Around the World Under the Sea

Plot

Ivan Tors Productions, the firm responsible for such aquatic TV delights as Sea Hunt and Flipper, was the prime mover behind MGM's Around the World Under the Sea. The official stars include Lloyd Bridges, Shirley Eaton, Brian Kelly, David McCallum, Keenan Wynn, Marshall Thompson, and Gary Merrill. The real stars are underwater photographer Lamar Bowen, diving-sequence director Ricou Browning, and the folks in Tors' special effects department. The plot concerns a series of underwater volcanic eruptions. Sub commander Bridges (who else?) heads into the depths to find out the cause of the disturbances. Before the THE END sign presents itself, Bridges and his crew are nearly devoured by a sea monster and sucked into a vortex. Though the film's technology-both on-screen and behind the camera--is dated, Around the World Under the Sea is still credible, not to mention thoroughly enjoyable. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Review

The 1950s and 1960s saw a number of movies and TV series that formed a special little sub-genre, the "underwater adventure" show, and Around the World Under the Sea is one of the better examples of this little cinematic niche. Formulaic to the extreme and written as if by committee, Sea nevertheless holds a certain fascination, especially for young boys and for those who were once young boys. Part of its appeal is genuine: cinematographers Lamar Boren and Cliff Poland have captured some marvelous undersea footage that is simply captivating. Granted, it at times feels shoved into the narrative, but since the narrative isn't exactly a model of complexity, there's little reason to complain. When the attention is drawn back to the actual story, one has to deal with a predictable, episodic tale filled with barely sketched-in characters; this is definitely the kind of movie in which each member of the large cast is given one defining characteristic and finds variations to play on it throughout the affair. Yet as long as Sea is trolling for adventure, this matters little, and director Andrew Marton does a fine job of keeping the enterprise afloat. Throw in a tasty turn from David McCallum and some nice moments from Keenan Wynn, and the result is a decent way to while away a little time in a totally mindless manner. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast

• Lloyd Bridges - Dr. Doug Standish
• Shirley Eaton - Dr. Maggie Handford
• Brian Kelly - Dr. Craig Mosby
• David McCallum - Dr. Phil Volker
• Keenan Wynn - Hank Stahl
• Marshall Thompson - Dr. Orin Hillyard
• Gary Merrill - Dr. August Boren

George de Vries - Coast Guard Lieutenant; Ron Hayes - Brinkman; Frank Logan - Diligence Captain; George Shibata - Prof. Hamuru; Celeste Yarnall - Secretary; Paul Gray - Pilot

Credit

Ben Chapman - Associate Producer, Andrew Marton - Director, Warren Adams - Editor, Harry Sukman - Composer (Music Score), Lamar Boren - Cinematographer, Cliff Poland - Cinematographer, Andrew Marton - Producer, Ivan Tors - Producer, Art Arthur - Screenwriter, Arthur Weiss - Screenwriter

Previous:	Around the World (1943 Film), Around the Town (1938 Film)
Next:	Around the World in 50 Years 3-D (2010 Film), Around the World in 80 Days (1991 Film)