Copyright 14 May 1943 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York release at the Roxy: 28 April 1943. U.S. release: 22 April 1943. Sydney release at the Plaza: 17 December 1943. Australian release: 23 December 1943. Australian length: 9,825 feet (109 minutes). U.S. length: 9,552 feet (106 minutes).
SYNOPSIS: Two navy officers find they are in love with the same girl.
COMMENT: If ever there was a compendium of war movie clichés, Crash Dive is it. The story may have seemed a bit more novel and exciting back in 1943 and admittedly it is most spectacularly produced (both photographer Fred Sersen and sound recordist Roger Heman received an Academy Award for their climactic battle explosions, miniatures and special fire effects) - and all in flag-waving color too!
The original story was written especially for Mr. Power's temporary screen farewell (he had joined the marines) by none other than W.R. Burnett - a novelist more noted for his essays into the world of gangsters: Little Caesar, Scarface, High Sierra, and the later Asphalt Jungle. The war heroics of the clean-cut American heroes of Crash Dive are a long way from the criminal milieu of New York or Chicago. The characters here are irritatingly one-dimensional, their dialogue has no bite, while their adventures are as tiresomely predictable as a twopenny romance.
Admittedly the action spots are not unexcitingly staged, but Mayo's direction is otherwise no more than competently bland, leaving the players with an impossible uphill battle against the trite and boring script.
Nonetheless, Fox's publicity department unleashed all guns: "Crashing his way to unforgettable glory in stirring Technicolor! Leading a reckless crew on the war's most daring mission! Battling death in a depth-bombed submarine! Finding love in precious, stolen moments!"
Obviously there were a lot of fans out there just waiting to see Tyrone blasting Nazis and stealing love. Crash Dive became one of the studio's top moneymakers of the year.
SYNOPSIS: Two navy officers find they are in love with the same girl.
COMMENT: If ever there was a compendium of war movie clichés, Crash Dive is it. The story may have seemed a bit more novel and exciting back in 1943 and admittedly it is most spectacularly produced (both photographer Fred Sersen and sound recordist Roger Heman received an Academy Award for their climactic battle explosions, miniatures and special fire effects) - and all in flag-waving color too!
The original story was written especially for Mr. Power's temporary screen farewell (he had joined the marines) by none other than W.R. Burnett - a novelist more noted for his essays into the world of gangsters: Little Caesar, Scarface, High Sierra, and the later Asphalt Jungle. The war heroics of the clean-cut American heroes of Crash Dive are a long way from the criminal milieu of New York or Chicago. The characters here are irritatingly one-dimensional, their dialogue has no bite, while their adventures are as tiresomely predictable as a twopenny romance.
Admittedly the action spots are not unexcitingly staged, but Mayo's direction is otherwise no more than competently bland, leaving the players with an impossible uphill battle against the trite and boring script.
Nonetheless, Fox's publicity department unleashed all guns: "Crashing his way to unforgettable glory in stirring Technicolor! Leading a reckless crew on the war's most daring mission! Battling death in a depth-bombed submarine! Finding love in precious, stolen moments!"
Obviously there were a lot of fans out there just waiting to see Tyrone blasting Nazis and stealing love. Crash Dive became one of the studio's top moneymakers of the year.