The Bedford Incident: Difference between revisions
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| editing = [[John Jympson]] |
| editing = [[John Jympson]] |
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| music = [[Gerard Schurmann]] |
| music = [[Gerard Schurmann]] |
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| color_process = [[ |
| color_process = [[Black and white]] |
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| studio = Bedford Productions Ltd. |
| studio = Bedford Productions Ltd. |
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| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]] |
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]] |
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'''''The Bedford Incident''''' is a 1965 British-American [[Cold War]] film directed by [[James B. Harris]], starring [[Richard Widmark]] and [[Sidney Poitier]], and produced by Harris and Widmark. The cast also features [[Eric Portman]], [[James MacArthur]], [[Martin Balsam]], and [[Wally Cox]], as well as early appearances by [[Donald Sutherland]] and [[Ed Bishop]]. [[James Poe]] adapted Mark Rascovich's 1963 novel of the same name, which borrowed from the plot of [[Herman Melville]]'s ''[[Moby-Dick]]''; at one point in the film, the captain is advised he is "not chasing whales now".<ref name=nytimes>Two online sources of the ''New York Times'' review: |
'''''The Bedford Incident''''' is a 1965 British-American [[Cold War]] film directed by [[James B. Harris]], starring [[Richard Widmark]] and [[Sidney Poitier]], and produced by Harris and Widmark. The cast also features [[Eric Portman]], [[James MacArthur]], [[Martin Balsam]], and [[Wally Cox]], as well as early appearances by [[Donald Sutherland]] and [[Ed Bishop]]. [[James Poe]] adapted Mark Rascovich's 1963 novel of the same name, which borrowed from the plot of [[Herman Melville]]'s ''[[Moby-Dick]]''; at one point in the film, the captain is advised he is "not chasing whales now".<ref name=nytimes>Two online sources of the ''New York Times'' review: |
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* {{cite web|last=Crowther|first=Bosley|title=Movie Review - The Bedford Incident - Screen: Fictional Navy:' Bedford Incident' Grim Movie on Cold War|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B01E5DC1730E33ABC4B53DFB767838E679EDE|date=3 November 1965|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313195805/https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B01E5DC1730E33ABC4B53DFB767838E679EDE|archive-date=2014-03-13|via=[[Archive.org]]}} |
* {{cite web|last=Crowther|first=Bosley|title=Movie Review - The Bedford Incident - Screen: Fictional Navy:' Bedford Incident' Grim Movie on Cold War|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B01E5DC1730E33ABC4B53DFB767838E679EDE|date=3 November 1965|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313195805/https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B01E5DC1730E33ABC4B53DFB767838E679EDE|archive-date=2014-03-13|via=[[Archive.org]]}} |
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* {{Cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1965/11/03/archives/screen-fictional-navy-bedford-incident-grim-movie-on-cold-war.html | title = Screen: Fictional Navy:' Bedford Incident' Grim Movie on Cold War | first1 = Bosley | last1 = Crowther | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] | date = 3 November 1965 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name=popmatters>{{cite web|last=Fuller|first=Karla Rae|title=The Bedford Incident (1965)|date=7 October 2003|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/bedford-incident/|publisher=popmatters.com|access-date=26 February 2014}}</ref><ref name=radiotimes>{{cite web|last=Freedman|first=Peter|title=The Bedford Incident|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/film/ndk7p/the-bedford-incident|publisher=radiotimes.com|access-date=26 February 2014}}</ref><ref name=timeout>{{cite web|title=The Bedford Incident|url=http://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-bedford-incident|publisher=timeout.com|access-date=26 February 2014}}</ref><ref name=thespinningimage>{{cite web|last=Clark|first=Graeme|title=Bedford Incident, The Review (1965)|url=http://www.thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=7205|publisher=thespinningimage.co.uk|access-date=26 February 2014}}</ref> |
