We’ve talked about BELLE AND BLADE VIDEO before in the Video Risks section. Readers of Einsiders will know that this is a great specialty outlet for war-themed films on video and DVD. Steve Mormando, the Video Guru at Belle and Blade, has a gift for discovering little-known films of this genre. Here are three more great ‘must-have’ titles that Steve has unearthed for war film enthusiasts.

SHARKS & LITTLE FISH (1957 – directed by Frank Wisbar)

Those of you who love DAS BOOT will love this film.

During WWII, three young German sea cadets, fresh from training, arrive for their first tour of duty on the ‘Albatross’, a mine sweeper.

As is to be expected in any coming-of-age war film, the cadets are eager to set out, full of anticipation of the glory of war.

Various episodes serve to introduce the main characters, in particular, cadet Teichmann, before they embark for their first adventure.

It is while at sea we observe one cadet vomiting over the side of the ship, ‘feeding the fish’ as another cadet crudely puts it. While European films in the fifties were free to be more realistic, U.S. films would not be allowed to show something that is arguably distasteful.. With the penchant for graphically showing vomit in so many contemporary films—usually for shock or, inexplicably, ‘comedic’ value—it is interesting to see how ‘old hat’ an idea this really is. Perhaps the purpose eludes me, but I fail to see the artistic merit in portraying bodily functions.

More interesting and dramatic is the use of actual combat footage in some of the sea scenes. It’s always gripping to see such footage and somewhat disturbing to see an Allied plane actually shot down by the Germans, who for most of us, were the enemy in WWII.

In their second action the cadets are compelled to abandon ship. The film’s pace begins to pick up at this point, saving it from the more soapish, landlocked sub-plot of Teichmann falling in love with his first commander’s wife.

For those of you who enjoy Second World War films, you will no doubt notice the familiar face of Wolfgang Preiss as the submarine commander on the cadet’s last assignment. Because this is a German-made film from the 1950s, most of the other actors are unknown to audiences today. This actually aids the believability of the presentation as there are no known stars to detract from our involvement.

There is a remarkable sequence near the end of the film when, forced to abandon their disabled sub, the remaining crew members must escape through the top hatch and swim 40 meters to the surface. Preiss scratches against the damaged sub on the way out and severs his oxygen supply. His reaction to the dilemma is shot in one take and is horrifyingly real.

SHARKS & LITTLE FISH fits comfortably into the echelon of classic WWII submarine films. If you loved DAS BOOT; TORPEDO RUN; RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP, or any of the other great films of this genre, you will appreciate and enjoy SHARKS & LITTLE FISH.

The DVD version is beautifully restored and a welcome addition to any war film collector’s library. It’s another feather in the helmet of Steve Mormando at www.belleandblade.com that you can order this great film today!

Stay tuned for more great films from Belle and Blade, as well as classic Westerns from Comet Video and an assortment of rare films and television shows from Discount Video!

Jon Ted Wynne