This is a boring & patented script: 2 men are in love with the same woman, the battles are very unrealistic, & the cast is quite weak. The most significant part of this film is Ronald & Nancy Reagan (future American President & First Lady) are cast in this. Please know I mean no disrespect to any & all submariners of all navies. Anyone who climbed into a "tin can" was brave as could be. Basically, "Hellcats Of The Navy" is a low budget propaganda vehicle for the U.S. Navy. Taken as a whole, I would skip this & watch "Run Silent, Run Deep" (1958) directed by Robert Wise & starring Burt Lancaster along with Clark Gable. Released the year after this film, it is a much better watch. Of all countries which participated in WWII, I believe the German fleet of U-Boats were superior. They could dive deeper & faster than any other comparable ships. After America was involved, the U-Boats were vastly outnumbered, their secret orders (using infamous "Enigma" machines") were famously deciphered by the Royal Navy of Great Britain. Perhaps the largest challenge is sonar was used to triangulate their positions. In spite of overwhelming odds, they sank far more ships (by measurement of total tonnage) than any other navy. Out of 40,000 German crewmen, only 10,000 returned; a staggering toll. Regardless of what we see in films, submariners were of their own ilk. For me, the very best submarine film in cinema history is "Das Boot" (1981). Of course, it was released well over 2 decades later. Still, all of the special effects are done without the aid of CGI. It is a stunningly realistic & incredible film. An absolute must-see for all fans of the "submarine genre".
Review of Hellcats of the Navy
