@@PointyTailofSatan I’m not sure if John Mills actually served in the armed forces, so perhaps he was more readily available. Perhaps someone will correct me if I’m wrong.
@daveyr7454 He was in The Army but was invalid out in 1942 and spent the rest of the was making films He plays a superb officer. Check out 'Tunes of Glory' 😊
In the 1950's when I was about 13 or 14 years old Mornning Departure was produced as a radio play My Father who was a radio ham got me an old Pye valve radio which had a very distinct musty smelll and dull yellow flowing dial. I listened, on my own, in the dark, totally rivited to the radio. I saw the men in the sub as being in the dark as I was. Unforgettable introduction to fine drama.
I was born in Exeter in 46. Basic RAF training on Dartmoor.. Have done some sailing. SCUBA nut on Malta. Dived with buddies on sunken Blenheim off Malta 180ft, thought it was a Beaufighter.
How did this brilliant film pass me by , I've watched hundreds of British 40/50s films but never seen this one and with such an amazing cast. Thanks for posting it here.
Superb, classic film... And fairly accurate for its time and one of the first productions to focus more on the human element of life in the 'Silent Service'. These movies paved the way to the likes of 'Grey Lady Down' and 'Das Boot'. Interesting to note the use of the emergency term 'Subsmash'. Though ordinarily this emergency status would have been preceded by 'Submiss' as soon as a boat failed to report in on its appointed comms schedule. The final status being 'Subsunk'. The well portrayed 'free ascent' procedure; albeit with a plot twist - lack of enough compressed air to blow the escape towers/gun loading hatches, limiting their use to one operation, adding some drama to the story.
I have to say that I really enjoyed watching this movie. Well worth the watch. 😊 I was introduced to an officer who was based at Faslane in Scotland. He didn't discuss anything about being aboard a nuclear submarine. It would appear that they operate under the strictest secrecy, which I can fully appreciate. There is no question though, that submariners really a different breed. I'm not sure how many of us could cope being submerged for such long periods in a confined space.
Interesting that someone sees it as an opportunity to mention ‘woke’. Perhaps the film could be shown at Reform’s party conference (if they have one)? Or re-enacted with Nigel playing the part of the captain. He surely has the moral standing for it.
So true, a much better time although a war had battered England 🏴 the British endured so much hardship incredible, I admire their courage and grit.
"As a submariner with 6 'boomer' patrols, the film accurately depicted a bouyant ascent from 90 feet. At sub school we did 2 ascents from 50 feet. On the way up you have to forcefully expel several several lungfulls of of air as it is continuously expanding.
As an ex submariner... If the boat had a double gun chamber and conning tower chamber. Either one could have let a diver in the open hatch to shut it. Then the chamber drained for another escape. Diver could have taken down spare escape kits..
HMS Tiptoe was used for the external shots of the submarine (not HMS Thetis). HMS Maidstone was the depot ship. My father served aboard HMS Tiptoe for some years when she was based in the Clyde and in Malta.
Excellent film and cast. The name "Snipe" for the Attenborough character is the US Navy and Merchant Mariine slang term for members of the'black gang' or engineering ratings. This iis at least the 3rd submarine film starring John Mills I can recall.
@@johnfalstaff2270 Not that surprising as the "T" class was a very common type of submarine used during WW2 by the RN. Thetis herself was salvaged, renamed HMS Thunderbolt and served throughout the war.
@@AbelMcTalisker. Served throughout the war? No... Thunderbolt inherited bad luck from Thetis, because was sunk on 14 March 1943 by the Italian corvette Cicogna.
I watched this classic navy/submarine movie a day or so ago.....somehow ended up starting to watch it again just now. It is a really interesting movie, about a topic seldom covered....making an underwater emergency escape from a submarine stranded hundreds of feet below the surface.... But in watching it the second time....Things stood out now knowing the ending of the movie and the fact that the entire crew was lost except for 8 very lucky men. But watching again, I asked, why on earth did the submarine captain dive under near this mine knowing it might be triggered accidentally. The submarine was on the surface, where escape was much easier vs. diving ...and why even keep moving, why not stop or go into reverse away from the mine, and report the mine and it's location to a mine sweeper properly equipped to deal with the mine ....or....keep a safe distance, report the position, then use the large deck gun to fire at the mine from a safe distance...until you hit it and destroy the mine. I realize this was done to create a plot for the movie. But in real life the move made by the Captain would not have been a wise one.
Correct me if I'm wrong but couldn't the diver have taken down replacement escape breathing equipment, put them through the open hatches, then closed those hatches from the outside, so allowing the last men to open the inner hatch and re use the chamber to escape?
