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Filmed as the actual battle for the Atlantic was taking place is the 1943 drama “Crash Dive” starring Tyrone Powers. These types of movies are a common phenomenon during wartime to help lift peoples spirits on the homefront and drum up patriotic fervor. Here the American sailors are fighting the good fight against the despicable Nazi war machine.
However, this DVD offers a surprise. It is actually a very well made and entertaining adventure movie with enough splashes of romantic subplot and action to keep everyone in the family happy.
Powers plays a PT boat crewmember who is unwillingly transferred as executive officer aboard a submarine based out of the New London, Conn. base. Initially he gets along well with his new captain until he realizes that the two of them are in love with the same woman. The two must learn to trust one another and work together to investigate a mysterious ship in the mid-Atlantic and destroy the secret German island base that is being used by the Nazi’s as a staging point for attacks on the Allied shipping lanes.
Filmed on location with the full cooperation of the War Department the movie is presented in technicolor and although the color on the DVD transfer is somewhat saturated it is still relatively clear of blemishes. Where the DVD is lacking however is in special features merely offering a selection of trailers of the other Fox war titles.
“Crash Dive,” a melodramatic lover’s triangle between naval heroes (Tyrone Power and Dana Andrews) and the girl they both love (Anne Baxter), is one of those standard war flicks made at the height of conflict (1943). Remarkably, it continues to stir up patriotism and lift the spirits, despite a somewhat heavy handed script and some truncated bits of romance that seem to be inserts into an otherwise straight forward and compelling adventure movie. Powers is a reluctant executive officer aboard a submarine. His relationship with his new captain (Andrews) becomes strained after he realizes that they are in love with the same woman. All this is background fodder for the real plot of the movie – a mid-Atlantic ambush of a secret German island and its Nazi military base.
THE TRANSFER: Filmed on location, Leon Shamroy’s lush Technicolor photography is the real star of “Crash Dive” and although the film has dated considerably, there’s still enough gleam in the original negative to compel the viewer onward. Colors are rich and for the most part, nicely balanced. Occasionally there are scenes in which the color scheme becomes unstable or flickers. There is also an abundance of age related artifacts that detract from the overall visual presentation. Black and contrast levels are generally solid. There’s a slight haze over some of the scenes as well. Digital anomalies are not an issue on this disc. The audio has been cleaned up and is nicely presented. EXTRAS: None.
BOTTOM LINE: If you’re a cinema war junky, then “Crash Dive” will suit you tastes. But it does not represent the best of genre by any means. The DVD’s middle of the road picture quality is a let down.