Never on DVD not PC enough I've been looking for this on DVD but i guess it's not politically correct, if you've seen it you know what i mean. Still a great movie, the strongest part of which is the superb acting by Glenn Ford and especially Ernest Borgnine. The dialogue is good but the chemistry is even better. Ford's terse command voice during sub operations is also excellent, i can't think of a better sub capt performance beside it except Das Boot.
Unbelievably Bad, Horrible This movie is so pathetically bad that it strains belief. The script was corny and poorly written, the subs and ships looked suspiciously like the ones I used to play with in the bathtub, and the sets depicting the inside of the subs were so roomy that both Glenn Ford and Ernest Borgnine were able to wear their hats almost the entire time. And Ford wore a jacket, despite the fact that real submarines were almost unbearably hot, especially while being depthcharged.
The sub skippers also kept their periscopes up so long the entire Japanese navy could have spotted them. And the crew was able to launch three torpedoes from the same tube in rapid succession.
Frankly, they should have changed the name of Borgnine's character to "McHale" and added some jokes and a laugh track. It's hard to believe people would have shelled out good money to see this trash, even in 1958.
Movies don't get any worse than this. I give it one yuck!
Oh, What A Tragedy! Commander Doyle had to do what he did, destroy a trooper ship containing over a thousand innocent Prisoners of War, and his own lovely wife as well (an odd coincidence that she was in the very same cargo that he was assigned to bring down). I couldn't get over the way the screenwriters stacked the deck so that no matter which way Doyle decided to go, he just couldn't live with himself. His duty towards his country, versus his love for his family. In a way, Glenn Ford's performance will remind you of George C. Scott playing Abraham in John Huston's film of THE BIBLE, trying to make his conscience obey God's directive to slay his oldest son in sacrifice on the abandoned mountain. Ernest Borgnine, as his best friend (more of a lackey than a friend) tries to understand what Ford is doing, but who could possibly follow all the moral conundrums a sub commander must face?
Joseph Pevney the director, brings this all to life in some tensely charged scenes where the men under Doyle's command react in all different ways to their commander's apparent hardness. Pevney is especially good with aquatic sequences and had previously made the Joan Crawford scorcher FEMALE ON THE BEACH. And who could forget the epic AWAY ALL BOATS, with the incredible line up of Julie Adams, Keith Andes, Lex Barker, Richard Boone, Jeff Chandler, Clint Eastwood and David Janssen--and George Nader for good measure! Pevney's talent for nail-biting suspense come in handy here on TORPEDO RUN just as they had at the beginning of his long career when he maneuevered scenery-chewers Charles Laughton and Boris Karloff through their paces in THE STRANGE DOOR. Glenn Ford isn't any Charles Laughton but he acts just as nutty as Commander Doyle.
Glenn Ford is in danger of becoming the forgotten superstar! He was once one of the reliable box office top tens, and none of his pictures ever lost a dime. Studios clamored for his services, though he had a longterm association with Columbia where he was sometimes featured with real-life love interest Rita Hayworth. In the 1950s his star continued to rise and he made classic after classic, often in military roles where he seemed to shine. The truth is he was good at every kind of part, from drama to westerns to contemporary roles and light comedy. Remember him as Pa Kent in SUPERMAN? That was just one of the things he could do well, for he inspired trust and loyalty, and his fans responded. Now most of them are quite old, but if properly marketed, I think Glenn Ford could enjoy an enormous revival among the young. Ernest Borgnine too! After all, both stars are still alive and Borgnine, at least, still raring to go to work\.
Very good sub movie with Ford and Borgnine In the late 50's and early 60's there was a wrash of submarine movies released in theaters, one of which is Torpedo Run. The movie tells the story of Lt. Commander Barney Doyle and his submarine, the Greyfish. After Doyle accidentally sinks a prisoner transport, with his wife and child on board, he becomes obsessed with going after the ship he intended to sink, the Japanese carrier, Shinaru. Doyle will sink the Shinaru at any cost which puts his sub and crew at risk. Torpedo Run is one of the best war movies made about submarine warfare. If you like this movie, I recommend Run Silent, Run Deep and Up Periscope. For a tense, exciting war adventure set in the Pacific theater, I highly recommend Torpedo Run.
Glenn Ford is good, as always, as Lt. Commander Barney Doyle, who attempts to sink the Japanese carrier, Shinaru, at all costs. Ernest Borgnine is equally as good as Doyle's executive officer and second-in-command, Lt. Archer Sloan, who turns down a promotion to remain with Doyle on the Greyfish. In a smaller part, Diane Brewster plays Doyle's wife, Jane. The rest of the crew includes Dean Jones as Lt. Jake "Fuzz" Foley, a young, inexperienced officer on board, L.Q. Jones, Robert Hardy, and Paul Picerni. The movie also stars Philip Ober and Richard Carlyle. The Torpedo Run VHS is of decent quality, but this submarine movie deserves a DVD release in widescreen presentation as is shown on Turner Classic Movies. For an excellent and exciting submarine adventure with a great cast, check out Torpedo Run!
BEST SUB MOVIE OF THEM ALL. I have seen them all and this is the best submarine movie of all time. so get your hands on this. was even better than U-571 earnest borgine, real good with other star forgot who he is. watch this. dont get K-19 this was the worst movie ever. and we dive at dawn.
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