Up Periscope

Amazon.com

Anyone with a fondness for the conventions of the submarine picture will be content with the modest pleasures of Up Periscope, a World War II melodrama starring James Garner in one of his early Maverick-era roles. Pulled away from a week-long romance, Garner tags along with the sub to a Japanese-held island, where he will SCUBA ashore and copy a secret radio code. On top of the reliable suspense of a man alone behind enemy lines, the film also offers captain Edmond O'Brien, whose previous mission has his crew suspecting him of cowardice. Will he cut and run before Garner returns to the submarine? Director Gordon Douglas made a batch of entertaining pictures over the years (a bunch of Sinatra titles, the giant-bug classic Them!, In Like Flint) and he coolly finds some effective ways to photograph men in the close quarters of a sub. The main draw is James Garner in his youthful prime; even if the movie doesn't exploit his comic talent, it shows how effortlessly he connects with an audience. The supporting cast consists of the kind of actors who inevitably seem to people a WWII ship's crew: solid character actors (Alan Hale Jr., who performed similar undersea duties in Destination Tokyo), oddballs and one-offs (Frank Gifford, Edd "Kooky" Byrnes), and future names (Warren Oates). --Robert Horton

Description

A navy lieutenant (James Garner "Maverick") during World War II is ordered aboard a submarine to get special photographs of a Japanese-controlled island.

DVD Features:
Featurette
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

OK.......2007-06-14

As an old diesel submarine officer collecting old diesel submarine movies, I enjoyed this one I had missed.

ALAN HALE WHO?.......2007-03-12

Robert Horton is mistaken. Alan Hale Jr. was not in Destination Tokyo, That was his father Alan Hale Senior.

Good Sunday Afternoon Movie.......2007-02-20

Great movie for a Sunday afternoon. James Garner's acting is what you would expect from an excellant actor. The Skipper (Alan Hale Jr.) was also a pleasure, even though he plays a fun loving Officer.

UP PERISCOPE.......2007-02-08

AN OLD FAVORITE WITH JAMES GARNER. IT IS AN ENJOYABLE CHARACTER DRIVEN MOVIE, THAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO OWN. MANY THANKS.

Up Periscope.......2007-01-04

This is a great movie. I had look forward to the DVD and I wasn't disappointed.

Average customer rating:

How America felt in 1942
Wake Island
Realistic study of brave men in War...
A priceless epic in film and WWII history in itself.
A War Time, Stir-'Em Up Movie, And Very Well Done

Wake Island
Starring: Brian Donlevy , Robert Preston , Macdonald Carey , Albert Dekker , and Barbara Britton
Director: John Farrow
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: B0001FVDIC
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Amazon.com

Wake Island, a sandbar rising 21 feet out of the South Pacific, was among the first U.S. outposts to be hit by the Japanese, virtually simultaneously with Pearl Harbor. Wake Island the movie was among Hollywood's earliest responses to America's being attacked and drawn into WWII. The Marine Corps defenders of Wake became instant war heroes, akin to the martyrs of the Alamo. Nothing could be done to rescue or even to reinforce and resupply them, and they fought on through air attacks and naval bombardment for two weeks until, finally overrun, they were wiped out.

That searing historical context had a lot to do with the movie's impact in 1942, and the sight of the dark forms of enemy planes coming over the horizon for the first time still carries a shock. Wake Island's a decent film, and it doesn't dishonor its subject with sham heroics and grandstanding. But the New York Film Critics voted John Farrow best director of 1942, and that's a reach. The first half hour sets up the allegory of America as melting pot (there's even a corporal named Goebbels), establishes horseplay as the coin of democratic discourse (especially for gyrenes Robert Preston and the Oscar-nominated William Bendix), and fosters familiar friction between new commander Brian Donlevy and civilian construction supervisor Albert Dekker. Then shortly after a beaming Japanese peace envoy has stopped by for dinner, things get rough. The scenes of warfare are more than adequate, but they'd soon be outdone, sometimes in films much less worthy than Wake Island. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

