With wars looming in the Middle East and Vladimir Putin making more threats of using nuclear weapons should NATO countries continue to escalate their proxy participation in supplying Ukraine, the movie, “The Bedford Incident” becomes even more realistic and timeless than we might think, but in 1965 in the midst of the “Cold War” the movie not only freaked out audiences, but neither the US Navy nor the Pentagon would approve of this cinematic warning.

Starring Richard Widmark as captain of the nuclear destroyer, the Bedford, and Sidney Portiere as an embedded journalist, the story becomes intense very quickly. The fact that the described scenario was not some made up plot just to provoke undue paranoia but was a typical case of routine patrol and enemy sub hunting tactics! The Bedford is under NATO command as it patrols the north Atlantic through iceberg laden waters in the vicinity of the Arctic Circle. Captain Finlander, played by Richard Widmark has a reputation for pursuit of enemy subs and near Cuba, she shadowed one of the Soviet diesel driven submarines until he forced them to surface after running over the snorkel the crew needed to breath with. Now, the obsessive captain sees another opportunity to snare another Soviet sub that they’ve discovered has nukes!

Mister Munson, played by Sydney Portiere, the onboard journalist senses that the captain is one hard driving and obsessive skipper who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. That goal is to paralyze and force Soviets to surface their subs wherever they violate NATO allied waters. But, there’s a problem with this genius US Naval officer was in line to become admiral but was passed over, and Mister Munson wants to know why. Aboard the ship is a Navy Medical Officer played by Martin Balsam, a former German U-Boat commander, Eric Portman, as a Commodore acting as an adviser, and a young maritime biologist aboard the Bedford by the name of Donald Sutherland. This all-star cast of supporting actors serve to solidify the believability of the script.

At the time of the movie, all Soviet submarines, even those with nuclear weapons, were driven by diesel fueled engines and had to rely on snorkels that could be spotted on the surface when the underwater vessel was submerged but needed air for the crew. If they could be shadowed long enough by a destroyer even ramming their snorkel, the crew would be forced to surface! Captain Finlander (Richard Widmark) will push his crew and himself beyond d their limits while starting a 24 hour timer on the bridge of the ship that will reveal just how long he has kept the Soviet sub under the waves and eventually starving for air! Martin Balsam, the ship’s doctor, informs the captain that he’s driving his men too hard, and is severely reprimanded by Finlander who has read his file, knows of his numerous divorces, and his need to return to active duty as a result, humiliating his ship’s doctor. The Captain does this to anyone unlucky enough to meet his disapproval!

During the course of the mission one of his bridge officers, a young Ensign Ralston, played by James MacArthur, is pressured and ridden by Captain Finlander throughout the mission which causes the executive officer to confront the captain in order to lighten up on the young crewman. Whenever confronted with his own bluff, Finlander tends to soften up and back off with a subtle warning. As for Mister Munson, the journalist, the relationship becomes antagonistic as the captain is obsessive about secretive areas of the ship that Sydney Portiere’s character does not have authorization for. Mister Munson calls out the captain on several occasions about his tactics and dangerous provocation of the enemy!

The tension increases with the crew under full time alert. A sonar technician man, Wally Cox, normally rock solid man that the captain relies on as his go to specialist succumbs to a nervous breakdown and has to be replaced as he is relieved to sick bay! The hours and minutes tick away as the Captain determinedly shadows and hunts down the Soviet sub but exhausts his crew while doing it! Sydney Portiere’s character sees the signs all around him of a destroyer personnel who are being driven to a fever’s pitch. Then, the clock shows 14 hours have elapsed but they have lost the Soviet sub in the clutter of icebergs. The captain consults with his former U-Boat onboard consultant who advises him to let the Soviet crew go, after all he is the hunter, but it may be time to let go!

After receiving order confirmation by NATO command to take action according to his own discretion, the Captain orders weapons ready once the snorkel of the Soviet sub is spotted on the surface, but they had departed from the water they violated and are about to get away. Young Ensign Ralston who has activated the anti-missile weapons controls becomes the tragic weak link in the chain of command ridden into submission and all too willing to keep from making another mistake, but over hearing the captain who is speaking to Mister Munson and another officer, he launches the deadly anti-ship missile! Captain Finlander shoves the Ensign Ralston out of the way and pulls the de-arming switch to try and stop the missile, but it’s too late. The ordnance does its job and the Soviet sub is destroyed with the crew momentarily applauding the successful kill, but there’s a problem.

The sonar man who replaced Wally Cox’s character picks up a contact at 1500 yards and closing! The Naval sonar technician is tracking a Soviet nuclear torpedo that was launched just before they were destroyed and it’s on the way. Captain Eric Finlander orders typical counter measures, “Right full rudder, all ahead flank!” he then leaves the bridge ominously with the look of a doomed man on his face realizing his actions have led to what comes next, all the while pursued by Sydney Portiere’s journalist character demanding, “What’s next? What the hell do we do now?”

Ominously Mister Munson’s desperate inquiry is answered by a steaming mushroom cloud in the North Atlantic! A full nuclear detonation vaporizes the USS Bedford and its crew! The culmination of a deadly duel in the tensions of the Cold War between a compulsive Captain and his opponent, a Soviet nuclear sub crew, has ended in mutually assured destruction! The audience who watched this story of potential annhilation see the ultimate end game of an arm’s race that threatens the extinction of the human race being played real time all across the globe! The grim realization was undeniable!

The US Navy refused to back the movie and even lend the actual bridge of any US warship to the film crew adding that to depict any US Naval officer in such a mentally distraught state leading to a disaster could not be supported! Instead of the supposed location of the incident occurring at the Denmark Straight, most of the filming occurred in warm Caribbean waters onboard a British warships.

Filming Ships & Location Details

• Exterior ship: HMS Wakeful (F159) provided the opening and exterior shots standing in for the USS Bedford.
• Interior ship: HMS Troubridge was used for below-decks and interior corridor scenes (leaving British equipment like Lee-Enfield rifles visible).
• Studio & Models: Additional scenes and a large model of the ship were filmed in a water tank at Shepperton Studios in the UK and Malta Film Studios.
• Fictional setting (waters): The plot takes place in the North Atlantic Ocean, specifically in the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Courtesy IMBD.

In all likelihood, was this a realistic scenario? Yes! Over the frightening atmosphere of the Cold War, Us reconnaissance planes were shot down by Soviet fighter jets while a cat and mouse game between the US and Russian surface fleets and American nuclear submarines was constantly at play. The Russian Kursk and the USS Scorpion were both sunk under questionable circumstances, and today with the Iran conflict, the ongoing 4 year war between Ukraine and Russia, threats of tactical nukes have been made by Putin’s generals!