@@melbeasley9762 The two hatches were already filled with water and had no way of removing it. They would not have been able to get hold of the delivered rescue equipment. HM Submarine Thetis, along with USS Thresher were to instigate the development of DSRV (Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle) within the Royal and US navies.
I agree. They should have been able to save the third set of men somehow. If they were almost at the surface. They might have even been able to free dive to the surface without gear, if they weren't too deep. Just quitting because of weather when they were so close to getting them up ...seems stupid to quit. Also. It seems to me that the submarine hanging on the cables would have actually acted like sea ballast - a sort of ballasted sea anchor which actually should have reduced the pitching and heaving of the two vessels doing the lift.
@@AJHyland63 I would have thought that divers could have put breathing equipment in and then closed the outer hatch. Then the guys inside could have opened the inner hatch, if that were possible with the water pressure above it, and yes flooded the sub a bit more but it would have taken it. If the inner hatch couldn't be opened then those submarines should have carried a drill so that the men inside could drill a hole through the inner hatch to let that water in the sub and then they could have opened it as there would then be no water pressure above it. I'm assuming the inner hatch opened upwards and into the water. Does this sound crazy?
I have never heard of this movie before, nor the HMS Truculent incident referred to at the beginning in the credits. Unusual to see John Mills character die in a movie, can't thin of any other military movie he stars in where that happens. I really enjoyed the film though, seems very well made. Thank you for sharing it with us.
It came out just after the HMS Truculent incident in which 64 souls were lost, it is referenced in the opening credits. 12 Jan 1950, after the filming of Morning Departure had been completed but before general release to the public. The film producers decided to go ahead with the film release, with the tribute in the credits, as a tribute to the bravery of Royal Naval personnel. The film was released in UK 21 Feb 1950. HMS Affray was sadly lost on 16 Apr 1951.
@@adamlee3772 I note that in addition to the mention of the HMS Truculent incident in the opening credits they also mention right at the beginning that the rescue procedures used don`t reflect current (1950) rescue procedures.
Remember watching this with my Dad years ago. Glad he didn’t have to witness the destruction of our Christian island, our people, our civilisation, democracy, Navy and Reformation. God bless you all in the name of Jesus Christ.
Years ago, a couple of decades now, I read that there were then fewer shipbuilders, miners, and ironworkers in Great Britain -- combined -- than waiters in curry restaurants. And I'm now writing these words in the same week that Harland & Wolff was made bankrupt! Also, one has learnt that the contemporary British Army (all the full-time regulars) could be fitted into Wembley Stadium, with enough room left over for in excess of 10,000 civilian football fans to join Our Boys in cheering on the Three Lions. Oh, well.
That was actually very common in the days of old. Many people had almost puritan attitudes toward sex. Some considered it to be for procreation, not recreation. 🤷♂️
Not so unusual at the time, especially with upper classes. Single beds gave a better sleep and grumpy pumpy was more exciting after a minor expedition.
Sorry, but a rescue could have been done. A compressed tank could have been used to clear one of the escape hatches and the trapped men given one the little rebreathers they were using and off to the surface they could have gone. The man doing the rescue would have had to use a rebreather himself because a hard hat diver could not get into the hatch without it. I guess no one there could figure that out. A last minute rescue would have been a fine ending. I enjoyed the film but kind of wish I could have been there. This is not any kind of brag, I guess we just know more now.
Carefully read the titles right at the beginning (at the bottom, quite small). The filmmakers were well aware that there were issues with the way the rescue was portrayed, but as this was an adaptation of a stage and radio play that had been around for several years by 1950, they went with the original script and a certain amount of dramatic license.
Exactly....and keep a safe distance then use the deck gun to destroy the mine? But then, I guess there would be no drama or plot involving a rescue...lol.
havent seen this yet but a ship doesnt stop on a dime, it takes a considerable distance to stop then reverse, turning also moves the bow one way but the stern moves the other, gets complicated.
FABULOUS MOVIE ❤
It was actually a law in England that all wartime navy movies had to star John Mills.
@@PointyTailofSatan I’m not sure if John Mills actually served in the armed forces, so perhaps he was more readily available. Perhaps someone will correct me if I’m wrong.
Haven't heard that one 😕
The movie was 1950
@daveyr7454 He was in The Army but was invalid out in 1942 and spent the rest of the was making films He plays a superb officer.
Check out 'Tunes of Glory' 😊
That's funny, I got a good laugh out of that one.
Absolutely superb, all down to script, direction and pure acting ability. No need to depend on dramatic effects or AI.
