Product: Hell and High Water (1954)
Rating: 4.0
A cold war submarine tale from the end of the Korean War
This is a Cold War era about what would happen if the Koreans (this is set during the Korean War, which ended during the year of its release) got a hold of an A-bomb and dropped it in a way to frame the United States. Richard Widmark plays Capt. Adam Jones who is hired for a mysterious mission to trail a freighter in an old Japanese submarine. He hires some of his old Navy crew and takes the famed atomic scientist Prof. Montel (Victor Francen) and his assistant Prof. Denice Gerard (Bella Darvi) on board as the directors of their mission.They run afoul of Korean defenses including a very good sub battle, an island raid, and the final conflict I will leave to you to experience. Widmark carries most of the dramatic load, the crew provides a bit of pathos and some enjoyable comic relief. Victor Francen is believable as the bearded scientist and Bella Darvi looks pretty enough on screen (but not a real actress).The special effects were very good for their time, but the Cinemascope cannot be appreciated on your TV no matter how high the quality or its dimensions. However, it is an enjoyable tale and can be enjoyed by the family.Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI