''Action in the North Atlantic'', also known as ''Heroes Without Uniforms'', is a 1943 American

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about naval, air, or land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle scenes means that war fi ...

from

Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of ...

, produced by Jerry Wald, directed by

Lloyd Bacon Lloyd Francis Bacon (December 4, 1889 – November 15, 1955) was an American screen, stage and vaudeville actor and film director. As a director he made films in virtually all genres, including westerns, musicals, comedies, gangster films, an ...

, that stars

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

and Raymond Massey as officers in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. Typical of other films in the era, ''Action in the North Atlantic'' was created as a morale-boosting film during this world war and a film that told the story of unsung heroes. As noted by film critic

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

, "... it's a good thing to have a picture which waves the flag for the merchant marine. Those boys are going through hell-and-high-water, as 'Action in the North Atlantic' shows."

Plot

An American

oil tanker An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crud ...

, the SS ''Northern Star'', commanded by Captain Steve Jarvis, is sunk in the North

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

by a German

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

. Along with First Officer Joe Rossi, Jarvis boards a lifeboat with other crewmen, which is rammed and sunk by the U-boat that torpedoed their ship. The survivors are finally rescued after 11 days adrift on a balsa wood

life raft A lifeboat or liferaft is a small, rigid or inflatable boat carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard a ship. Lifeboat drills are required by law on larger commercial ships. Rafts ( liferafts) are also used. In the m ...

. During their brief liberty, Steve spends time with his wife Sarah, while Joe meets and marries singer Pearl O'Neill. At the maritime union hall, the ''Northern Star'' survivors await assignment to a new ship, which turns out to be a brand new

Liberty ship Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...

, the SS ''Seawitch'', commanded by Jarvis, with Rossi once again his First Officer. The ''Seawitch'', armed with anti-aircraft guns manned by trained Navy gunnery personnel, embarks with a convoy carrying vital war supplies to the Soviet port of

Murmansk Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') i ...

. However, the convoy is forced to disperse when a wolfpack of U-boats torpedoes them one by one. The ''Seawitch'', now on her own, takes successful evasive action, hiding out at the edge of the Arctic icepack to evade a U-boat hunting her—the same U-boat that sank the ''Northern Star''. After the U-boat breaks off the search, ''Seawitch'' lights her boilers off again and heads for Murmansk. The

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

is called in to try and find the ship. The German maritime patrol planes locate ''Seawitch'' and attack with bombs and machine guns. In the ensuing action, Captain Jarvis is seriously wounded, and eight members of the crew and the Armed Guard force are killed. It is up to First Officer Rossi and the surviving members of the ''Seawitch's'' crew to get her to port. The fliers had reported locating the Liberty ship, and the U-boat returns to try and sink her. The submarine hits the ship with one torpedo, but Rossi fools the submarine captain into surfacing to finish off the wounded Liberty with his deck gun by setting smoky fires on deck. The ''Seawitch'', listing and damaged, maneuvers and rams the U-boat, sinking it with all hands. Fires out but still holed, the damaged Liberty continues to Murmansk, wondering if they can make it – which they do, thanks to a squadron of Russian fighters escorting them in. In the end, Joe Rossi, looking at what's left of the convoy in port, worries about the challenges that await them on their return trip. The movie ends with an excerpt from a speech by President

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

, paying tribute to the courage and valor of America's Merchant Mariners and the important contribution they are making to the war effort.