In the 1950's when I was about 13 or 14 years old Mornning Departure was produced as a radio play My Father who was a radio ham got me an old Pye valve radio which had a very distinct musty smelll and dull yellow flowing dial. I listened, on my own, in the dark, totally rivited to the radio. I saw the men in the sub as being in the dark as I was. Unforgettable introduction to fine drama.
Great Story
I am a ham. Usn rn vet
@@jockmazza I still have many of my late Father's QSL cards.He had a very early UK call sign G4IY
@@jockmazza USN vet HM3 - ,K8IDF
I was born in Exeter in 46. Basic RAF training on Dartmoor.. Have done some sailing. SCUBA nut on Malta. Dived with buddies on sunken Blenheim off Malta 180ft, thought it was a Beaufighter.
How did this brilliant film pass me by , I've watched hundreds of British 40/50s films but never seen this one and with such an amazing cast. Thanks for posting it here.
A Great Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
Bloody brilliant,Royal Navy good bless em
Thank You
There's something about these ol' time chaps, even in the novels of the day, like Neville Shute, honor, courage and brotherly love. Cheerie O'.
A good old golden oldie. Some great British stars in it . Many thanks for the upload.
Thank You 😊 🙏
Thank you so much for this movie. I first watched it a lifetime ago. Nostalgic and happy memories of all those actors long gone.
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
Excellent movie.
Thank You 😊 🙏
Understated and emotive, the quality shows.
Superb, classic film... And fairly accurate for its time and one of the first productions to focus more on the human element of life in the 'Silent Service'. These movies paved the way to the likes of 'Grey Lady Down' and 'Das Boot'.
Interesting to note the use of the emergency term 'Subsmash'. Though ordinarily this emergency status would have been preceded by 'Submiss' as soon as a boat failed to report in on its appointed comms schedule. The final status being 'Subsunk'.
The well portrayed 'free ascent' procedure; albeit with a plot twist - lack of enough compressed air to blow the escape towers/gun loading hatches, limiting their use to one operation, adding some drama to the story.
Nice to see this classic again...A young George Cole and Richard Attenborough.
And early Kenneth More.
First class film, thank you!
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
I have to say that I really enjoyed watching this movie. Well worth the watch. 😊 I was introduced to an officer who was based at Faslane in Scotland. He didn't discuss anything about being aboard a nuclear submarine. It would appear that they operate under the strictest secrecy, which I can fully appreciate. There is no question though, that submariners really a different breed. I'm not sure how many of us could cope being submerged for such long periods in a confined space.
Thank You 😊 🙏
@@ScottieMcClue Thank you for the upload. I just came across your channel by accident. And I'm very glad that I found it!
No woke folk back in the day, and all good old British. Good old Sunday film. Cheers Scottie. Thoroughly enjoyed.
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
Interesting that someone sees it as an opportunity to mention ‘woke’. Perhaps the film could be shown at Reform’s party conference (if they have one)? Or re-enacted with Nigel playing the part of the captain. He surely has the moral standing for it.
No oak Cokes jack in the hay for Whiny Whinersons who want to go back to Russia.
@@davidhoyle6626 ❄
So true, a much better time although a war had battered England 🏴 the British endured so much hardship incredible, I admire their courage and grit.
great film Thanks for posting such good acting
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
Fantastic cast, UA-cam gold..
Thank you kindly
"As a submariner with 6 'boomer' patrols, the film accurately depicted a bouyant ascent from 90 feet. At sub school we did 2 ascents from 50 feet. On the way up you have to forcefully expel several several lungfulls of of air as it is continuously expanding.
wow....for king and country
As an ex submariner... If the boat had a double gun chamber and conning tower chamber. Either one could have let a diver in the open hatch to shut it. Then the chamber drained for another escape. Diver could have taken down spare escape kits..
As an ex 1960's A - boat man I agree
Just what I thought and i'm an ex pongo.
@@martindl99 Pongo, not heard that term in a long time. Is that slang for Marine? Can't remember now, just remember hearing it as a young lad.
@@adamlee3772 Wherever the Army goes, the pong goes too
A. Very. Good. Top. Classic. War. Movie 🎞 a. Absolutely. Movie. To. See. 🎬 💯💢💥💫💣💣💣
Whit. Pleasure. 🎞👍
Wow another great film.
Blimey, that caused a tear or two.
This film was a reminder of the 1939 HMS Thetis totally unexpected terrible tragedy. I see the same type of a submarine was used.
