The Hunt for Red October (film) James Earl Jones in the United States Army. Baldwin and Glenn spent time on a "Los Angeles"-class submarine. Baldwin was trained to drive an attack submarine. Some extras portraying the "Dallas" crew were serving submariners, including the pilot of the DSRV, Lt Cmdr George Billy, commander of the DSRV. Submariners from San Diego were cast as extras because it was easier to hire them than to train actors. Crew from , including Lt Mark Draxton, took leave to participate in filming. According to an article in "Sea Classics", at least two sailors from the Atlantic Fleet-based "Dallas" took leave and
The Hunt for Red October Reagan had pronounced the book, which was given to him as a Christmas gift, as “the perfect yarn” and “unputdownable”; his endorsement eventually boosted the novel's sales and solidified Clancy's reputation as a bestselling author. Regarding the reception, Clancy remarked: “I was thunderstruck, dumbfounded, bowled over, amazed. But I wasn't surprised." In addition, the novel was a big hit in the White House. "The Hunt for Red October" was also popular among the military. On a 1985 visit to the , Clancy discovered 26 copies of the novel among the crew. "The Washington Post", in its original review, praised the