The Bedford Incident
| The Bedford Incident | |
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 theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | James B. Harris |
| Produced by | James B. Harris Richard Widmark |
| Screenplay by | James Poe |
| Based on | The Bedford Incident by Mark Rascovich |
| Starring | Richard Widmark Sidney Poitier |
| Music by | Gerard Schurmann |
| Cinematography | Gilbert Taylor |
| Editing by | John Jympson |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 11, 1965 |
| Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
The Bedford Incident is a 1965 British-American Cold War film starring Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier, and co-produced by Richard Widmark. The cast also features James MacArthur, Martin Balsam, Wally Cox and Eric Portman, as well as early appearances by Donald Sutherland and Ed Bishop. The screenplay by James Poe is based on the 1963 book by Mark Rascovich, which was patterned after Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.
The film was directed by James B. Harris, who up to that time was best known as Stanley Kubrick's producer. Harris had recently split from a nine-year partnership with Kubrick. Just after the split, Kubrick would make Dr. Strangelove (1964), which raises similar issues to The Bedford Incident.
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[edit] Plot
The American destroyer USS Bedford (DLG-113) detects a Soviet submarine in the GIUK gap near the Greenland coast. Though they are not at war, Captain Eric Finlander (Widmark) harries his prey mercilessly, while civilian reporter Ben Munceford (Poitier) and NATO naval advisor, Commodore (and ex-World War II U-boat captain) Wolfgang Schrepke (Portman), look on with mounting alarm. Because the submarine is not powered by a nuclear reactor, its submerged endurance is limited. This gives Finlander an advantage, but also means the Russians will be more desperate. The film also features James MacArthur as Ensign Ralston, an inexperienced young officer who is constantly being criticized by his captain for small errors. Also joining the ship is Lieutenant Commander Chester Potter, Medical Corps, USNR (Martin Balsam), the ship's new doctor who is a reservist recently recalled to active duty.
Munceford is on board in order to write an article of life on a navy destroyer, but his real interest is Captain Finlander who was recently passed over for promotion to rear admiral. Munceford is curious as to why. He is treated with mounting hostility by the captain because he is seen as a civilian putting his nose where it does not belong and because he disagrees with Finlander's decision to continue with an unnecessary and dangerous confrontation. Finlander treats as unwanted anyone who isn't involved in the hunt for the Russian submarine - including the doctor. (Finlander uses the ship's medical staff to sift through garbage possibly dumped by the Russian sub.)
The crew becomes increasingly fatigued by the unrelenting pursuit. The conflict escalates into a collision between Bedford and the Soviet submarine. Captain Finlander orders Bedford to withdraw to a safe distance. He reassures Munceford and Schrepke that he is in command of the situation and that he won't fire first, but that "If he fires one, I'll fire one." Ensign Ralston, clearly on edge due to the ordeal, mistakes Finlander's boast as an order to fire, and launches one of Bedford's anti-submarine rockets (ASROC) at the sub. The crew can only watch helplessly as the ASROC destroys the Russian sub. The crew of Bedford have little opportunity for regret before their sonar detects a salvo of four torpedoes coming at the destroyer, apparently fired by the Russian when he detected the ASROC. Finlander orders evasive maneuvering and the use of countermeasures but realization has already dawned on everyone, except Munceford, that the approaching torpedoes will be nuclear. Finlander, in shock, leaves the bridge, trailed by a panicking Munceford. The movie ends with still shots of various crewmen "melting" as if the celluloid film were burning as Bedford and her crew are vaporized. The last image of the film is an iconic, towering mushroom cloud from the torpedo detonations.
[edit] Differences from the Book
The film follows the novel fairly closely. However, the two have completely different endings. In the novel, the Russian submarine does not fire back at Bedford before being destroyed, and the crew of the American ship ends up skimming the sea for the remains of the sub. Finlander, in shock, receives word of his promotion - the Pentagon being oblivious to the result of the Bedford's hunt. Schrepke, realizing the catastrophic consequences that will stem from the Bedford's attack, sabotages one of the remaining ASROC's, and destroys the ship. Munceford survives the destruction - he is the sole survivor - and the book ends with him about to be found by the submarine's mothership, the Novosibirsk (an exact parallel with Moby Dick).
[edit] Production
The Bedford Incident was mostly filmed at Shepperton Studios in England, although some shots at sea were used, including a vessel portraying a Russian intelligence ship (with English, and not Cyrillic lettering along the side), and a Royal Navy frigate (HMS Wakeful) portraying Bedford in one scene. Some of the scenes were also shot on another Royal Navy Frigate HMS Troubridge.
USS Bedford (DLG-113) is a fictitious guided missile destroyer. No ship of the United States Navy has been named Bedford, or had the hull classification symbol DLG-113, but the role of Bedford was played by a Farragut-class destroyer.
The actual ship used in production was the USS MACDONOUGH (DLG-8 / DDG -39)
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
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