The Bedford Incident

Play trailer

The Bedford Incident

1965

1h 42m

Adventure

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

14 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Reporter Ben Munceford (Sidney Poitier) is aboard a U.S. Navy ship sailing near the Arctic Circle, on assignment to write a profile of Capt. Eric Finlander (Richard Widmark), a hardened anti-communist. Despite the concerns of Munceford, medical officer Chester Potter (Martin Balsam) and others on the ship, Finlander is shadowing a Soviet submarine on patrol in the same area, hoping to make it to surface. The cat-and-mouse game, however, turns deadly serious.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Chris Bennion

Times (UK)

... A thrilling Cold War drama adapted from Mark Rascovich's novel, which was loosely based on a real-life incident in 1962 and, satisfyingly, Moby-Dick.

Sep 20, 2023

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Poitier does an excellent job in both the light and serious aspects of his role, and manages to leave a personal stamp on his scenes.

Jul 6, 2010

Full Review

Time Out

Harris, Stanley Kubrick's former producer, here came up with his own Dr Strangelove variant, muting the black humour but just as incisively diagnosing nuclear insanity.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

TV Guide

Taut and suspenseful.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 14, 2012

Full Review

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

The ending is a real piece of work that comes out of nowhere, and even though the film is a little repetitive up to that point, it's all worth it for the titular 'incident' in the end.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 20, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Aug 1, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Steve D

A mixed bag of ridiculous and interesting.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/24/23

Full Review

deke p

1957! Kinda tiresome watching Widmark perpetually angry and irritated. Like they are trying to remake Captain Queeg of the Caine Mutiny.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I must have been very young when I watched this or it was on reruns but at any rate, it held my attention and the tension just kept ratcheting up. The pressure was on the entire chain of crew members to stay with the American commander's orders as he assessed the Soviets' intentions. It's an ultimate Cold War film and regrettably with tight direction missing from more popular movies of the era. It has been mostly unavailable for watching compared to productions striving more for entertainment than realism. I would categorize it as presenting an anti-war message or a cautionary tale if that gives it a genre without giving away the plot.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

delysid d

its not the most exciting film but it does have high quality

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/17/20

Full Review

Audience Member

What is scary that it came out in 1990 when the soviet union fell that this movie came very close to happening in 1962.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Very entertaining cold war film about a game of cat and mouse between an American destroyer and a Soviet submarine off the coast of Greenland that ends badly. Had to feel for new navy doctor, Martin Balsam, whose recommendations of a higher protein diet get immediately dismissed by the ship captain.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

James B. Harris

Director

Richard Widmark

Captain Eric Finlander U.S.N.

Sidney Poitier

Ben Munceford

Martin Balsam

Lieutenant Commander Chester Potter, M.D., U.S.N.

James MacArthur

Ensign Ralston

Wally Cox

Seaman Merlin Queffle

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

The Devil at 4 O'Clock

80%

55%

The Devil at 4 O'Clock

Watchlist

The Sand Pebbles

85%

88%

The Sand Pebbles

Watchlist

Lost Horizon

93%

82%

Lost Horizon

Watchlist

Only Angels Have Wings

100%

82%

Only Angels Have Wings

Watchlist

The Razor's Edge

53%

76%

The Razor's Edge

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Reporter Ben Munceford (Sidney Poitier) is aboard a U.S. Navy ship sailing near the Arctic Circle, on assignment to write a profile of Capt. Eric Finlander (Richard Widmark), a hardened anti-communist. Despite the concerns of Munceford, medical officer Chester Potter (Martin Balsam) and others on the ship, Finlander is shadowing a Soviet submarine on patrol in the same area, hoping to make it to surface. The cat-and-mouse game, however, turns deadly serious.

Director: James B. Harris
Producer: James B. Harris
Screenwriter: James Poe
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Genre: Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Runtime: 1h 42m

Most Popular at Home Now