The Bedford Incident (1965)

Richard Widmark is the captain of a naval destroyer which civilian photojournalist Sidney Poitier has recently boarded. The new ship’s doctor Martin Balsam soon discovers that Widmark is a strict commander where illness is just not allowed among his crew not even the slightest headache. This unrelenting maniacal control carries over to other arenas when the ship crosses paths with a Soviet submarine. Because of Poitier’s recent death, I had checked this out as it was one of his few works at my public library that I hadn’t yet seen. While he gives his usual solid performance, he mostly serves as a foil to Widmark’s masterful lead and his Ahabian pursuit of the Russian vessel.