Submarine Alert (1943) Director: Frank McDonald Studio: Pine-Thomas Productions / Paramount Pictures (distributor) Starring: Richard Arlen (Lewis J. “Lew” Deerhold), Wendy Barrie (Ann Patterson), Nils Asther, Roger Pryor, Marc Lawrence Release Date: August 20, 1943 Runtime: 66 minutes Format: Black & White | Mono | Sound | Live Action Country: United States Language: English Genres: Wartime Thriller | Spy Drama | Propaganda | Action | B-Movie --- Summary: Submarine Alert is a patriotic wartime thriller about a civilian radio engineer, Lew Deerhold, who is fired from his defense job due to his foreign heritage—but quickly becomes an unexpected hero. Recruited by the FBI to help uncover a Nazi spy ring transmitting submarine coordinates to enemy U-boats off the American coast, Deerhold goes undercover to expose the saboteurs hiding in plain sight. With the help of secret agent Ann Patterson, he races against time to stop an enemy transmission that could cost countless American lives. Filled with espionage, sabotage, and coded broadcasts, the film is a tight, suspenseful reminder of America’s WWII paranoia, wrapped in B-movie efficiency and patriotic fervor. --- Background: Produced by Pine-Thomas Productions—known as the "Dollar Bills" of Paramount for making profitable low-budget films—Submarine Alert was released during the height of World War II, when Hollywood was pumping out morale-boosting propaganda thrillers. These films were designed to reassure domestic audiences and demonize foreign threats, particularly Nazi and Japanese spies believed to be operating on U.S. soil. Richard Arlen, a silent-era star still working steadily in the 1940s, plays the reluctant hero with understated charm, while Wendy Barrie—on loan from RKO—adds both glamor and grit as the capable female lead. Like many films of its time, Submarine Alert blends action with messaging, emphasizing loyalty, vigilance, and racial suspicion reflective of the era's social tensions. --- Trivia: Wendy Barrie was a well-known actress of the 1930s and early ’40s and was romantically linked to gangster Bugsy Siegel. The plot reflected real wartime fears about Axis powers using radio transmissions to guide submarine attacks off the U.S. coast. Pine-Thomas Productions specialized in fast, affordable genre films—often made in just two weeks. Nils Asther, who plays the sinister foreign agent, was a Swedish actor often cast in villainous roles during the war. As with many wartime B-movies, the film entered the public domain, leading to wide availability on vintage DVD collections and classic film streaming sites. The movie’s radio and code-breaking themes echoed real government campaigns encouraging citizens to be alert for spies and fifth columnists. --- Hashtags: #SubmarineAlert #WWIICinema #WartimeThriller #RichardArlen #WendyBarrie #SpyDrama #1940sMovies #PublicDomainFilm #ParamountPictures #PineThomasProductions #AntiNaziFilm #ClassicBMovie #GoldenAgeHollywood #NilsAsther #EspionageFilm #RadioWarfare #HomefrontCinema #WWIIPropaganda #OldHollywoodThriller #BlackAndWhiteCinema