* {{Cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1965/11/03/archives/screen-fictional-navy-bedford-incident-grim-movie-on-cold-war.html | title = Screen: Fictional Navy:' Bedford Incident' Grim Movie on Cold War | first1 = Bosley | last1 = Crowther | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] | date = 3 November 1965 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name=popmatters>{{cite web|last=Fuller|first=Karla Rae|title=The Bedford Incident (1965)|date=7 October 2003|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/bedford-incident/|publisher=popmatters.com|access-date=26 February 2014}}</ref><ref name=radiotimes>{{cite web|last=Freedman|first=Peter|title=The Bedford Incident|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/film/ndk7p/the-bedford-incident|publisher=radiotimes.com|access-date=26 February 2014|archive-date=7 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107184648/http://www.radiotimes.com/film/ndk7p/the-bedford-incident|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=timeout>{{cite web|title=The Bedford Incident|url=http://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-bedford-incident|publisher=timeout.com|access-date=26 February 2014|archive-date=2 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302212123/http://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-bedford-incident|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=thespinningimage>{{cite web|last=Clark|first=Graeme|title=Bedford Incident, The Review (1965)|url=http://www.thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=7205|publisher=thespinningimage.co.uk|access-date=26 February 2014}}</ref> |
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At the time ''The Bedford Incident'' was produced, Harris was best known as the producer of three of [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s films. The two parted ways when Kubrick decided to make [[Dr. Strangelove]] as a [[Satire|satirical]] [[black comedy]], rather than a dramatic [[Thriller film|thriller]], but Harris remained focused on developing a serious nuclear |
At the time ''The Bedford Incident'' was produced, Harris was best known as the producer of three of [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s films. The two parted ways when Kubrick decided to make ''[[Dr. Strangelove]]'' as a [[Satire|satirical]] [[black comedy]], rather than a dramatic [[Thriller film|thriller]], but Harris remained focused on developing a serious nuclear confrontation film, and ''The Bedford Incident'' was released less than two years after ''Dr. Strangelove''.<ref name="in_the_trenches_spring2013_dga_org">Feeney, F. X. (interviewing [[James B. Harris|Harris, James B.]] ): [https://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1302-Spring-2013/James-Harris-on-Stanley-Kubrick.aspx "In the Trenches with Stanley Kubrick,"] Spring 2013, ''[[DGA Quarterly]],'' [[Directors Guild of America]], retrieved 8 December 2020</ref><ref name="profile_of_harris_mubi_com">Prime, Samuel B. (interviewing [[James B. Harris|Harris, James B.]] ): [https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/the-other-side-of-the-booth-a-profile-of-james-b-harris-in-present-day-los-angeles "The Other Side of the Booth: A Profile of James B. Harris in Present Day Los Angeles,"] 13 November 2017, ''[[MUBI.com]],''retrieved 8 December 2020</ref><ref name="bedford_incident_review_radiotimes_com">Freedman, Peter: review: ''[https://www.radiotimes.com/film/ndk7p/the-bedford-incident/ The Bedford Incident] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227043146/https://www.radiotimes.com/film/ndk7p/the-bedford-incident/ |date=27 December 2020 }},'' retrieved 8 December 2020</ref> |
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⚫ | <!--"Harris had recently split from a nine-year partnership with Kubrick." off-point for the lede--><!-- No, not "off point", but rather glaring coincidence: Kubrick's immediately previous (1964) famed film, ''[[Dr. Strangelove]]'', was the most famous film on the issue of potential nuclear war (the subject of ''The Bedford Incident,'' as well), and the two long-time collaborators split over whether the topic should be filmed as a serious thriller or comic farce ~[[User:Penlite]] --> |
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Freedman, Peter: review: ''[https://www.radiotimes.com/film/ndk7p/the-bedford-incident/ The Bedford Incident],'' retrieved 8 December 2020</ref> |
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⚫ | <!--"Harris had recently split from a nine-year partnership with Kubrick." off-point for the lede--><!-- No, not "off point", but rather glaring coincidence: |
