Was the movie K-19 (The Widowmaker) based on an actual event?

In 1961, the Soviet Union launches its first ballistic missile nuclear submarine, the K-19. The ship is led by Captain Alexei Vostrikov, aided by executive officer Mikhail Polenin. Polenin, the original captain, and the crew have served together for some time but Vostrikov's appointment is alleged to have been aided by his wife's political connections.

During his first inspection, Vostrikov discovers the submarine's reactor officer to be drunk and asleep on duty. Vostrikov sacks the officer and orders Polenin to request a replacement. The new reactor officer, Vadim Radtchenko, arrives direct from nuclear school having just been fresh from the naval academy, annoying Polenin who thinks Vostrikov was too punitive on the former reactor officer who was competent despite his momentary lapse of judgment.

Also, during the preparation period for the sub's launch, the ship's medical officer is killed when struck by an oncoming truck, and is subsequently replaced by the command's foremost medical officer, an army officer who has graciously offered himself in the submarine's time of need, but also privately admits to Vostrikov that as an army officer he has never been out to sea and suffers from motion sickness. During the K-19's official launch, the bottle of champagne fails to break when it strikes the bow, which is known to be a customary sign of bad luck.

But it was also a great movie as well staring Harrison Ford and Liam Nielson stuffed with a lot of artistic licence.

More Info: www.nationalgeographic.com

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36 Comments

thevoyers

Great movie! I know is based on reality, due to the fact I’ve been on board and taken a tour of a Russian Sub that’s was an n display in The Shipyard in Providence R. I. Unfortunately there were not that many paying customers that were interested, the company that owned the Sub ended up going bankrupt and the Sub sank at the Pier it was tied up to. But it was an older Diesel\Electric Sub, But it gave up a very goo glimpse into the day tot day life aboard a 1960’s Russian Sub. The Captains quarters was literally the size of a small 6’x5’ closet with fold down bed and desk. The Latrine was also a small room with two shower heads and no privacy anywhere. Of a crew of 24 enlisted and 6 officers plus the Captain who had his own bunk, the ready had to share, in what is called hot bunking, meaning in a 24 hour period 3 men each have 8 hours to use for sleeping while everyone has a 16 hr day! In a small cramped environment, where you must pass through these 4’ diameter round water tight hatches\doorways from one room to the next! It tak s a very special type of brave man to take on duty like that, where the highest mortality rate in any of the Armed Forces endured.

sharalp

Robert Lawrence, Osker Schindler. the hero in Taken, 1 2, & 3

ktm

I was blessed to be invited to the NYC premiere of K-19 Widowmaker. I meet Loan Needing, very tall and Harrison Ford, really tall. Best of all I need the Director, Kathryn Bigelow. I WISHED I had asked her for her card. I had NO IDEA that she was the Director of my movie Point Break. My first film script, Racers Edge, was inspired by Point Break. Kathryn later went on to be the first female to win Best Director in the Oscars for Hurt Locker, a very visceral film much like Blackhawk Down. She beat out her ex husband legendary Director James Cameron who had Avatar which will other awards that night. But the start of the evening was Kathryn Bigelow who won Best Director and Best Film with Hurt Locker. If I meet her again, I'm not wasting the opportunity.