How America felt in 1942.......2007-08-20

This movie plays fast and loose with some historical facts, but for once it's understandable. Made only months after Wake Island fell the truth around the final fall of this far flung outpost was not generally known. What was known was incorporated into the film, that some 435 US Marines with 4 planes surviving the first air raid, held out in the face of massive Japanese assault for more than 2 weeks. As larger, better garrisoned areas fell in hours, this tiny atoll became known as the "Alamo of the Pacific" and inspired Americans in those dark days after World War Two.
This movie played on that patriotism. It waved the flag and told america 'we can hold out." The garrison of Wake is depicted as a pleasant mix of America,and Americans. Rough and ready for a beer or a brawl but basically good Joes who'd argue over a woman they met a year ago, but share the last swallow in their canteen.
The only flaw is that the Japanese are depicted as mindless, almost facelss monsters, but considering the time, this is understandable. In fact the 'Japanese' troops were played by Philipine argiculture workers who did not want to portray the Japanese in ap ositive light, their homeland had also been attacked by Japan. Look for the careful editing in the battle scenes. The entire invasion force had a tendency to drop dead at a single rifle shot.
One image that almost gets lost is when the Japanese storm the radio center. Refusing to move away from his radio the wireless operator is gunned down while broadcasting one last defiant report. What is shown on his note pad as he falls to the ground was the actual last message sent from Wake before it fell: "The enemy has landed but the issue is still in doubt." It wasn't in doubt at all but the defiante spirit of that message inspired real Americans, and that is how this film should be viewed. It is the story of a defeat, but a defeat which showed an indefategable spirit, and showed Americans what they could achieve.

Wake Island.......2007-05-07

Wake Island (1942) chronicles the "real account" of the battle for Wake Island that occurred between December 8, 1941 and the fall of the island in latter December of the same year. The portrayed "real account" is by no means 100% accurate but does represent the patriotic theme that was prevelent in the U.S. during that time and does (more or less) follow the actual historical account of the battle. It is an excellent, stirring movie and the quality of the master is the best in terms of video and audio quality. The actors -- Brian Donlevy, William Bendix, Preston Foster and MacDonald Carey are all very believable in their roles. Special effects are good for that time period -- especially the initial Japanese invasion of the island that was thwarted by the outgunned, outmanned Marine garrison. The ending of the movie is not accurate at all and one that veterans of the particular Pacific theatre of operations resented at the end of the war.

Realistic study of brave men in War..........2007-01-17

"Wake Island" is a battle for a small atoll in the Central Pacific Ocean west of Honolulu, which was attacked by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, hours after Pearl Harbor... The small U.S. marine garrison held out until the Japanese overran the island on December 23...

It is a story of sacrifice of the gallant and doomed defenders, movingly portrayed by William Bendix, Robert Preston, Brian Donlevy, MacDonald Carey and others... The battle scenes are chillingly photographed in Black and White, and the movie blows the clarion call for a new heroism... It is the 'Alamo of the Pacific,' the cry of 'Remember Wake Island," with the same stirring effects as 'Remember the Alamo,' one hundred years previously...

Well done within its limits, the film bears the unmistakable stamp of truth, and hails as a realistic portrayal of brave men in war...

A priceless epic in film and WWII history in itself........2006-10-19

It is often difficult for the average modern audience to endure such films.
These propaganda films, especially ones as succesful as "Wake Island" are crammed with predictability and politically incorrect stereotypes.
Since PC is BS, as far as I'm concerned the film makers did there best with what little resources and information they had. Painfully typical 1940's special effects, and the usual batch of Chinese actors cast as Japanese. "Manzanita Casting" was apparently missed by the production team.
You can read more about the films technical issues and interesting history on IMDB, but enjoy it for what it is with a grain of salt and in its historical context.
It made me want to be a Marine. It is doubtless thousands too joined upon its 1942 theatrical release.
A must for historians with great footage of rarely seen USMC F4F-3 Wildcats.
In the words of R. Lee Ermy- "Semper Fi!"

