The Deep Six is a 1958 American World War II drama film directed by Rudolph Maté,[1] loosely based on a novel of the same name by Martin Dibner.

[2] The film stars Alan Ladd, who co-produced it, William Bendix, Dianne Foster, Keenan Wynn, James Whitmore, Ross Bagdasarian and Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

The storyline depicts the conflicts of a U.S. naval officer in combat during World War II with his destroyer shipmates and his conscience over the values instilled in him by his Quaker upbringing.

In September 1942, during World War II, Susan Cahill (Dianne Foster), art director for an ad agency on Madison Avenue run by her fiance, is jealous of his business flirtation with a client's daughter to secure a deal.

Just before reporting for duty, Alec takes Susan home to meet his mother, a Quaker, revealing to them his hope to marry Susan—and his call up.

Chief Petty Officer "Frenchy" Shapiro (William Bendix) congratulates Alec for the way he handled the situation but receives a gentle warning that they best not repeat it.

Underway, the ship picks up three survivors from a sunken German submarine, but when Blanchard and Alec attempt to treat them humanely, Edge angrily intervenes.

They agree to marry immediately and travel to Pebble Beach to stay with Susan's sister, who unfortunately receives notification that her husband has been killed in action.

At sea in the Aleutian Islands, when an aircraft is spotted approaching the ship, the gunners plead for orders to open fire but Alec cannot bring himself to give the command.

Alec volunteers to lead a dangerous mission ashore to rescue stranded airmen and their reconnaissance photos of the Japanese-held island, joined by Frenchy and several members of the crew.

At the time, Mathers starred in the television series Leave It to Beaver The film transformed the novel's light cruiser Atlantis (the fictional counterpart of the USS Richmond), a ship with a skipper who loathes the sea and a crew of dispirited castoffs, into the destroyer Poe.

[11] During filming in June and July 1957 in Long Beach, California, the Poe was portrayed by the USS Stephen Potter, a World War II era destroyer still serving but scheduled to be "mothballed" in early 1958.

[12] Howard H. Thompson of The New York Times wrote in his review: "Unfortunately, having stated its case—the hero's mental conflict—this Warners release then sidesteps the issue almost to the finale.

And going by some bright dialogue in the John Twist–Martin Rackin–Harry Brown script, and Rudolph Mate's erratic direction, there is ample evidence that the parties responsible knew better.