Torpedo Bay

Last updated
Torpedo Bay
Torpedo Bay (1963).jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Charles Frend
Bruno Vailati
Written byAdriano Belli
Pino Belli
Produced byBruno Vailati
Starring James Mason
Gabriele Ferzetti
Lilli Palmer
Cinematography Gábor Pogány
Edited byGiancarlo Cappelli
Distributed byGalatea Film
Release date
  • 30 June 1963 (1963-06-30)(France)
Running time
99 minutes
CountriesItaly
France
LanguageEnglish

Torpedo Bay is a 1963 war film directed by Charles Frend and Bruno Vailati and starring James Mason. [1] The story is based on events that took place at Betasom, a submarine base established at Bordeaux by the Italian Navy during World War II. [2]

Contents

The film was released as Beta Som, the Italian language acronym meaning Bordeaux Sommergibile. [3] Phonetically B (for Bordeaux) is Beta and SOM is an abbreviation for 'Sommergibile' which is the Italian for submarine. [4] In the United States American International Pictures released it as a double feature with Commando (1964). [5]

Plot

An Italian submarine captain (Gabriele Ferzetti) tries to navigate his sub through enemy waters whilst being stalked by a British commander (James Mason). The Italian sub manages to make it into the neutral port of Tangiers, Morocco followed by the British commander. During their stay, the two captains agree not to fight. They come to respect each other. Eventually the Italian sub leaves port after the Captain accuses his lover (Lilli Palmer) of spying. The British commander follows, but ends up losing his ship to the Italian's torpedoes.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Submarine films</span> Subgenre of war film

The submarine film is a subgenre of war film in which the majority of the plot revolves around a submarine below the ocean's surface. Films of this subgenre typically focus on a small but determined crew of submariners battling against enemy submarines or submarine-hunter ships, or against other problems ranging from disputes amongst the crew, threats of mutiny, life-threatening mechanical breakdowns, or the daily difficulties of living on a submarine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriele Ferzetti</span> Italian actor

Gabriele Ferzetti was an Italian actor with more than 160 credits across film, television, and stage. His career was at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MAS (motorboat)</span> Boat used by the Italian Royal Navy

Motoscafo armato silurante, commonly abbreviated as MAS, was a class of fast torpedo-armed vessels used by the Regia Marina during World War I and World War II. Originally, "MAS" referred to motobarca armata SVAN (armed motorboat SVAN, Società Veneziana Automobili Navali.

Italian submarine <i>Barbarigo</i>

Barbarigo was a World War II Italian Marcello-class submarine. It was built by the Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, and was commissioned on 19 September 1938.

<i>Marcello</i>-class submarine

The Marcello class was a class of nine submarines built in 1937 and 1938 by CRDA in Trieste for the Royal Italian Navy. Two similar submarines built in 1939 at La Spezia by Oto Melara are sometimes considered part of the class. All eleven served in the Mediterranean Sea at the start of the Second World War. After Provana's 1940 sinking, the remaining boats were transferred to the BETASOM Atlantic submarine base at Bordeaux in August 1940. After four boats had been sunk in the Atlantic, Barbarigo and Comandante Cappellini were then selected for conversion to "transport submarines" in order to exchange rare or irreplaceable trade goods with Japan. Cargo capacity of 160 tons reduced reserve buoyancy from 20–25% to 3.5–6%; and armament was reduced to defensive machine guns. Only Dandolo was in operational condition at the end of the war.

<i>Marconi</i>-class submarine Italian submarine class

The Marconi class was a class of six submarines built for the Royal Italian Navy. The submarines were all launched between 1939 and 1940, and all but one, Luigi Torelli, were lost in the Atlantic during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Sea Flotilla</span> Military unit

The Red Sea Flotilla was part of the Regia Marina Italia based at Massawa in the colony of Italian Eritrea, part of Italian East Africa. During World War II, the Red Sea Flotilla was active against the East Indies Station of the Royal Navy from the Italian declaration of war on 10 June 1940 until the fall of Massawa on 8 April 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlo Fecia di Cossato</span>

Carlo Fecia di Cossato was an officer in the Regia Marina, in command of submarines and torpedo boats during World War II. He was credited with the confirmed sinking of 23 enemy ships. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and of the Gold Medal of Military Valor, the highest decoration of the Italian Armed Forces.

Brin was a Brin-class submarine built for and operated by Italy's Regia Marina during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raid on Algiers</span> Italian frogman raid on Allied ships in Algiers harbour in 1942

The Raid on Algiers took place on 11 December 1942, in the Algiers harbour. Italian manned torpedoes and commando frogmen from the Decima Flottiglia MAS were brought to Algiers aboard the Perla-class submarine Ambra. The participating commandos were captured after setting limpet mines which sank two Allied ships and damaged two more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BETASOM</span> Italian submarine base in Bordeaux, France

BETASOM was a submarine base established at Bordeaux, France by the Italian Regia Marina Italiana during World War II. From this base, Italian submarines participated in the Battle of the Atlantic from 1940 to 1943 as part of the Axis anti-shipping campaign against the Allies.

<i>Cagni</i>-class submarine Italian submarine class

The Cagni or Ammiraglio Cagni class was a class of submarines built for Italy's Regia Marina during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelo Parona</span> Italian admiral

Angelo Parona was an Italian admiral during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mario Bonetti</span> Italian admiral

Mario Bonetti was an Italian admiral during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romolo Polacchini</span> Italian admiral

Romolo Polacchini was an Italian admiral during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aldo Cocchia</span> Italian admiral

Aldo Cocchia was an Italian naval officer during World War II.

Italian submarine <i>Perla</i> Italian submarine

Italian submarine Perla was a Perla-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. She was named after a gemstone Pearl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giotto Maraghini</span> Italian admiral

Giotto Maraghini was an Italian admiral during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvatore Todaro (naval officer)</span>

Salvatore Bruno Todaro was an Italian naval officer and submariner during World War II. He is best known for his participation in the battle of the Atlantic and the two instances in which he towed to safety the lifeboats carrying the survivors of ships he had sunk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primo Longobardo</span>

Primo Longobardo was an Italian naval officer and submariner during World War II.

References

  1. "FINCHÈ DURA LA TEMPESTA (1963)". BFI.
  2. "The Submarine Mission Storyline - Titles A-Z Page". www.storyline-features.co.uk.
  3. "Beta Som (1963) - Bruno Vailati, Charles Frend | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.
  4. "BETASOM". www.libro.at.
  5. Craig, Rob (February 7, 2019). American International Pictures: A Comprehensive Filmography. McFarland. ISBN   9781476666310 via Google Books.