A War Time, Stir-'Em Up Movie, And Very Well Done .......2005-05-18

It doesn't matter the war. It doesn't matter the country. It doesn't matter the rightness of the cause. A good propaganda movie hits one theme hard: Take a group of people and let the audience get to know and sympathize with them, then show them dying bravely and willingly in defense of hometown values, preferably against an enemy who is cruel. Wake Island follows this formula so effectively and professionally that, despite how dated some of it is, it still (at least for me) can get the emotional juices flowing.

Wake Island itself is an atoll in the middle of the Pacific, scarcely more than an airstrip with sand. It has about three square miles of surface, about the size of The Mall times 11 in Washington D.C. and, at its highest point, is only 21 feet above sea level. At the time of Pearl Harbor it was defended by 385 Marines with 12 fighters, six 5" naval guns and 12 3" anti-aircraft guns. The Japanese were about to throw major naval, air and invasion forces against it. The question wasn't whether Wake would fall, but how many Japanese forces could be tied up trying to take it and how much time the Marines could buy defending it.

In the movie, the island's defenses are led by Marine Major Geoffrey Caton (Brian Donlevy). There are a number of civilian contractors on the island led by Shad McClosky (Albert Dekker). Caton is smart, realistic and tough. McClosky is tough, too, and is dedicated to his job. He wants no interference from the Marines and dislikes Caton. The Marines are represented primarily by William Bendix and Robert Preston as practical jokers, tough when it counts and always ready with their fists. The Japanese when they are seen nearly always wear thick glasses, wear smarmy smiles and have bad teeth.

The Japanese hit the island first with bombers and are held off. The naval forces move in close to bombard the island and are repelled with the loss of at least two destroyers. More bombers hit the island in raid after raid. The Marines hold out for two and a half weeks. Eventually the Japanese launch an amphibious assault. The surviving marines fight on to the last man. The last scene in the movie is Major Caton and McClosky, reconciled as friends, manning a machine gun together against charging Japanese soldiers until explosions fill the screen. Although the movie gives the strong impression that all the Marines were killed, in fact when it was apparent further defense was hopeless a surrender was arranged. That does nothing to diminish what the Marines accomplished, but propaganda films require sacrifice.

In my view, this is one of the better war films of the time, very effective in working up the emotions of the people back home. It still holds up well today. And I'll say a good word about Brian Donlevy. The guy wasn't much of an actor. He was stiff and stolid. One critic said Donlevy became as successful as he did because he came across as a tough guy, but a tough guy who could be on our side. In the right part, he could be very good. Just take look at The Great McGinty, The Glass Key, Destry Rides Again or Beau Geste. While Bill Bendix almost always played good guys, if you want to see a real psychopath in action watch him in the The Glass Key.

The DVD transfer looks very good.

Average customer rating:

Island at War ... a real classic series..
nOT THE ONE TO BUY ON SUBJECT!
How far would you go to avoid collaboration with the Nazis?
Wonderful war time movie (series)
a top rated island

Island at War
Starring: Owen Teale , Marshall Griffin , Rupert Young , Julia Ford , and Sean Ward (III)
Director: Peter Lydon , and Thaddeus O'Sullivan
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0006Q93F6
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Amazon.com

Island at War turns a little-known bit of history into an extraordinarily rich miniseries. During World War II, the Nazi forces occupied the Channel Islands, located between France and England. Island at War unfolds on the fictional island of St. Gregory, where a web of interconnected characters cope with the occupation--a politician struggles to maintain peaceful relations, for fear of brutal reprisals; an island policeman's anger at the occupation becomes complicated when he's forced to chauffeur the commanding Nazi officer and he discovers the position gives his family privilege; a shopkeeper, angry about her husband's death in an early bombing raid, finds herself sharing in profits with a Nazi official as they bring much-wanted food and supplies to the island; a girl hiding her Jewish identity becomes the object of a brutal lieutenant's sexual obsession. These four stories are only a hint of the series' fullness; the script, direction, and performances are superb, building an engrossing portrait of how human beings cope with extremity and how the smallest of interactions--from laying rocks on a wall to getting a photograph developed--can lead to profound and unexpected results. The economy and complexity of Stephen Mallatratt's script are remarkable. The forces of money, sex, prejudice, and love run deep through every story, juxtaposing private moments with historical scope. Island at War matches skill and talent with passion and insight. --Bret Fetzer

Description

In the only part of Britain occupied by the Nazis during WWII, the nightmare began in June 1940. Hitler's army invaded the defenseless Channel Islands and held its residents hostage for five years.

