Released: November 1965

Directed by: James B. Harris

Cast: Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, James MacArthur, Martin Balsam, Wally Cox, Eric Portman, Michael Kane, Gary Cockrell, Phil Brown, and Donald Sutherland as Hospitalman Nerney.

Some spoilers.

Cold War movies usually lurk in the shadows. The shadowy alleyways of East or West Berlin or an endless Scandinavian night. The Bedford Incident exists in the shadows of the bridge of the USS Bedford, a US Navy destroyer patrolling the Denmark Strait off the coast of Greenland. It also exists in the shadow of Dr. Strangelove (1964) and Fail Safe (1964). Two similar, yet very different Cold War films. The Bedford Incident is every bit their equal.

While Strangelove and Fail Safe tell basically the same story, one comedic, one deadly serious, deal with the Air Force mistakenly sending bombers into Soviet Russia. The Bedford Incident is at sea. But the themes of obsession, paranoia, mental instability and mental breakdowns are the same.

Captain Eric Finlander (Richard Widmark) commands the USS Bedford, and the Bedford is not your typical Naval destroyer. Finlander is a hard, disciplined commander who demands perfection from his crew. The crew performs their duties better than any other crew in the fleet and without complaint. Any shortcoming is usually met with a tearing down by the captain in front of the crew. The only members of the crew who seem to be able to challenge Finlander are Executive Officer Allison (Michael Kane) and Commodore Schrepke (Eric Portman) a NATO consultant specializing in submarine tactics.

Newly arrived on the ship are Ben Munceford (Sidney Poitier), a civilian reporter sent to write about life on a destroyer. And Lt. Commander Chester Potter (Martin Balsam), a replacement Chief Medical Officer that Finlander did not request nor want. Potter quickly finds out that he will have little to do. The crew never reports for sick call, and Capt. Finlander dislikes him intensely simply for his presence on his ship and belittles him every opportunity he can.

Finlander tolerates Munceford, who quickly challenges Finlander’s command style. Munceford takes the opportunity to dissect and breakdown Finlander, only to find out he is a complex enigma.

The Bedford’s mission is to track Soviet subs and make sure they stay in international waters. Off the coast of Greenland, the Bedford makes sonar contact with a sub, codenamed ‘Big Red’, that is well within Greenland’s territorial waters. Finlander sees his chance to challenge the sub. Although his orders state he is to escort the sub to international waters, he would prefer to engage the sub.

Munceford is more fascinated with Finlander than he is with life on the ship and again tries to chip away at Finlander with only moderate success. As a commander, Finlander’s only triumph was forcing a Soviet sub to surface off the coast of Cuba around the time of the Cuban missile crisis, for which he received much praise. At the time Finlander stated the US needed to be more aggressive when it came to the Soviets, making him a controversial figure. Munsford digs but is met with hostility.

The hunter and the hunted is a theme that is frequently repeated in The Bedford Incident. Only the hunter is forbidden to strike the final blow. This is what may be eating away at Finlander, and why he pushes his crew so hard. Like Capt. Ahab, Finlander is obsessed.

Pushing his crew is Finlander’s weakness. Ensign Ralston (James MacArthur) is a young bridge officer who is eager to please. Finlander repeatedly rakes him over the coals, only to tell him he acted correctly under the circumstances. This has not gone unnoticed by the Exec, who suggests Finlander should back off a bit, because Ralston is a good officer. Finlander can only see Ralston as a privileged Ivy leaguer who needs to be reminded of his place. The more Finlander pushes, the harder Ralston tries, and the more mistakes he makes. Finlander just doesn’t get it.

In contrast, Seaman Queffle (Wally Cox), the Bedford’s sonar expert is treated by Finlander like a pal. Often giving Queffle a slap on the back and allowing Queffle to joke with him. Finlander relies on Queffle more than anyone else on the ship and is not immune to the captain’s style of command. Queffle is a cool character.

Both James MacArthur and Wally Cox are excellent in The Bedford Incident. Wally Cox especially. Known mostly for being a regular on Hollywood Squares, Cox ‘s breakdown at a pivotal moment is not foreseen, completely convincing and understandable.

Ralston and Queffle are complete opposites. One eager to please, but so rattled by the captain breathing down his neck, his performance is below par. The other effortlessly does his job earning the captain’s trust and respect. However, both will fail him.

The Bedford Incident is a slow burn of tension that never faulters. This is possibly Richard Widmark’s best performance as the flawed and dangerous Capt. Finlander. His slow-motion meltdown is in perfect sync with the building tension. Sidney Poitier’s Munsford, is perfect as the civilian perspective to the escalating situation, and Finlander’s inquisitor.

Pairing The Bedford Incident with Fail Safe might be the better double feature. But adding Dr. Strangelove and all its brilliance to the mix, The Bedford Incident still holds its own as a Cold War nuclear confrontation thriller. The Bedford Incident need not lurk in the shadows any longer.

The Bedford Incident is available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment or for rent through Amazon Prime.