Torpedo Run is a 1958 submarine war film directed by Joseph Pevney. The film stars Glenn Ford and Ernest Borgnine.
Director: Joseph Pevney
Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Cast: Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Diane Brewster, Dean Jones
US Box Office: $2,862,500 ($54,800,000 adjusted for inflation)
Film Format: Metrocolor (shot in CinemaScope)
Genre: War, Drama
Release Date: October 23, 1958 (premiere)
Plot Summary: During World War II, Commander Barney Doyle (Glenn Ford) and Lieutenant Commander Archie Sloan (Ernest Borgnine) are in charge of the American submarine Greyfish. Doyle and his ship are assigned to sink the Japanese aircraft carrier Shinaru, which played a major role in the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, Doyle is forced the sink a prisoner transport ship, carrying his captured wife Jane (Diane Brewster) and young daughter, and the Shinaru still ends up escaping. When the opportunity arises, Doyle decides to take revenge on the Shinaru.
Production: In late 1957 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer producer Edmund Grainger began working on a World War II submarine film for the studio that was given the working title Hell Below. The script for the film was written by William Wister Haines and Richard Sale, based on a story written by Sale. Joseph Pevney was chosen to direct the film, which was re-titled Torpedo Run.
Glenn Ford was cast in the lead role of submarine commander Barney Doyle. Ford frequently starred in westerns and film noir dramas, and he notably recently appeared in 3:10 to Yuma (1957). Later that year, producer Grainger worked with Ford again on the comedy western The Sheepman (1958). Ernest Borgnine was cast in the secondary lead role of Archie Sloan. Borgnine was known for his work in supporting roles and had recently won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in drama film Marty (1955).
Shooting on Torpedo Run began in April of 1958 and went until May. The film was shot almost entirely at MGM studios in Culver City, California. In exterior shots, the Greyfish and all of the Japanese ships featured in the film were portrayed by miniatures. The visual effects and miniatures in the film were designed by A. Arnold Gillespie.
Fun Facts and Trivia: Glenn Ford thought that the left side of his face looked best, and usually requested that his face be filmed from the left (several actresses from this time also had similar requests). Thus, for most of Torpedo Run Glenn Ford is filmed from the left and lit from the right. The Shinaru, the Japanese aircraft carrier in the film, is fictional but may have been based on the real-life aircraft carrier Shokaku. Much like the Shinaru, the Shokaku was one of the aircraft carriers used by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor and it was sunk by an American submarine, the USS Cavalla in 1944. In real-life, no American submarine ever entered Tokyo Bay during World War II. This is because Tokyo Bay only averages out to about 130 feet deep, which is much too shallow for a submarine to safely operate during combat. Torpedo Run was the film debut of Kimberly Beck, who was about two years old at the time. She played Dee Dee, Commander Doyle’s daughter.
Reception: Torpedo Run premiered at the Loew’s Capital theatre in Washington DC on October 23, 1958 at a special screening for Navy and government officials. The film had a general premiere in New York City the next day. Torpedo Run was a mild failure for MGM at the box office and lost money due to its high production cost.
On its initial release, Torpedo Run received mixed reviews from critics. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times gave the film a negative review. He thought that the film was generic and criticized it for using stale submarine movie tropes. He also disliked the submarine miniatures used in the film and described them as “preposterous.” Torpedo Run has continued to receive a mixed response in retrospect. David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews gave Torpedo Run a negative review. He thought that aspects of the film were compelling, but thought that it was underwhelming on the whole. However, Dennis Schwartz of Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews gave Torpedo Run a positive review. He thought that the film was “well-crafted” and praised the psychological aspects of its screenplay.
Oscars: Torpedo Run was nominated for one Academy Award: Best Special Effects (A. Arnold Gillespie for visual effects and Harold Humbrock for sound effects). Gillespie and Humbrock lost the Oscar to Tom Howard who was nominated for fantasy musical Tom Thumb.
Why You Should See It: Torpedo Run is a good submarine war film. Ford and Borgnine both give good performances as their characters. Joseph Pevney does a good job directing the film as well. Torpedo Run features plenty of thrilling war action and has a few genuinely suspenseful moments. Though they have received some criticism, the special effects in the film were top notch at the time. I personally think that the miniature work in the film looks good and mostly holds up well.