Seas Beneath (1931)

Passed   |    |  Action, Drama, War

Seas Beneath (1931) Poster

In the waning days of WWI, a U.S. "Mystery Ship," sets sail for the coast of Spain towing a submarine. Their mission is to find and sink a U-boat that has been especially effective in ... See full summary »

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  • Walter McGrail and George O'Brien in Seas Beneath (1931)
  • Marion Lessing and George O'Brien in Seas Beneath (1931)
  • George O'Brien in Seas Beneath (1931)
  • Marion Lessing in Seas Beneath (1931)
  • George O'Brien in Seas Beneath (1931)
  • Marion Lessing in Seas Beneath (1931)

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Cast & Crew

Top Billed Cast

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Dudley Nichols (screenplay), James Parker Jr. (story)
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Reviews & Commentary

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User Reviews
25 February 2008 | Michael_Elliott
Lesser Ford
Seas Beneath (1931)

** (out of 4)

A U.S. "mystery ship" is sent out to destroy a German U-boat, which has been causing damage to Allied ships. Like many other early sound films, this one here suffers from non-stop talking, which is damaged because the dialogue is just downright stupid and bad. I guess studios would read screenplays and order additional dialogue because this film has so many subplots that I can't help but think they were added to boost up the dialogue. There's a love story between George O'Brien and Marion Lessing, which is just downright stupid and bad. I'm going to guess the relationship between the boat Commander and a possible German spy was meant to add suspense but it never does. Ford really seems bored with these various dialogue scenes because there's never an ounce of energy in them. What really works is the final twenty-minutes when the mystery ship goes up against the U-boat. There's a long sequence where the ship must fall under attack because the sub isn't in their range for a counter attack. This scene here is full of wonderful excitement and some real suspense. The action scenes are all very realistic and Ford really puts the viewer in a mind frame where it feels like you're actually on the ship. Outside of these scenes I'd have to say Ford's direction is pretty weak because it really seems like he's making a silent movie with dialogue. The scenes are really strange to look at and they never really feel like a director use to the sound technology.

Critic Reviews

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The Navy placed at John Ford's disposal a flotilla of destroyers, cruisers and submarines, as well as the services of naval personnel.

Soundtracks

My Loves
Written by Troy Sanders
Sung by Mona Maris in the cafe

Storyline

Plot Summary

Genres

Action | Drama | War

Details

Release Date:

29 March 1931

Language

English, German, Spanish

Country of Origin

USA

Filming Locations

Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

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