20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

A ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo.

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writer:

Earl Felton (screenplay)

Stars:

Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kirk Douglas	...	Ned Land
James Mason	...	Captain Nemo
Paul Lukas	...	Prof. Pierre Aronnax
Peter Lorre	...	Conseil
Robert J. Wilke	...	First Mate of the Nautilus
Ted de Corsia	...	Capt. Farragut
Carleton Young	...	John Howard
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Old Billy
Percy Helton	...	Coach Driver
Ted Cooper	...	Mate on 'Lincoln'

Storyline

The oceans during the late 1860-92s are no longer safe; many ships have been lost. Sailors have returned to port with stories of a vicious narwhal (a giant whale with a long horn) which sinks their ships. A naturalist, Professor (Pierre) Aronnax, his assistant, Conseil, and a professional whaler, Ned Land, join an US expedition which attempts to unravel the mystery.

---

Plot Keywords:

submarine | giant tentacle | submarine captain | submarine crew | futuristic submarine | 

---

Taglines:

Walt Disney's Mighty, Magnificent, Memorable 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea!

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1955 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Jules Verne's 20000 Leagues Under the Sea

Filming Locations:

Negril, Jamaica

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The world's first functional replica of Captain Nemo's diving helmet, built by Pat Regan of Vulcania Submarine, Hawaii, is on display in the Florida Keys History of Diving Museum in Islamorada, along with items from the film. He also restored an authentic Disney "Crowntop" crewman's diving helmet to operational condition and dived it in Hawaii, 2008; making it the only piece of 20,000 Leagues diving gear returned to service since 1954.

---

Goofs

When the Nautilus is sinking at the end even though it is supposedly being sunk in deep water, the motion and appearance of the waves obviously show that it is sinking very close to land and a beach area.

---

Quotes

Captain Nemo: [Noticing that Ned is eating with his knife] There's a fork on your left, Mr. Land. Or aren't you accustomed to utensils?
Ned Land: Oh, I'm indifferent to 'em.

---

Alternate Versions

When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure a 'U' rating. All cuts were waived in 1985 when the film was re-rated with a 'U' certificate for home video.

---

Connections

Referenced in Once Upon a Time: Dark Waters (2016)

---

Soundtracks

A Whale of a Tale
Lyrics by Norman Gimbel
Music by Al Hoffman
Sung by Kirk Douglas (uncredited)

User Reviews

Great and Funny Adventure

In 1868, shipping becomes a nightmare, since vessels are vanishing the in the South Seas. The tabloids attribute the disappearances of the ships to an existence of a sea monster. The US government invites Prof. Pierre Arronax (Paul Lukas) and his assistant Conseil (Peter Lorre) to investigate what is really happening and they embark in a ship navigating to the Orient. In the crew, Ned Land (Kirk Douglas) is a happy member. After a long period on the open sea, a submarine, the Nautilaus, commanded by Captain Nemo (James Mason), attacks the steamship. Prof. Arronax, Conseil and Ned are rescued by the submarine, and share the dreams and madness of Captain Nemo. Although being a 1954 film, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is a great and funny adventure, which has not aged. The adaptation of Julio Verne's novel "on the screen" is a great entertainment recommended for all families. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "20.000 Léguas Submarinas" ("20,000 Leagues Submarines")