''Torpedo Alley'', also known as ''Down Periscope'', is a 1952 American
war film
War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...
directed by
Lew Landers and starring
Mark Stevens,
Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone (born Mary Dorothy Maloney; January 29, 1924 – January 19, 2018) was an American actress.
Her film career began in 1943, and in her early years, she played small roles, mainly in B-movies, with the exception of a supporting role ...
and
Charles Winninger
Charles J. Winninger (May 26, 1884 – January 27, 1969) was an American stage and film actor, most often cast in comedies or musicals.
Life and career
Winninger was born in Athens, Wisconsin, the son of Rosalia (Grassler) and Franz Winninger ...
. It depicts a
US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
pilot rescued at sea by submarine before applying for submarine duty.
Plot
When an American transport plane crashed, only the pilot, Lieutenant Bob Bingham, survived. Now he is drifting out to sea as a “shipwrecked man”. Fortunately for him, he is fished up by the crew of a submarine. Bingham's concern that he might be guilty of the deaths of his two comrades does not leave him in peace. After a while he decided to start a new professional life in the Navy. His goal is to become the commander of a submarine. At the training area he meets Commander Heywood and First Engineer Gates again, who saved him on the high seas. Bingham soon became friends with the nurse Susan Peabody.
In June 1950 the Korean War breaks out. In this, the United States supports the troops of South Korea. Heywood and Gates take command of a submarine. The crew also includes Bingham and his new friend Graham. As part of a special task force, Bingham and Gates are assigned to blow up a bridge. In the process of execution, two men are killed; Gates and Bingham are badly wounded. But the strategically important bridge could be destroyed.
Susan is a nurse on the hospital ship that recovered the two injured. Bingham realizes that she is very concerned about his health. Now he is convinced that not only does he love her, but she also loves him.
Cast
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Mark Stevens as Lt. Bob Bingham
*
Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone (born Mary Dorothy Maloney; January 29, 1924 – January 19, 2018) was an American actress.
Her film career began in 1943, and in her early years, she played small roles, mainly in B-movies, with the exception of a supporting role ...
as Lt. Susan Peabody
*
Charles Winninger
Charles J. Winninger (May 26, 1884 – January 27, 1969) was an American stage and film actor, most often cast in comedies or musicals.
Life and career
Winninger was born in Athens, Wisconsin, the son of Rosalia (Grassler) and Franz Winninger ...
as Oliver J. Peabody
*
Bill Williams as Lt. Tom Graham
*
Douglas Kennedy as Lt. Dora Gates
*
James Millican
James Millican (February 17, 1911 – November 24, 1955) was an American actor with over 200 film appearances mostly in western movies.
Millican was the son of Fred S. Millican, a circus owner, and Dorothy Millican.
Millican was a clos ...
as Cmdr. Heywood
*
William Henry as Instructor
*
James Seay
James Seay (September 9, 1914 – October 10, 1992) was an American character actor who often played minor supporting roles as government officials.
Early years
Seay demonstrated an interest in acting at an early age, as he and his mothe ...
as Skipper
*
Bob Rose as Anniston
*
John Alvin as Professor
*
Carleton Young
Captain Carleton Scott Young (October 21, 1905 – November 7, 1994) was an American character actor who was known for his deep voice.
Early years
Born in Fulton, Oswego, New York, Young was the second and only surviving child of Sta ...
as Psychiatrist
*
Ralph Sanford
Ralph Dayton Sanford (May 21, 1899 – June 20, 1963) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films and in at least 200 episodes on television between 1930 and 1960, mostly bit parts or supporting roles. Sanford frequently ...
as Charles Hedley
*
Jean Willes
Jean Willes (born Jean Donahue; April 15, 1923 – January 3, 1989) was an American film and television actress. She appeared in approximately 65 films in her 38-year career.
Early years
Willes was born Jean Donahue In Los Angeles. She spent pa ...
as Peggy Moran
See also
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Submarine films
The submarine film is a subgenre of war film in which the majority of the plot revolves around a submarine below the ocean's surface. Films of this subgenre typically focus on a small but determined crew of submariners battling against enemy sub ...
References
External links
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1952 films
Films about submarine warfare
World War II submarine films
1950s war drama films
American war drama films
Films directed by Lew Landers
Allied Artists films
1952 drama films
American black-and-white films
1950s English-language films
1950s American films
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