Hell and High Water

There's no shortage of larger than life figures involved in the production of Hell and High Water (1954), a submarine movie that ticks off all the boxes one might expect in a Cold War thriller and adds a few new items not usually on the menu. Producer Daryl F. Zanuck recruited director Samuel Fuller, who brought along regular collaborator Richard Widmark, to make a Cinemascope spectacle out of a script that took place almost entirely in the cramped quarters of a refitted Japanese sub. And if that wasn't challenge enough, Zanuck insisted that his mistress, Bella Darvi, be cast as the female lead.

The film opens with a mushroom cloud and ominous narration describing a mysterious nuclear explosion near the Arctic Circle. The circumstances surrounding that blast - and the foreign plot to frame the United States for starting WW3 - revolve around Captain Adam Jones (Widmark) who's been hired by a clandestine group of private citizens to chaperone two scientists to a suspected secret facility and bring them back alive to expose the communist threat.

Anticipating a big payday, Jones isn't interested in the politics. But he and the rest of the crew are interested in one of the scientists, Denise Montel (Darvi), competing for her attention with dangerous results. But a woman on board isn't the only imminent threat: a enemy sub is trailing not too far behind and a small army of conspirators are waiting to launch a bit of commie trickery that will blame America for a nuclear sneak attack. When all the cards are on the table, Jones must decide what price he's willing to live - and die - for.

Hell and High Water shares a few eccentricities with Fuller's unique filmmaking approach, but by and large this is a full-blown Hollywood adventure story focused on escapist entertainment with a capital "E." The secret mission kicks off with a bang as Widmark arrives on the scene with enough swagger to power the sub with excess testosterone and street slang alone. But his machismo masks a painful war experience that Darvi helps bring to the surface as the two share a lustful moment under the red glare of the emergency lights. It's one of several standout scenes Fuller manages to work into Zanuck's one-track screenplay, sliding some quirky characters and shocking violence in for good measure.

But every submarine movie is judged by the same key scenes, a rotating group that includes 1) dodging enemy torpedoes 2) running silent to escape detection and 3) some variation on crushing depth pressure combined with lack of oxygen. Hell and High Water manages to include them all with a high degree of success, particularly Captain Jones' clever game of underwater demolition derby when faced with malfunctioning torpedo tubes. The rampant sexism endured by Montel's sexy scientist is offset by a noble attempt to highlight her academic qualifications. But we all know she'll wind up with Widmark in the end. And to Fuller's credit, he doesn't get in the way of the Hollywood ending he was hired to deliver...and does so with flying colors.

Twilight Time's 3000-copy limited edition Blu-ray is just the sort of Cinemascope showcase home theaters were made for! The original photography has some highs and lows in terms of grain, but when everything comes together the image is terrific. Just check out the colors in the opening sequence as Widmark is led ashore to an underground lair; and it only gets better from there. Extras include an isolated music track, theatrical trailer, liner notes and Richard Widmark: Strength of Character featurette.