Up Periscope

Up Periscope follows Lieutenant Kenneth Braden, a US Navy officer who has just qualified as a frogman and begins a romance with Sally Johnson while on leave in San Diego. When he is posted to Pearl Harbor, he learns that Sally works for naval intelligence and had been assessing whether he was suitable for a secret assignment. He is sent aboard the submarine USS Barracuda to reach Kusaie, an island held by Japanese forces, where he must photograph the enemy's radio codes and return within a strict time limit. Tension also develops between Braden and the submarine's commander during the voyage.

The film was directed by Gordon Douglas, the seventh of the sixteen features he directed in chronological order, coming after Santiago and before Robin and the 7 Hoods. Richard H. Landau wrote the screenplay, and Aubrey Schenck produced for Warner Bros. Pictures with Aubrey Schenck Productions and Lakeside Productions. James Garner plays Braden, with Edmond O'Brien as Commander Paul Stevenson, Andra Martin as Sally Johnson, and supporting turns from Alan Hale Jr., Carleton Carpenter and Frank Gifford.

Released in March 1959 and running 112 minutes, the film is a Second World War action adventure set largely at sea. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.4 from around 2,400 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.2 from a much smaller number of votes. Both suggest a modest but settled reception among viewers rather than broad acclaim.