Cast

as First Officer Joe Rossi * Raymond Massey as Captain Steve Jarvis *

Alan Hale, Sr. Alan Hale Sr. (born Rufus Edward Mackahan; February 10, 1892 – January 22, 1950) was an American actor and director. He is best remembered for his many character roles, in particular as a frequent sidekick of Errol Flynn, as well as f ...

as Alfred "Boats" O'Hara *

Julie Bishop Julie Isabel Bishop (born 17 July 1956) is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2018 and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Curtin ...

as Pearl O'Neill *

Ruth Gordon Ruth Gordon Jones (October 30, 1896 – August 28, 1985) was an American actress, screenwriter, and playwright. She began her career performing on Broadway at age 19. Known for her nasal voice and distinctive personality, Gordon gained internati ...

as Sarah Jarvis *

Sam Levene Sam Levene (born Scholem Lewin; August 28, 1905 – December 28, 1980) was a Russian Empire-born American Broadway, film, radio, and television actor and director. In a career spanning over five decades, he appeared in over 50 comedy and dram ...

as Abel "Chips" Abrams *

Dane Clark Dane Clark (born Bernard Zanville; February 26, 1912September 11, 1998) was an American character actor who was known for playing, as he labeled himself, "Joe Average." Early life Clark was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Jewish imm ...

as Johnnie Pulaski *

Peter Whitney Peter Whitney (born Peter King Engle; May 24, 1916 – March 30, 1972) was an American actor in film and television. Tall and heavyset, he played brutish villains in many Hollywood films in the 1940s and 1950s. Early years Whitney was born ...

as Whitey Lara *

Dick Hogan Dixon Howard "Dick" Hogan (November 27, 1917 – August 18, 1995) was an American actor of the 1930s and 1940s. During his 12-year career he appeared in over three dozen films, in roles which varied from unnamed bellhops to featured and starring ...

as Cadet Ezra Parker

Uncredited roles

Charles Trowbridge Charles Silas Richard Trowbridge (January 10, 1882 – October 30, 1967) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 230 films between 1915 and 1958. Biography Trowbridge was born in Veracruz, Mexico, where his father served in the ...

as Rear Admiral Hartridge * J. M. Kerrigan as Caviar Jinks *

Kane Richmond Kane Richmond (born Frederick William Bowditch, December 23, 1906 – March 22, 1973) was an American film actor of the 1930s and 1940s, mostly appearing in cliffhangers and serials. He is best known today for his portrayal of the character L ...

as Ensign Wright *

Wilhelm von Brincken Wilhelm von Brincken (May 27, 1881 – January 18, 1946), also known as Wilhelm L. von Brincken, William Vaughn, William von Brinken, and William Vaughan, was a German diplomat and spy during World War I, who went on to become an American charac ...

as German Sub Captain * Chick Chandler as Goldberg * George Offerman, Jr. as Cecil * Don Douglas as Lieutenant Commander * Art Foster as Pete Larson * Ray Montgomery as Aherne * Glenn Strange as Tex Mathews *

Creighton Hale Creighton Hale (born Patrick Fitzgerald; May 24, 1882 – August 9, 1965) was an Irish-American theatre, film, and television actor whose career extended more than a half-century, from the early 1900s to the end of the 1950s. Career Born in Cou ...

as Sparks *

Elliott Sullivan Elliott Sullivan (July 4, 1907 – June 2, 1974) was an American actor. Sullivan was born in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Rabbi Solomon Solomon. He appeared in the films ''They Won't Forget'', '' Over the Wall'', ''Accidents Will Happen'', ' ...

as Hennessy *

Alec Craig Alexander Younger Craig (30 March 1884 – 25 June 1945) was a Scottish-born American character actor, particularly known for his roles in ''Mutiny on the Bounty'' (1935) and ''National Velvet'' (1944). He was particularly known for portraying ...

as McGonigle *

Ludwig Stössel Ludwig Stössel (12 February 1883 – 29 January 1973) was an actor born in Lockenhaus, now Austria, then Hungary. He was one of many Jewish actors and actresses who were forced to flee Germany when the Nazis came to power in 1933. Biography S ...

as Captain Ziemer *

Dick Wessel Richard Michael Wessel (April 20, 1913 – April 20, 1965) was an American film actor who appeared in more than 270 films between 1935 and 1966. He is best remembered for his only leading role, a chilling portrayal of strangler Harry "Cu ...

