The Bedford Incident
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The Bedford Incident is a Cold War film from 1965 starring Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier, and co-produced by Richard Widmark. The cast also features Martin Balsam and Eric Portman, as well as an early appearance by Donald Sutherland. The film was based on the 1963 book by Mark Rascovich.
It is set on a U.S. Navy ship which becomes involved in the hunt for a Soviet submarine in the North Atlantic near Greenland. The film serves as a dramatic reminder of the risks the world faces when military units from opposing countries operate close to one another. The film explores the explosive mixture that can sometimes be created when strong personalities are combined with over zealousness and poor communication.
The film was written by James Poe and directed by James B. Harris, who until then was best known as Stanley Kubrick's producer. It was produced by Columbia Pictures at studios in England.
The film also features a young James MacArthur as the over zealous sailor in charge of fire control who makes the catstrophic mistake - firing an ASROC at the submarine.