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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The [[United States Navy]] [[destroyer]] USS ''Bedford'', under the strict command of Captain Eric Finlander, is sailing in the [[ |
The [[United States Navy]] [[destroyer]] USS ''Bedford'', under the strict command of Captain Eric Finlander, is sailing in the [[Denmark Strait]]. Aboard are Ben Munceford, a civilian [[Photojournalism|photojournalist]]; Commodore Wolfgang Schrepke, a [[German Navy|Bundesmarine]] [[NATO]] naval advisor; Ensign Ralston, an inexperienced young officer who is constantly criticized by Finlander for small errors; and Lieutenant Commander Chester Potter, the ship's new doctor. |
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When the ''Bedford'' detects a [[Soviet Navy]] submarine just off the coast of [[Greenland]],{{efn|Specifically, in Greenland territorial waters at the entrance to the J.C. Jacobsen Fjord, which is due northwest from Iceland.}} Finlander mercilessly stalks his prey into [[international waters]] and plays a waiting game after losing [[sonar]] contact in a field of icebergs, knowing the diesel-powered sub will have to surface within 24 hours to replenish its air and recharge its batteries. The crew never complains, but Potter is concerned that maintaining this level of vigilance is dangerous and suggests modifications, all of which Finlander dismisses out of hand. |
When the ''Bedford'' detects a [[Soviet Navy|Soviet]] submarine just off the coast of [[Greenland]],{{efn|Specifically, in Greenland territorial waters at the entrance to the J.C. Jacobsen Fjord, which is due northwest from Iceland.}} Finlander mercilessly stalks his prey into [[international waters]] and plays a waiting game after losing [[sonar]] contact in a field of icebergs, knowing the diesel-powered sub will have to surface within 24 hours to replenish its air and recharge its batteries. The crew never complains, but Potter is concerned that maintaining this level of vigilance is dangerous and suggests modifications, all of which Finlander dismisses out of hand. |
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Munceford is aboard to photograph life on a Navy destroyer, but his real interest is Finlander, who was one of |
Munceford is aboard to photograph life on a Navy destroyer, but his real interest is Finlander, who was one of only a few military officials to publicly state that the United States should have used greater force during the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]]. When Munceford asks Finlander if this is why, though he gets results, he was recently passed over for promotion to admiral, Finlander becomes hostile and accuses Munceford of misinterpreting the facts. He says he would go "all the way" to save his country, but, after calming down, insists his current action is just a deterrent. |
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The submarine is spotted by the ''Bedford''{{'}}s [[radar]] when it finally pokes its snorkel above the surface. It was not seen first by the sonarman because he is having exhaustion-induced delusions. Schrepke reminds Finlander that his orders are just to escort the sub out of Greenland's waters, but Finlander sends a message ordering the sub to fully surface and identify itself. When the order is ignored, Finlander runs over the snorkel. Munceford and Schrepke protest that Finlander is forcing the sub to fight, and Finlander orders Ralston to arm an [[RUR-5 ASROC|anti-submarine rocket]]. He reassures Munceford and Schrepke that he will not fire first, but when he says that "if he fires one, I'll fire one", the fatigued Ralston just hears "fire one" and launches the rocket. |
The Soviet submarine is spotted by the ''Bedford''{{'}}s [[radar]] when it finally pokes its [[Submarine snorkel|snorkel]] above the surface. It was not seen first by the sonarman because he is having exhaustion-induced delusions. Schrepke reminds Finlander that his orders are just to escort the sub out of Greenland's waters, but Finlander sends a message ordering the sub to fully surface and identify itself. When the order is ignored, Finlander runs over the snorkel. Munceford and Schrepke protest that Finlander is forcing the sub to fight, and Finlander orders Ralston to arm an [[RUR-5 ASROC|anti-submarine rocket]]. He reassures Munceford and Schrepke that he will not fire first, but when he says that "if he fires one, I'll fire one", the fatigued Ralston just hears "fire one" and launches the rocket. |