as Cherub *

Frank Puglia Francesco Giuseppe "Frank" Puglia (9 March 1892 – 25 October 1975) was an Italian-American film actor. He had small, but memorable roles in films including ''Casablanca'' (a Moroccan rug merchant), ''Now, Voyager'' and ''The Jungle Book''. ...

as Captain Carpolis *

Iris Adrian Iris Adrian Hostetter (May 29, 1912 – September 17, 1994) was an American stage, film actress and dancer. Life and career Adrian was an only child, born in Los Angeles, California, to Florence (née Van Every) and Adrian Earl Hostetter, who ...

as Jenny O'Hara *

Irving Bacon Irving Bacon (born Irving Von Peters; September 6, 1893 – February 5, 1965) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 500 films. Early years Bacon was the son of entertainers Millar Bacon and Myrtle Vane. He was born in St. Jose ...

as Bartender *

James Flavin James William Flavin Jr. (May 14, 1906 – April 23, 1976) was an American character actor whose career lasted for nearly half a century. Early life The son of a hotel waiter of Canadian-English descent,Flavin's obituary, distributed by United ...

as Lieutenant Commander *

William Hopper William DeWolf Hopper Jr. (January 26, 1915 – March 6, 1970) was an American stage, film, and television actor. The only child of actor DeWolf Hopper and actress and Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper, he appeared in predominantly minor r ...

as Canadian Soldier * Louis V. Arco as German Submarine Commander

Production

Warner Brothers' working title for the film was ''Heroes Without Uniforms'', intended to be a

two-reel A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

documentary about the Merchant Marine. As the war continued, much combat action footage became available and the project was changed to a feature film with Edward G. Robinson and

George Raft George Raft (born George Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is ...

initially cast in the starring roles. Technical adviser Richard Sullivan was a 23-year-old Merchant Marine cadet who survived the sinking of his ship by a U-boat."Notes: 'Action in the North Atlantic'."
''Turner Classic Movies''. Retrieved: July 3, 2016. Eventually Robinson had to drop out to do ''

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

'' at Columbia and was replaced by Raymond Massey. Raft was put into ''

Background to Danger ''Background to Danger'' is a 1943 World War II spy film starring George Raft and featuring Brenda Marshall, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre. Based on the 1937 novel '' Uncommon Danger'' by Eric Ambler and set in politically neutral Turke ...

'' and was replaced by Humphrey Bogart. Because war restrictions did not permit filming at sea, the film was shot entirely on Warner Brothers studio sound stages and back lots. According to '' Bill Collins Presents the Golden Years of Hollywood'', the ships sets were built in halves on two sound stages, with the tanker sinking sequence shot first on the studio's "Stage Nine". Director Lloyd Bacon's contract with Warner Brothers expired during production. Jack L. Warner wanted to wait until the film was finished before entering discussions about a new contract, but Bacon was not willing to continue without one. Warner fired him and brought in

Byron Haskin Byron Conrad Haskin (April 22, 1899 – April 16, 1984) was an American film and television director, special effects creator and cinematographer. He is best known for directing ''The War of the Worlds'' (1953), one of many films where he t ...

and Raoul Walsh to complete filming, which ran 45 days over schedule."Trivia: 'Action in the North Atlantic'."
''Turner Classic Movies''. Retrieved: July 3, 2016. An anecdote about ''Action in the North Atlantic'' claims Bogart and Massey, off-duty and somewhat intoxicated, were watching their stunt men performing a dive off a burning ship. The two actors started making bets on which stunt man was braver, and eventually the stars themselves made the dive. Authentic models of German and Soviet aircraft were used in the film, and all dialogue involving non-Americans was in the native tongue of the speaker, without subtitles, both rarities in films of this era. The journalist

Helen Lawrenson Helen Lawrenson (born Helen Strough Brown, October 1, 1907 – April 5, 1982), was an American editor, writer and socialite who gained fame in the 1930s with her blunt descriptions of New York society. She made friends with great ease, ...

was paid compensation by Warners because dialogue was plagiarised from articles she had written about U.S Merchant Mariners ("Damn the Torpedoes", ''Harpers'', July 1942, and "They Keep 'Em Sailing", ''Colliers'', 8 August 1942).Helen Lawrenson, ''Stranger at the Party'', 1975, pp.228-229

Reception

When ''Action in the North Atlantic'' was premiered in New York City, more than a dozen Merchant Mariners and several hundred U.S. sailors presented Jack Warner with the Merchant Marine Victory Flag.

