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Devil And The Deep

1932, Movie, NR, 72 mins

Devil And The Deep: Review

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Bankhead is almost inert, Cooper is less than forceful, and Laughton steals the show. Laughton is a submarine commander stationed on the northern coast of Africa. It's peacetime for the British Navy, but there is anything but peace in Laughton's household. He's married to Bankhead and a more jealous man could not be found in any climate. As the picture begins, Laughton has transferred one of his aides for "negligence," but it's just a ruse. The real reason is Laughton's unfounded suspicion of his wife's infidelity. Bankhead and Laughton argue and she goes into an Arabian town where the locals are celebrating a Moslem feast day. She is swept along by the huge crowd and almost panics until a tall young man, Cooper, rescues her and they step into a small shop where he buys her a bottle of inexpensive perfume to placate the jabbering store owner. When the crowd disperses, Cooper and Bankhead drive into the desert. She opens the perfume bottle and spills a bit of it on her dress, then uses his handkerchief to wipe it off. Their relationship deepens quickly and they spend the night together, but in the cold light of the following morning she insists that they not see each other again. She returns home and Laughton sniffs the perfume on her dress but keeps his emotions in check as he is happy to have her back. Further, he is buoyed by the knowledge that his new aide (to replace the one he'd sent away) is about to arrive. The new lieutenant walks in and it's . . . you'll never guess . . . Cooper. Laughton, being blessed with a magnificent nose, smells Cooper's handkerchief when the man inadvertently drops it. (Shakespeare used the same sorry device.) Bankhead enters, sees who the new aide is, and almost faints. Laughton goes to the sub, and Bankhead follows him there, knowing that he is capable of very strange actions when he is enraged. Laughton traps Bankhead in his cabin, then heads directly for a freighter and hands the controls to Cooper just before they smash into the ship. The vessel sinks and Laughton tells the crew members that Cooper is responsible. The sub sinks to the bottom and, in an emotional scene, Bankhead manages to convince the crew that her husband is mad. The men escape via the hatch, taking orders from Cooper. Laughton takes an axe to his wife's portrait and begins to smash it to bits. The water rushes in and he is drowned in his cabin while the others get away. The only thing to recommend this movie is Laughton's outstanding performance. Lesser actors would have had a field day chewing up the bulkhead in various "mad" scenes, but Laughton's remarkable restraint made the character all the more plausible. This was his first American film. He was 33 years old and already a giant as an actor, but the best was yet to come. leave a comment
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