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Before it is destroyed, the submarine launches four [[Nuclear torpedo#Soviet Union|nuclear torpedoes]]. Although Finlander orders evasive maneuvers and countermeasures, the torpedoes continue to home-in on the ''Bedford''. Finlander silently leaves the bridge, followed by Munceford, who frantically pleads for him to do something. The captain looks away sheepishly, and the ''Bedford'' and her crew are vaporized in an atomic blast, resulting in a [[mushroom cloud]]. |
Before it is destroyed, the Soviet submarine launches four [[Nuclear torpedo#Soviet Union|nuclear torpedoes]]. Although Finlander orders evasive maneuvers and countermeasures, the torpedoes continue to home-in on the ''Bedford''. Finlander silently leaves the bridge, followed by Munceford, who frantically pleads for him to do something. The captain looks away sheepishly, and the ''Bedford'' and her crew are vaporized in an atomic blast, resulting in a [[mushroom cloud]]. |
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==Cast== |
==Cast== |
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* [[Martin Balsam]] as Lieutenant Commander Chester Potter, M.D. |
* [[Martin Balsam]] as Lieutenant Commander Chester Potter, M.D. |
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* [[Wally Cox]] as Seaman Merlin Queffle |
* [[Wally Cox]] as Seaman Merlin Queffle |
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* [[Eric Portman]] as [[Kommodore|Commodore]] Wolfgang Schrepke, [[German Navy| |
* [[Eric Portman]] as [[Kommodore|Commodore]] Wolfgang Schrepke, [[German Navy|Bundesmarine]] |
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* Michael Kane as Commander Allison, Executive Officer (Bridge) |
* [[Michael Kane (actor)|Michael Kane]] as Commander Allison, Executive Officer (Bridge) |
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* Gary Cockrell as Lieutenant Bascombe ([[Combat information center|C.I.C.]]) |
* Gary Cockrell as Lieutenant Bascombe ([[Combat information center|C.I.C.]]) |
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* [[Phil Brown (actor)|Phil Brown]] as Chief Hospitalman McKinley (Sick Bay) |
* [[Phil Brown (actor)|Phil Brown]] as Chief Hospitalman McKinley (Sick Bay) |
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* Brian Davies as Lieutenant Beckman (Communications |
* Brian Davies as Lieutenant Beckman (Communications) |
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* Paul Carson as Seaman 1st Class Williams (Communications), who translates Finlander's message to Big Red into Russian |
* Paul Carson as Seaman 1st Class Williams (Communications), who translates Finlander's message to Big Red into Russian |
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* [[Ed Bishop|Edward Bishop]] as Lieutenant Hacker (Communications) |
* [[Ed Bishop|Edward Bishop]] as Lieutenant Hacker (Communications) |
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===Filming=== |
===Filming=== |
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[[File:USS Farragut (DDG-37) at Toulon 1979.JPEG|thumb|200px|A ''Farragut'' class destroyer, the model for USS ''Bedford''.]] |
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Although some shots in the film were recorded at sea, ''The Bedford Incident'' was mostly filmed at [[Shepperton Studios]] in the United Kingdom. The "USS ''Bedford''" is a fictitious [[guided missile destroyer]], and the role of ''Bedford'' was mostly played by a large model of a [[Farragut class destroyer (1958)|''Farragut''-class destroyer]]. Interior scenes were filmed in the British [[Type 15 frigate]] {{HMS|Troubridge|R00|6}}; the ''Troubridge'''s novel, forward-sloping bridge windows can be seen in some shots, as can British military equipment, such as a rack of [[Lee-Enfield]] rifles. Poitier and Balsam's initial flypast and landing from a [[Sikorsky H-19|Whirlwind]] helicopter were filmed aboard another Type 15 frigate, {{HMS|Wakeful|1943|6}}, whose pennant number of "F159" is clearly visible in the scene. The vessel portraying a Soviet intelligence ship has the name "''Novo Sibursk''", written on the hull at the bow in the [[Latin alphabet]] (rather than the [[Russian language]]'s [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic alphabet]]), though "[[Novosibirsk]]" would have been a more accurate rendering. |
