“THUNDER AFLOAT”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 27 January 1940, Page 4

“THUNDER AFLOAT”

Adding another prize portrait to his gallery of memorable characterisations, Wallace Beery climbs still another rung in stellar rating as the tugboat captain who joins the navy and tries to fight the war single-handed in “Thunder Afloat.” Breathtaking as the action thrills of the picture are, Beery still dominates the story in two-fisted fashion, with Chester Morris lending notable support as his tugboat rival and Virginia Grey, as Beery’s daughter, the only woman in the cast, holding the romantic interest with refreshing zest and appeal. The action shots at sea are the most realistic ever brought to the screen as sub_chasers and U-boats engage in warfare, a lightship is torpedoed, a Gloucester schooner attempts to ram a submarine and is sunk by gunfire, and the undersea boat finally is crippled with depth bombs. In the uniformly excellent supporting cast are Douglas Dumbrille as the District Commander, Carl Esmond as the U-boat captain, Clem Bevans, John Qualen, Regis Toomey, Charles Lane, Phillip Terry, Henry Victor, Addison Richards, Hans Joby, Henry Hunter and Jonathan Hale.