Henry J. Kaiser Henry John Kaiser (May 9, 1882 – August 24, 1967) was an American industrialist who became known as the father of modern American shipbuilding. Prior to World War II, Kaiser was involved in the construction industry; his company was one of ...

, the ship-building magnate, thought the film was such a morale booster that he wanted it shown to all his employees.McGee, Scott
"Articles: 'Action in the North Atlantic'."
''Turner Classic Movies''. Retrieved: July 3, 2016. According to a news item in ''The Hollywood Reporter'' on June 24, 1943, copies of ''Action in the North Atlantic'' were provided to the Merchant Marine schools for use in training when the

War Shipping Administration The War Shipping Administration (WSA) was a World War II emergency war agency of the US government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the United States needed for fighting the war. Both shipbuilding under the Maritime C ...

judged that technical and educational material in the film would "aid considerably the training program". The studio donated three prints for official use at the

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA or Kings Point) is a United States service academy in Kings Point, New York. It trains its midshipmen (as students at the academy are called) to serve as officers in the United States Merchant ...

Kings Point, New York Kings Point is a village located on the Great Neck Peninsula in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 5,005 at the 2010 census. History The Village of Ki ...

, at cadet basic schools in

San Mateo, California San Mateo ( ; ) is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the San Francisco Peninsula. About 20 miles (32 km) south of San Francisco, the city borders Burlingame to the north, Hillsborough to the west, San Francisco Bay and Foster C ...

, and

Pass Christian, Mississippi Pass Christian (), nicknamed The Pass, is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,307 at the 2019 census. History Pre-European history ...

. Film critic Bosley Crowther reviewed the film for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', stating, "... tingling, informative picture which thoroughly lives up to its tag of "Action in the North Atlantic' ... some excellent performances help to hold the film together all the way. Raymond Massey and Humphrey Bogart are good and tough as the captain and first mate ..."Crowther, Bosley
"Movie review: The screen; 'Action in the North Atlantic,' thrilling film of Merchant Marine, starring Humphrey Bogart, opens at the Strand."
''The New York Times'', May 22, 1943. In a one-hour ''

Lux Radio Theatre ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of American Broadcasting Company ...

'' broadcast on May 15, 1944, Raymond Massey and Julie Bishop reprised their roles while George Raft co-starred, replacing Bogart.

Box office

According to Warner Bros records, the film earned $2,144,000 domestically and $1,316,000 abroad.

Awards and honors

''Action in the North Atlantic'' received an Academy Award nomination for Best Writing (Best Original Story) for Guy Gilpatric."The 16th Academy Awards, 1944."
''oscars.org''. Retrieved: July 3, 2016.

References

Notes Bibliography * Higham, Charles and Joel Greenberg, ''Hollywood in the Forties''. London: A. Zwemmer Limited, 1968. . *Morella, Edward and Edward Z. Epstein and John Griggs. ''The Films of World War II''. Secaucus, New Jersey: The Citadel Press, 1973. . * Schatz, Thomas. ''Boom and Bust: American Cinema in the 1940s''. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1999. . * Walker, John ed. ''Halliwell's Film Guide'' (10th edition). New York: Harper Collins, 1994. .

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Action In The North Atlantic 1943 films 1940s war drama films American black-and-white films American war drama films American World War II propaganda films Films directed by Lloyd Bacon Films directed by Byron Haskin Films scored by Adolph Deutsch Warner Bros. films World War II naval films 1943 drama films World War II films made in wartime 1940s English-language films