The Frogmen (1951)

★ 6.1 1h 36m IMDb

The new commander of a Navy Underwater Demolition Team--nicknamed "Frogmen"--must earn the respect of the men in his unit, who are still grieving over the death of their former commander and resentful of the new one.

The Frogmen

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Cast

Richard Widmark
Richard Widmark as Lt. Cmdr. John Lawrence Died 2008 · Sunrise Township, Minnesota, USA Richard Widmark (December 26, 1914 – March 24, 2008) was an American actor of films, stage, radio and television. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his...
Robert Wagner
Robert Wagner as Lt. (jg) Franklin Age 96 · Detroit, Michigan, USA Robert John Wagner (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American televisio...
Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews as Jake Flannigan Died 1992 · Covington County, Mississippi, USA Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American actor. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts into the 1980s. He is...
Gary Merrill
Gary Merrill as Lt. Cmdr. Pete Vincent Died 1990 · Hartford, Connecticut, USA Gary Fred Merrill (August 2, 1915 – March 5, 1990) was an American film and television character actor whose credits included more than fifty feature films, a half-dozen mostly short-lived TV series,...
Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter as Pappy Creighton Died 1969 · New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Jeffrey Hunter (November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was a versatile American actor who made a significant impact on the film and television industry. He is best known for his portrayal of Martin Pawley...
Warren Stevens
Warren Stevens as Hodges Died 2012 · Clark's Summit, Pennsylvania, USA Warren Albert Stevens was an American stage, screen, and television actor. A founding member of The Actor's Studio in New York, Stevens received notice on Broadway in the late 1940s, and thereafter w...

Audience Reviews

John Chard 5.5/10 Feb 12, 2015
Frogs Abound In WWII.

Directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Richard Widmark, Dana Andrews, Gary Merrill, Jeffrey Hunter and Robert Wagner. Plot finds Widmark as a strict disciplinarian who takes command of the Navy Underwater Demolition Team and quickly upsets the men with his forceful ways. With the team building up to a crucial mission the question is if the men and commander can find an accord for the war effort?

Like the men at the film’s heart, this is a sturdy war film that’s for those who don’t mind the focus being more on characterisations than action. The sets and construction of certain scenes show their age, but the underwater filming is neat and the strong cast keep the viewer engaged enough till the big mission arrives. Not essential war film buff viewing, but a decent time waster at least. 5.5/10
CinemaSerf 7/10 Apr 02, 2023
Richard Widmark is the new, hard-nosed, squandron commander "Lawrence" who takes charge of a specialist underwater diving team after the death - in action - of their previous boss. He is trying to make his presence felt and they - led by "Chief Flannigan" (Dana Andrews) are clear they want little to do with him. He changes their training regime, intensifies it, reinvigorates it - and makes it clear that he is now in charge. Gradually, some of the men realise that maybe he's not such a bad guy and Lloyd Bacon quickly sidelines the personality conflicts to turn out a series of action escapades as this team carry out their tasks bravely and successfully. Thanks to a little intervention from "Pappy"(Jeffrey Hunter) and "Vincent" (Gary Merrill who commands their mother ship, things begin to improve before a perilous denouement at a well defended Japanese submarine pen. It's not Widmark's most natural performance, this, and there is little actual jeopardy with the narrative - it's all pretty obvious. That said, the adventures are exciting, the photography captures well the riskiness of their jobs (and the dangers) and the complete absence of any opportunity for romantic interludes is also to be commended. It packs a lot into ninety-odd minutes and flies the flag proudly for a group of sailors who risked life and limb on a daily basis. I enjoyed this.

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