Although some shots in the film were recorded at sea, ''The Bedford Incident'' was mostly filmed at [[Shepperton Studios]] in the United Kingdom. The "USS ''Bedford''" is a fictitious [[guided missile destroyer]], and the role of ''Bedford'' was mostly played by a large model of a [[Farragut class destroyer (1958)|''Farragut''-class destroyer]]. Interior scenes were filmed in the British [[Type 15 frigate]] {{HMS|Troubridge|R00|6}}; the ''Troubridge'''s novel, forward-sloping bridge windows can be seen in some shots, as can British military equipment, such as a rack of [[Lee-Enfield]] rifles. Poitier and Balsam's initial flypast and landing from a [[Sikorsky H-19|Whirlwind]] helicopter were filmed aboard another Type 15 frigate, {{HMS|Wakeful|1943|6}}, whose pennant number of "F159" is clearly visible in the scene. The vessel portraying a Soviet intelligence ship has the name "''Novo Sibursk''", written on the hull at the bow in the [[Latin alphabet]] (rather than the [[Russian language]]'s [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic alphabet]]), though "[[Novosibirsk]]" would have been a more accurate rendering. |
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==Actual Cold War incident== |
==Actual Cold War incident== |
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{{more refs|section|date=May 2023}} |
{{more refs|section|date=May 2023}} |
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In October 1962, at the height of the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]], the [[Soviet submarine B-59|Soviet submarine ''B-59'']] was pursued in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] by the [[U.S. Navy]]. When the Soviet vessel failed to surface, destroyers began dropping |
In October 1962, at the height of the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]], the [[Soviet submarine B-59|Soviet submarine ''B-59'']] was pursued in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] by the [[U.S. Navy]]. When the Soviet vessel failed to surface, destroyers began dropping [[Depth charge#Signaling|training depth charge]]s. Unlike in ''The Bedford Incident'', the Americans were not aware that the ''B-59'' was armed with a [[Nuclear torpedo#T-5|T-5 nuclear torpedo]]. As the ''B-59'' had been out of contact with Moscow for several days and was running too deep to monitor civilian radio broadcasts, the Soviet captain thought [[World War III]] might have started and wanted to launch the weapon, but he was overruled by his flotilla commander, [[Vasily Arkhipov (vice admiral)|Vasili Arkhipov]], who was using the sub as his command vessel. After an argument, it was agreed that the submarine would surface and await orders from [[Moscow]]. It was not until after the [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union|fall of the Soviet Union]] that the existence of the T-5 torpedo and how close the world came to nuclear conflict became known.<ref name="isbn0-8050-7688-3">{{Cite book|author=Noam Chomsky|author-link=Noam Chomsky|title=Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance |publisher=Henry Holt |location=New York |year=2004 |isbn=0-8050-7688-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xx3ptbzQ8L4C&pg=PA74 |page=74}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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* ''[[On the Beach (1959 film)|On the Beach]]'' – a 1959 film about the last American submarine following a global nuclear war. |
* ''[[On the Beach (1959 film)|On the Beach]]'' – a 1959 film about the last American submarine following a global nuclear war. |
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* ''[[Fail Safe (1964 film)|Fail Safe]]'' – a 1964 film concerning the accidental launch of a [[Pre-emptive nuclear strike|nuclear first strike]] by the [[USAF]] |
* ''[[Fail Safe (1964 film)|Fail Safe]]'' – a 1964 film concerning the accidental launch of a [[Pre-emptive nuclear strike|nuclear first strike]] by the [[USAF]] |
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* ''[[Dr Strangelove]]'' |
* ''[[Dr Strangelove]]'' – a 1964 black comedy film satire about nuclear war. |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedford Incident, The}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedford Incident, The}} |
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[[Category:1960s English-language films]] |
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[[Category:1960s thriller films]] |
[[Category:1960s thriller films]] |