What would any of us do if we had to live side by side with the enemy? This Masterpiece Theatre drama draws on the real experiences of Channel Islanders as the hostile Nazi command imposed its will on every aspect of their daily lives. Set on the fictional island of St. Gregory, the story of the occupation is told through the eyes of three families. Heart-pounding suspense and unexpected romance unfold in an atmosphere suffused with the moral ambiguity of war. Starring James Wilby (Gosford Park), Clare Holman (Prime Suspect 6), Philip Glenister (Calendar Girls), and Saskia Reeves (Dune). Recommended for mature audiences.

Customer Reviews:

Island at War ... a real classic series.........2007-09-04

from what I understand the 4 Channel Islands were occupied during the war from 1940 until they were liberated by the British troops in 1945...Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark..
Jersey is the largest island...
It was the purpose of the occupiers to build a huge defensive system around the Islands.. prisoners slave workers from all over Europe were brought over to the Islands to do this work..[especially from Russia] these people were treated intolerably..
Towards the end of the war the Islanders were without food so the British Red Cross allowed food parcels to be delivered from a ship carrying 750 tons of food and medical supplies.
I had heard that the Jewish girl who went into hiding was eventually discovered and sent to a concentration camp where she died...
A total of three Jewish woman were all deported to France...they all died in Auschwitz..
there are some excellent books written about this time from the beginning of the occupation to the end of the war...
The Germans surrended the Islands in May 1945
June 1945..The first evacuees return to the Islands including the children..

nOT THE ONE TO BUY ON SUBJECT!.......2007-06-03

Check with library. The other series is more authentic. This has one particular stupid part. Where yongster works as a spy WITHOUT *PAPERS*. hE'D BEEN ARRESTED BY THE FIRST ONE WHO QUESTIONED HIM..HE HAD NONE!

73 RS OLD. 19 YRS RESEARCHING A BK i AM TO WRITE ABOUT MY GENERATION LIVING THROUGH THE bLITZ.

How far would you go to avoid collaboration with the Nazis?.......2007-03-13

After the disaster of Dunkirk, the British troops abandoned the Channel Islands...in essence, inviting the Nazis to invade. This the Germans did, and the villagers were caught in the untenable situation of living uneasily with the enemy. This is one of the most interesting miniseries about the War because the characters are rich, complex, and persuasively real. There are few clear cut heroes OR few clear cut villains...almost everyone is tainted in one degree or the other. The Jew in hiding allows a vicious Nazi to have sex with her to avoid being deported to the death camps...the storeowner who initially refused to sell to the Germans becomes a collaborator when she realizes how much money she can make...a girl blossoming into womanhood falls in love with a decent German aviator who just happens to be bombing her country...the honest policeman is forced to drive the Commandant's vehicle as a chauffeur. Absolutely thrilling performances...a great buy.

Wonderful war time movie (series).......2007-01-18

I was rivited by this wonderful movie. A little too much agenda driven for me to try to portray many of the Germans as 'humane' and not 'really for the war' is more than a little bit unbelievable and quite the revisionist history to say the least. They didn't show the 'collaborator british women' having their heads shaved after the war which would have been more realistic. No in this movie you totally related to the 'fraternizing'. But all in all I thought this was a wonderful movie and very believable characters.

a top rated island.......2007-01-11

This is an excellent series..well acted..well produced. It vividly portrays what the Channel Islanders faced during the German occupation in the 2nd World War. I visited the Islands recently, and while watching the series, I felt I was actually in Guernsey or Jersey.

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