Product Details

• Actors: Humphrey Bogart, Raymond Massey, Alan Hale, Julie Bishop, Ruth Gordon
• Directors: Byron Haskin, Lloyd Bacon, Raoul Walsh
• Writers: A.I. Bezzerides, Guy Gilpatric, John Howard Lawson, W.R. Burnett
• Producers: Jack L. Warner
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Language: English, German
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Run Time: 126 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302120454
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,013 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey star in a unique film that shows what convoy duty was like for the Merchant Marine in World War II. When their tanker is torpedoed by a German U-boat, Bogart and Massey take command of a Liberty Ship, and their convoy must play cat and mouse with a German wolf pack. While clearly shown in a bad light, the Germans are not heavily demonized, which was unusual for a patriotic war film of the time (1943). Another unusual choice was having the Germans speaking only in their native language, with no subtitles. This realism helps carry any dated elements, especially when combined with the accurate depiction of convoy techniques and battle tactics (the footage was later used for actual training purposes). Even jaded viewers will be on pins and needles when the convoy is attacked, and they hear the repeated German command of "Torpedo... LOS!" --Mark Savary

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great film about underappreciated heroes of WWII, September 9, 2001

By 

Rottenberg's rotten book review (nyc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Action in the North Atlantic [VHS] (VHS Tape)

They didn't sail powerful destroyers or fill the skies with waves of carrier-borne fighters, but the men of the US Merchant Marine nevertheless fought and won the second world war's most crucial and consistently bloody battles - the Battle of the Atlantic. This excellent film follows the travails of a merchantman bound for Russia's arctic port of Murmansk with a cargo of materials the Russians need to keep the Germans pegged on the eastern front. Through the war, American convoys sailed mass-built "Liberty Ships" through waters teeming with German planes, cruisers and U-Boats to keep both England and Russia properly equipped. While tides of war may have shifted thruought the war, allied convoys faced constant attacks by axis units until the end, relying mainly on their ability to absorb severe casualties.

This film is fiction and, produced during the war (1943) has the hallmarks of a propaganda film. But "Action" is so much more - with winning performances by Humphrey Bogart and Ray Massey, and a fine supporting crew that sounds like they may have actually sailed the dreaded "Murmansk Run". The special effects are astoundingly good for 1943 and hold up pretty well today. The Germans are perfect as skilled hunters - I still get a chill during the battle scenes when whole crews utter "torpedo - los!" - not quite dehumanized, but still fearsome. Crisp direction makes their untranslated lines the best case against sub-titles. In short, a great film.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Recognition to the Men of the Maritime Service, July 9, 2001

By 

gobirds2 (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Action in the North Atlantic [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This great sea tale staring Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey is a good patriotic homage to the World War II sailors of the maritime service. Dane Clark as seamen Johnny Pulaski is a standout. Clark's acting deserved more recognition than he ever got. Alan Hale is also on board. Lloyd Bacon's direction is somewhat pedestrian but Producer Jerry Wald's fine production values, good action sequences and Adolph Deutsch's score compensate a lot.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tells a GREAT story!!!!, April 16, 2002

By 

"navy_all_the_way" (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Action in the North Atlantic [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Humphrey Bogart was excellent as the executive officer aboard a "Liberty Ship". This tells the story of a much forgotten service: the Merchant Marine. It shows the courage and commitment these professional sailors had to face down German U-boats and Raiders. These were the men that made sure that the needed war supplies got there intact. If you enjoy movies about WWII especially ones that were made during the war itself (like this one) then this is a MUST SEE.