The Frogmen (film)
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| The Frogmen | |
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| Directed by | Lloyd Bacon |
| Produced by | Samuel G. Engel |
| Written by | John Tucker Battle (story) Oscar Millard |
| Starring | Richard Widmark Dana Andrews Gary Merrill Jeffrey Hunter Warren Stevens Robert Wagner Harvey Lembeck Robert Rockwell Henry Slate |
| Music by | Cyril J. Mockridge |
| Cinematography | Norbert Brodine |
| Editing by | William Reynolds |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | June 29, 1951 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 96 min. |
| Language | English |
The Frogmen is a 1951 movie made by Twentieth Century Fox. It is based on some United States frogman operations against the Japanese in World War II. It was the first such movie about scuba diving and became a popular cultural hit. The film opens with this written statement: "This is a true story based on incidents which occurred in the latter part of World War II. It deals with one of the most hazardous and unique branches of the Armed Forces...the Underwater Demolition Teams. This film could not have been produced without the active cooperation of the Department of Defense and the United States Navy." Underwater Demolition Teams, whose members were nicknamed "frogmen", have been used since World War II for reconnaissance duties, clearing underwater obstacles planted by the enemy, advance landings on beaches, and offensive underwater attacks on enemy ships. The U.S. aquatic forces eventually became the Navy SEALs.
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[edit] Plot
During World War II, in the South Pacific, Lt. Cmdr. John Lawrence, a strict disciplinarian, is put in charge of the elite thirty-member Navy Underwater Demolition Team #4 after their former leader, Jack Cassidy, is killed. The men are distrustful of the standoffish Lawrence, and their burgeoning relationship takes a turn for the worse when Lawrence chews them out for brawling with sailors. The ship's captain, Lt. Cmdr. Pete Vincent, advises Lawrence to go easier on the men, who are often sent on dangerous, complicated missions to clear landing sites of underwater obstacles. Lawrence refuses to indulge the squad, however, and earns their enmity when he splits them up for a reconnaisance mission and puts edgy Chief Jake Flannigan in charge of the more dangerous side of the island they are exploring.
During the mission, which is to ascertain the best area for the U.S. forces to invade a Japanese-held Pacific island, Lawrence cuts his leg on some coral, and one of the pick-up boats is shelled and destroyed. Lawrence sees that Flannigan and the wounded Kinsella are still in the water, but rather than risk the men and information he has already gathered, he orders his boat to return to the main ship. A rescue boat succeeds in picking up the embittered Flannigan and Kinsella, but Lawrence's seemingly heartless actions increase the men's ill will toward him. Flannigan and some of the others request transfers to another unit, but Lawrence insists that they complete the next day's mission to clear the landing site for the invasion. The next morning, Lawrence, who is sick with coral poisoning, does not reveal his illness when he puts Flannigan in charge of the mission and stays behind. Assuming that Lawrence is a coward, the men angrily but efficiently complete their task, although "Pappy" Creighton, whose brother is a Marine, sneaks onto the beach with Flannigan to leave a sign welcoming the Marines. Creighton is shot by snipers on the beach, but Flannigan tows him to the pick-up boat. Back on the ship, Creighton is put in traction because of the bullets in his spine, and Flannigan confesses to Lawrence that their prank caused Creighton's injuries. Lawrence furiously upbraids Flannigan for his irresponsible behavior, and soon all of the men request transfers.
While Lawrence is discussing the problem of the men's hero worship of Cassidy with Vincent, a torpedo hits the ship but does not explode. Lawrence volunteers to disarm the torpedo, which has lodged in the hospital room next to Creighton's bed, and with the help of Flannigan, succeeds. Soon after, Lawrence receives orders to blow up a Japanese submarine pen, and tells the men that although it will be their last mission together, as he will request a transfer himself, he is proud to have served with them. Despite Flannigan's suspicion that Lawrence will again pull light duty, Lawrence leads the mission, which is endangered when one of the men accidentally trips a signal wire. Japanese sentries shoot at the men as they plant the charges, and the men are forced into hand-to-hand combat with Japanese divers. Lawrence is stabbed during one fierce encounter, and although he orders Flannigan to leave him behind because he will hinder Flannigan's own escape, Flannigan tows him to safety. The mission is a success, and soon Lawrence is recuperating in the sick bay with Creighton. Finally won over by Lawrence's pragmatism and bravery, the men reveal their acceptance of him by asking him to sign the portrait they have drawn of Cassidy for his widow.
[edit] Errors
In most of their operations the frogmen had no breathing sets and had to surface for every breath.
In the last operation (blowing up a Japanese submarine pen), the frogmen correctly used drysuits, but they were wrongly shown as using old-type bulky 3-cylinder open-circuit aqualungs. Open-circuit scuba sets make large clouds of bubbles and much underwater noise, and thus are useless for covert operations; real frogmen use rebreathers. Also, their use of aqualungs is anachronistic, as the Cousteau aqualung was not well-known until 1953 and very few of them existed until after World War II ended.
[edit] Trivia
- Producer Paul Short of Allied Artists protested the use of the title The Frogmen by Twentieth Century-Fox, asserting that he had established prior claim to it. Eventually Short dropped his claim and Twentieth Century-Fox was allowed to use the title. Short's production was never made.
- Several major studios were interested in producing films about the Underwater Demolition Teams, but only Twentieth Century-Fox obtained an exclusive guarantee of cooperation from the U.S. Navy.
- Henry Hathaway, one of the studio's most well received directors, was originally set to direct the picture, which was to feature Millard Mitchell in a starring role. Richard Conte was also originally set to play "Pete Vincent," Jack Elam was first cast as "Sleepy", and Craig Hill was set to play "Lt. J. G. Franklin."
- Because working conditions were deemed too "riotous" for women, all female roles were written out of the script. No actresses appeared in the completed picture.
- Assistant director Dick Mayberry briefly filled in for director Lloyd Bacon when Bacon fell ill with the flu.
- Producer Sam Engel wrote an original story entitled "Frogmen in Korea" as an intended follow-up to The Frogmen, but the project soon dissolved.
- A one-hour television remake of The Frogmen, entitled Deep Water, was broadcast in May 1957 on the 20th Century-Fox Hour. The program was directed by Roy Del Ruth and starred Ralph Meeker, James Whitmore and Richard Arleen.
- Jack Warden also makes an uncredited appearance as a crew member.