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[[Category:1965 directorial debut films]] |
[[Category:1965 directorial debut films]] |
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[[Category:Cold War submarine films]] |
[[Category:Cold War submarine films]] |
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[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]] |
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]] |
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[[Category:Films about nuclear war and weapons]] |
[[Category:Films about nuclear war and weapons]] |
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[[Category:Films about the United States Navy]] |
[[Category:Films about the United States Navy in the Cold War]] |
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[[Category:Films about World War III]] |
[[Category:Films about World War III]] |
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[[Category:Films based on American novels]] |
[[Category:Films based on American novels]] |
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[[Category:Films directed by James B. Harris]] |
[[Category:Films directed by James B. Harris]] |
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[[Category:Films with screenplays by James Poe]] |
[[Category:Films with screenplays by James Poe]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:English-language thriller films]] |
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⚫ |
Latest revision as of 22:29, 21 August 2024
The Bedford Incident | |
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Directed by | James B. Harris |
Screenplay by | James Poe |
Based on | The Bedford Incident by Mark Rascovich |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Gilbert Taylor |
Edited by | John Jympson |
Music by | Gerard Schurmann |
Color process | Black and white |
Production company | Bedford Productions Ltd. |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
Countries |
|
Language | English |
The Bedford Incident is a 1965 British-American Cold War film directed by James B. Harris, starring Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier, and produced by Harris and Widmark. The cast also features Eric Portman, James MacArthur, Martin Balsam, and Wally Cox, as well as early appearances by Donald Sutherland and Ed Bishop. James Poe adapted Mark Rascovich's 1963 novel of the same name, which borrowed from the plot of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick; at one point in the film, the captain is advised he is "not chasing whales now".[1][2][3][4][5]
At the time The Bedford Incident was produced, Harris was best known as the producer of three of Stanley Kubrick's films. The two parted ways when Kubrick decided to make Dr. Strangelove as a satirical black comedy, rather than a dramatic thriller, but Harris remained focused on developing a serious nuclear confrontation film, and The Bedford Incident was released less than two years after Dr. Strangelove.[6][7][8]
Plot
[edit]The United States Navy destroyer USS Bedford, under the strict command of Captain Eric Finlander, is sailing in the Denmark Strait. Aboard are Ben Munceford, a civilian photojournalist; Commodore Wolfgang Schrepke, a Bundesmarine NATO naval advisor; Ensign Ralston, an inexperienced young officer who is constantly criticized by Finlander for small errors; and Lieutenant Commander Chester Potter, the ship's new doctor.
When the Bedford detects a Soviet submarine just off the coast of Greenland,[a] Finlander mercilessly stalks his prey into international waters and plays a waiting game after losing sonar contact in a field of icebergs, knowing the diesel-powered sub will have to surface within 24 hours to replenish its air and recharge its batteries. The crew never complains, but Potter is concerned that maintaining this level of vigilance is dangerous and suggests modifications, all of which Finlander dismisses out of hand.
Munceford is aboard to photograph life on a Navy destroyer, but his real interest is Finlander, who was one of only a few military officials to publicly state that the United States should have used greater force during the Cuban Missile Crisis. When Munceford asks Finlander if this is why, though he gets results, he was recently passed over for promotion to admiral, Finlander becomes hostile and accuses Munceford of misinterpreting the facts. He says he would go "all the way" to save his country, but, after calming down, insists his current action is just a deterrent.