HMS Tiptoe was used for the external shots of the submarine (not HMS Thetis). HMS Maidstone was the depot ship. My father served aboard HMS Tiptoe for some years when she was based in the Clyde and in Malta.
Well I thought that was a spectacular film ...drama at its best
Absolutely 💯
Any other recommemdations?
Excellent film and cast. The name "Snipe" for the Attenborough character is the US Navy and Merchant Mariine slang term for members of the'black gang' or engineering ratings. This iis at least the 3rd submarine film starring
John Mills I can recall.
John Mills liked to perform in war movies...
@@johnfalstaff2270 yes he did, he was born at Watts Naval School, 1908.
@@johnfalstaff2270 indeed. He was in the Royal Engineers in WW2 and was honourably discharged due to serious illness prior to the end of the war.
Ecellent thoroughly enjoyed it . Thank you.
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
Very good movie!
Thank You 😊 🙏
Excellent, gripping classic, thanks
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
Junior rates saying “first lieutenant”??? Never, he was the Jimmy 😎😎😎😎
A friend of mine died yesterday..........
.....a very moving film, this!
I send you STRENGTH
Thanks 🙏
Great movie 🍿
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
Based on the HM Thetis
Yes. Even the same type of a submarine. Not lucky at all...
@@johnfalstaff2270 Not that surprising as the "T" class was a very common type of submarine used during WW2 by the RN. Thetis herself was salvaged, renamed HMS Thunderbolt and served throughout the war.
@@AbelMcTalisker. Served throughout the war? No... Thunderbolt inherited bad luck from Thetis, because was sunk on 14 March 1943 by the Italian corvette Cicogna.
@@johnfalstaff2270 Yes, I`d actually forgotten about that when I made the earlier post. She was definitely unlucky.
Brilliant.
Thank You 😊 🙏
Core a young George Cole aka Arthur Daily. Gordon Jackson, all so young
Part of the joy is seeing all these superb actors 👏 throughout life 👏 🙌
What no Sam Kydd ?
@@robertsmith3672 Sam Kydd was without doubt an essential underpin character to any decent B&W film of the 1950s.
Arthur Daley, not Daily.
@@davidlauder-qi5zv And his mate - George Coal...
I watched this classic navy/submarine movie a day or so ago.....somehow ended up starting to watch it again just now. It is a really interesting movie, about a topic seldom covered....making an underwater emergency escape from a submarine stranded hundreds of feet below the surface.... But in watching it the second time....Things stood out now knowing the ending of the movie and the fact that the entire crew was lost except for 8 very lucky men. But watching again, I asked, why on earth did the submarine captain dive under near this mine knowing it might be triggered accidentally. The submarine was on the surface, where escape was much easier vs. diving ...and why even keep moving, why not stop or go into reverse away from the mine, and report the mine and it's location to a mine sweeper properly equipped to deal with the mine ....or....keep a safe distance, report the position, then use the large deck gun to fire at the mine from a safe distance...until you hit it and destroy the mine. I realize this was done to create a plot for the movie. But in real life the move made by the Captain would not have been a wise one.
Perhaps you need to watch it again? The boat was already dived.
Great Movie!
Thank You 😊 🙏
Correct me if I'm wrong but couldn't the diver have taken down replacement escape breathing equipment, put them through the open hatches, then closed those hatches from the outside, so allowing the last men to open the inner hatch and re use the chamber to escape?
@@melbeasley9762 The two hatches were already filled with water and had no way of removing it. They would not have been able to get hold of the delivered rescue equipment. HM Submarine Thetis, along with USS Thresher were to instigate the development of DSRV (Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle) within the Royal and US navies.
I agree. They should have been able to save the third set of men somehow. If they were almost at the surface. They might have even been able to free dive to the surface without gear, if they weren't too deep. Just quitting because of weather when they were so close to getting them up ...seems stupid to quit. Also. It seems to me that the submarine hanging on the cables would have actually acted like sea ballast - a sort of ballasted sea anchor which actually should have reduced the pitching and heaving of the two vessels doing the lift.
@@AJHyland63 I would have thought that divers could have put breathing equipment in and then closed the outer hatch. Then the guys inside could have opened the inner hatch, if that were possible with the water pressure above it, and yes flooded the sub a bit more but it would have taken it. If the inner hatch couldn't be opened then those submarines should have carried a drill so that the men inside could drill a hole through the inner hatch to let that water in the sub and then they could have opened it as there would then be no water pressure above it. I'm assuming the inner hatch opened upwards and into the water. Does this sound crazy?
I have never heard of this movie before, nor the HMS Truculent incident referred to at the beginning in the credits. Unusual to see John Mills character die in a movie, can't thin of any other military movie he stars in where that happens. I really enjoyed the film though, seems very well made. Thank you for sharing it with us.
