Submarine Raider
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Lew Landers
John Howard
Marguerite Chapman
Bruce Bennett
Warren Ashe
Eileen O'hearn
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
On the afternoon of 6 Dec 1941, a Japanese aircraft carrier, the Hiranamu , drifts quietly in the South Pacific when a message from Tokyo suddenly brings the vessel to life. Ordering full steam ahead, Capt. Yamanada looks at his map and draws a circle around Pearl Harbor. That afternoon, in the same waters, Grant Duncan entertains some friends on the yacht Vayu , while the American submarine Sea Serpent , under the command of Chris Warren, is taking a routine cruise. When the watch on the Hiranamu spies the Vayu , Capt. Yamanada informs his aides that there are to be no witnesses to the carrier's presence and orders the yacht shelled. The yacht sinks and only Sue Curry and two other passengers survive. Sue and the others are relieved to see a plane flying overhead until its Japanese pilot rakes their lifeboat with his guns. Sue escapes by jumping over the side and is later picked up by the Sea Serpent . Shortly after the Japanese pilot returns and reports that all the survivors are dead, the Hiranamu picks up the submarine's attempt to radio Sue's story to the mainland. Knowing that the pilot failed, Yamanada orders him to kill himself. Then he dispatches another plane, piloted by his own son, to sink the submarine. At the same time, the radio operator aboard the carrier jams the airwaves to prevent the submarine's message from reaching the mainland. When the plane attacks the sub, Chris saves his craft by making a crash dive. In the return fire, the pilot is wounded, sending the plane crashing out of control to a watery death. With night approaching, the Hiranamu steals ahead. As darkness covers Pearl Harbor, Bill Warren, Chris's brother and a government agent, senses impending disaster. Early in the evening, an attempt is made on Bill's life. Later, at a café, Bill notices some strange signaling being sent from a room in the café to an offshore ship. Sneaking into the office from which the signals emanate, Bill is struck from behind by a Japanese operative and left unconscious. The next morning, Bill awakens to the sound of Japanese bomber planes buzzing overhead. Bill tries to phone the local news broadcaster to warn him, but he is cut off. Meanwhile, the men onboard the Sea Serpent are listening to the news broadcast over their damaged radio set when there is a dramatic interruption and the announcer exclaims that Pearl Harbor is being bombed. Listening unemotionally as his brother's death is announced, Chris hatches a plan to trap the Japanese carrier. Knowing that the Hiranamu is somewhere in the vicinity, Chris instructs a Japanese speaking sailor to impersonate the downed pilot, hoping to lure the carrier to the submarine. After the planes responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor return to the carrier, Capt. Yamanada steers the ship toward the submarine. As the carrier nears, the Sea Serpent torpedoes the ship, thus avenging Pearl Harbor.
Director
Lew Landers
Cast
John Howard
Marguerite Chapman
Bruce Bennett
Warren Ashe
Eileen O'hearn
Nino Pipitone
Philip Ahn
Larry Parks
Rudy Robles
Roger Clark
Forrest Tucker
Eddie Laughton
Stanley Brown
Jack Shay
Gary Breckner
Hans Von Morhart
Allen Jung
Richard Loo
Paul Fung
Chester Gan
Roland Got
Keye Luke
Juan Varro
John Holland
Lal Chand Mehra
Alma Carroll
James Leong
George Lee
Beal Wong
Eddie Lee
George Walcott
John Tyrrell
Bruce Wong
Luke Chan
Crew
Lionel Banks
Irving Briskin
Seymour Friedman
John Goodrich
William Lyon
Wallace Macdonald
Franz Planer
M. W. Stoloff
Aubrey Wisberg
Paul Youngblood
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Missing Submarine. Although a Hollywood Reporter chart places William Wright in the cast, his participation in the released film has not been confirmed. Another Hollywood Reporter news item notes that the Hawaiian scenes were filmed at Rancho Santa Ana in Southern California. To lend authenticity to the Pearl Harbor scenes, the film utilized footage taken near the U.S. Naval base that was originally shot for the picture Honolulu Lu, but was then held back for inclusion in this film, according to another Hollywood Reporter news item. For additional films dealing with the attack on Pearl Harbor, for Wake Island and consult the Subject Index.