The Soviet submarine is spotted by the Bedford's radar when it finally pokes its snorkel above the surface. It was not seen first by the sonarman because he is having exhaustion-induced delusions. Schrepke reminds Finlander that his orders are just to escort the sub out of Greenland's waters, but Finlander sends a message ordering the sub to fully surface and identify itself. When the order is ignored, Finlander runs over the snorkel. Munceford and Schrepke protest that Finlander is forcing the sub to fight, and Finlander orders Ralston to arm an anti-submarine rocket. He reassures Munceford and Schrepke that he will not fire first, but when he says that "if he fires one, I'll fire one", the fatigued Ralston just hears "fire one" and launches the rocket.
Before it is destroyed, the Soviet submarine launches four nuclear torpedoes. Although Finlander orders evasive maneuvers and countermeasures, the torpedoes continue to home-in on the Bedford. Finlander silently leaves the bridge, followed by Munceford, who frantically pleads for him to do something. The captain looks away sheepishly, and the Bedford and her crew are vaporized in an atomic blast, resulting in a mushroom cloud.
Cast
[edit]- Richard Widmark as Captain Eric Finlander
- Sidney Poitier as Ben Munceford
- James MacArthur as Ensign Ralston
- Martin Balsam as Lieutenant Commander Chester Potter, M.D.
- Wally Cox as Seaman Merlin Queffle
- Eric Portman as Commodore Wolfgang Schrepke, Bundesmarine
- Michael Kane as Commander Allison, Executive Officer (Bridge)
- Gary Cockrell as Lieutenant Bascombe (C.I.C.)
- Phil Brown as Chief Hospitalman McKinley (Sick Bay)
- Brian Davies as Lieutenant Beckman (Communications)
- Paul Carson as Seaman 1st Class Williams (Communications), who translates Finlander's message to Big Red into Russian
- Edward Bishop as Lieutenant Hacker (Communications)
- Colin Maitland as Seaman Jones (Bridge), who shows Potter to sickbay
- Roy Stephens as Seaman 2nd Class (C.I.C.), who takes over from Queffle at the sonar
- George Roubicek as Lieutenant Berger (C.I.C.)
- Donald Sutherland as Hospitalman Nerney (Sick Bay)
Production
[edit]Writing
[edit]The story reflects several real Cold War incidents between the NATO and Warsaw Pact navies, including one in 1957 when the USS Gudgeon, a submarine, was caught in Soviet waters and chased out to sea by Soviet warships. Although none of these real-life incidents ended as catastrophically as the Bedford incident, the story illustrated many of the fears of the time.
The screenplay by James Poe follows the novel fairly closely, but Poe wrote a different ending. In the novel, the Soviet submarine does not fire back at the Bedford before being destroyed. The shocked Finlander receives word of his promotion to admiral. Commodore Schrepke, realising the incident will spark World War III, sabotages one of the remaining ASROCs and destroys the ship. Munceford, the sole survivor, is found by Novosibirsk, the submarine's mothership.
Filming
[edit]Although some shots in the film were recorded at sea, The Bedford Incident was mostly filmed at Shepperton Studios in the United Kingdom. The "USS Bedford" is a fictitious guided missile destroyer, and the role of Bedford was mostly played by a large model of a Farragut-class destroyer. Interior scenes were filmed in the British Type 15 frigate HMS Troubridge; the Troubridge's novel, forward-sloping bridge windows can be seen in some shots, as can British military equipment, such as a rack of Lee-Enfield rifles. Poitier and Balsam's initial flypast and landing from a Whirlwind helicopter were filmed aboard another Type 15 frigate, HMS Wakeful, whose pennant number of "F159" is clearly visible in the scene. The vessel portraying a Soviet intelligence ship has the name "Novo Sibursk", written on the hull at the bow in the Latin alphabet (rather than the Russian language's Cyrillic alphabet), though "Novosibirsk" would have been a more accurate rendering.
