20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Adapted from the novel by Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a thrilling journey to the deepest depths of the ocean. Lured by tales of a mysterious, vicious narwhal which reportedly sinks the ships of sailors, a naturalist (Paul Lukas), his assistant (Peter Lorre), and a professional whaler (Kirk Douglas) board the Nautilus in an attempt to discover the mythical beast. After being shipwrecked and taken hostage by the cantankerous Captain Nemo (James Mason), the crew must take on a new mission: to expose the captain’s evil plan before he destroys the world.

Director Richard Fleischer and cinematographer Franz Planer take full advantage of the expansiveness of Cinemascope to imaginatively render epic sea creatures and the latest submarine technologies.

Part of our Cinemascope series.