The Bedford Incident

Yeah, it's a lot of work being a mean bastard.

The Bedford Incident is directed by James B. Harris and is adapted by James Poe from the 1963 book by Mark Rascovich. It stars Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier, with Widmark co-producing. The cast also features James McArthur, Martin Balsam, Wally Cox and Eric Portman, as well as early appearances by Donald Sutherland and Ed Bishop.

The story is set during the Cold War and focuses on the captain and crew of the USS Bedford as it patrols the North Atlantic waters for Russian submarine activities. Capt. Eric Findlander (Widmark) is a tough authoritarian figure who drives his crew hard and keeps them ever ready for any sort of incidents that may arise. They respond loyally to his ethics, t...

There is something of the "Enemy Below" (1957) in this tautly directed naval cat and mouse thriller. Richard Widmark ("Finlander") is captain of the USS "Bedford" an American destroyer that is on the tail of a Soviet submarine caught in it's territorial waters. What ensues now is tense and nerve-wracking as the captain must play his dangerous game under the scrutiny of journalist "Munceford" (Sidney Poitier) and an observing German Commodore - and former U-boat commander - (Eric Portman), keeping his ship on maximum readiness as the his crew and his officers start to fray a bit round the edges. Widmark is good in this, less so Poitier - his part is maybe just too restricted by the environment and his dialogue isn't great, but Portman offers...