Reception
[edit]Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that "the whole thing transcends plausibility [...] because of its gross exaggeration of a highly improbable episode. [...] the blame for this climactic blooper must be lodged against James Poe, who wrote the script from a novel by Mark Rascovich."[9]
Actual Cold War incident
[edit]This section needs additional citations for verification. (May 2023) |
In October 1962, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet submarine B-59 was pursued in the Atlantic Ocean by the U.S. Navy. When the Soviet vessel failed to surface, destroyers began dropping training depth charges. Unlike in The Bedford Incident, the Americans were not aware that the B-59 was armed with a T-5 nuclear torpedo. As the B-59 had been out of contact with Moscow for several days and was running too deep to monitor civilian radio broadcasts, the Soviet captain thought World War III might have started and wanted to launch the weapon, but he was overruled by his flotilla commander, Vasili Arkhipov, who was using the sub as his command vessel. After an argument, it was agreed that the submarine would surface and await orders from Moscow. It was not until after the fall of the Soviet Union that the existence of the T-5 torpedo and how close the world came to nuclear conflict became known.[10]
See also
[edit]- On the Beach – a 1959 film about the last American submarine following a global nuclear war.
- Fail Safe – a 1964 film concerning the accidental launch of a nuclear first strike by the USAF
- Dr Strangelove – a 1964 black comedy film satire about nuclear war.
Notes
[edit]- ^ Specifically, in Greenland territorial waters at the entrance to the J.C. Jacobsen Fjord, which is due northwest from Iceland.
References
[edit]- ^ Two online sources of the New York Times review:
- Crowther, Bosley (3 November 1965). "Movie Review - The Bedford Incident - Screen: Fictional Navy:' Bedford Incident' Grim Movie on Cold War". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014 – via Archive.org.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - Crowther, Bosley (3 November 1965). "Screen: Fictional Navy:' Bedford Incident' Grim Movie on Cold War". The New York Times.
- Crowther, Bosley (3 November 1965). "Movie Review - The Bedford Incident - Screen: Fictional Navy:' Bedford Incident' Grim Movie on Cold War". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014 – via Archive.org.
- ^ Fuller, Karla Rae (7 October 2003). "The Bedford Incident (1965)". popmatters.com. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
- ^ Freedman, Peter. "The Bedford Incident". radiotimes.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
- ^ "The Bedford Incident". timeout.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
- ^ Clark, Graeme. "Bedford Incident, The Review (1965)". thespinningimage.co.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
- ^ Feeney, F. X. (interviewing Harris, James B. ): "In the Trenches with Stanley Kubrick," Spring 2013, DGA Quarterly, Directors Guild of America, retrieved 8 December 2020
- ^ Prime, Samuel B. (interviewing Harris, James B. ): "The Other Side of the Booth: A Profile of James B. Harris in Present Day Los Angeles," 13 November 2017, MUBI.com,retrieved 8 December 2020
- ^ Freedman, Peter: review: The Bedford Incident Archived 27 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 8 December 2020
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (3 November 1965). "Screen: Fictional Navy:' Bedford Incident' Grim Movie on Cold War". The New York Times.
- ^ Noam Chomsky (2004). Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance. New York: Henry Holt. p. 74. ISBN 0-8050-7688-3.
Bibliography
[edit]- Whitfield, Stephen (1996). The Culture of the Cold War. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-5195-7.
- Maloney, Sean M (2020). Deconstructing Dr. Strangelove: The Secret History of Nuclear War Films. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-1-64012-351-9.
- Strada, Michael; Troper, Harold (1997). Friend Or Foe?: Russians in American Film and Foreign Policy, 1933-1991. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-3245-3.
External links
[edit]- 1965 films
- 1960s American films
- 1960s British films
- 1960s English-language films
- 1960s thriller films
- 1965 directorial debut films
- American black-and-white films
- American thriller films
- British black-and-white films
- British thriller films
- Cold War submarine films
- Columbia Pictures films
- Films about nuclear war and weapons
- Films about the United States Navy in the Cold War
- Films about World War III
- Films based on American novels
- Films based on military novels
- Films based on Moby-Dick
- Films directed by James B. Harris
- Films with screenplays by James Poe
- English-language thriller films