but overlooking the offense. Chief Petty Officer "Frenchy" Shapiro (William Bendix) congratulates Alec for the way he handled the situation but receives a gentle warning that they best not repeat it. The two become close friends despite their differences in rank when Frenchy reveals that he became estranged from his wife because of his Navy duty. Underway, the ship picks up three survivors from a sunken German submarine, but when Blanchard and Alec attempt to treat them humanely, Edge angrily intervenes. He accuses Alec of being less than a man because he cannot hate, but Alec assures him that he can.
...
Wikipedia