A Pleasure 🙏 ☺️
This movie came out around the time Britain lost HMS Affray with 75 lives, the last time a British submarine was lost.
It came out just after the HMS Truculent incident in which 64 souls were lost, it is referenced in the opening credits. 12 Jan 1950, after the filming of Morning Departure had been completed but before general release to the public. The film producers decided to go ahead with the film release, with the tribute in the credits, as a tribute to the bravery of Royal Naval personnel. The film was released in UK 21 Feb 1950. HMS Affray was sadly lost on 16 Apr 1951.
@@adamlee3772 Thanks for the information.
@@adamlee3772 I note that in addition to the mention of the HMS Truculent incident in the opening credits they also mention right at the beginning that the rescue procedures used don`t reflect current (1950) rescue procedures.
Remember watching this with my Dad years ago. Glad he didn’t have to witness the destruction of our Christian island, our people, our civilisation, democracy, Navy and Reformation. God bless you all in the name of Jesus Christ.
Wow there are more ships in the harbor at the beginning of the movie than the entire Royal Navy has now!
...and a great many more will be on the high seas and scattered across the World
Years ago, a couple of decades now, I read that there were then fewer shipbuilders, miners, and ironworkers in Great Britain -- combined -- than waiters in curry restaurants. And I'm now writing these words in the same week that Harland & Wolff was made bankrupt!
Also, one has learnt that the contemporary British Army (all the full-time regulars) could be fitted into Wembley Stadium, with enough room left over for in excess of 10,000 civilian football fans to join Our Boys in cheering on the Three Lions. Oh, well.
Portland hbr. Used in many old Naval films.
Portland Bill
@@ScottieMcClue Portland Bill is the pointy bit at the end. In the Cruel Sea it is Plymouth they start in and Portland they finish in.
Excellent Thank You 😊 🙏
Many married couples have two single beds, for different reasons.
That was actually very common in the days of old. Many people had almost puritan attitudes toward sex. Some considered it to be for procreation, not recreation. 🤷♂️
@@stargazer5784 I doubt it. The majority were just like us today. You get a better nights sleep if you sleep in different beds.
Different bedrooms if possible
@@mikeanderson4401 One can always meet up in the hallway.
@@mikeanderson4401 Better still, own bathrooms. So none of that embarrasing "Better give it 5 minutes luv".
Real movie not that computer crap.👍🇺🇸
If the last man had shut the hatch it could be reused by air rising into it?
Rodger ! Aka Big X.
Great Escape 👍
Why does a married couple have two single beds, only for the film censors,but not in real life
I'M SURE MANY WILL AND PERHAPS EVEN SEPERATE ROOMS IF BOTH ARE FULLY EMPLOYED AND MAYBE SHIFTWORKERS 🤔
@petercooper9277 In Germany I was surprised to see Married couples sleeping in separate beds alot. Lived there for 5 yrs.
@@ScottieMcCluegreat film Scottie
Not so unusual at the time, especially with upper classes. Single beds gave a better sleep and grumpy pumpy was more exciting after a minor expedition.
@@richardtempleton8840 did you often sneak in to peoples bedrooms at night and watch them sleeping in separate beds? 😉😁
Sorry, but a rescue could have been done. A compressed tank could have been used to clear one of the escape hatches and the trapped men given one the little rebreathers they were using and off to the surface they could have gone. The man doing the rescue would have had to use a rebreather himself because a hard hat diver could not get into the hatch without it. I guess no one there could figure that out. A last minute rescue would have been a fine ending. I enjoyed the film but kind of wish I could have been there. This is not any kind of brag, I guess we just know more now.
Carefully read the titles right at the beginning (at the bottom, quite small). The filmmakers were well aware that there were issues with the way the rescue was portrayed, but as this was an adaptation of a stage and radio play that had been around for several years by 1950, they went with the original script and a certain amount of dramatic license.
Why didn't the Captain reverse?
Exactly....and keep a safe distance then use the deck gun to destroy the mine? But then, I guess there would be no drama or plot involving a rescue...lol.
havent seen this yet but a ship doesnt stop on a dime, it takes a considerable distance to stop then reverse, turning also moves the bow one way but the stern moves the other, gets complicated.
*1950*
Correct
What are the 39 steps?😺
The thirty-nine steps are an organisation BANG ....did I get it right sir? ✅️ 😔
Disappointing , no diversity , equality and inclusion.
1940's U.S. military was a racially segregated institution,
LoL.