Almost 100 years old, this is a true gem, a very entertaining early version of Jules Verne's classic. Released by Universal the day before Christmas in 1916. I rented a recent re-released DVD of this; the colorized tints really enhance the experience. It was one of the first big-budget films of the silent era, with spectacular underwater photography; there's scenes aplenty of coral and sea life that British director Stuart Paton wanted to show off. Scenes of the Nautilus submarine are cool, as are the scenes on the island, which bring to mind another Verne novel, "Mysterious Island". Haven't read either novel, but this film is reported to be a very faithful film version of the "Leagues" book, with elements of "Island" mixed in. I recommend it. Captain Nemo is played by Allen Holubar, who died at the much-too-soon age of 35. The excellent music score is from the early 90's. View the Wikipedia post.
Showing posts with label Universal Pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Universal Pictures. Show all posts
10/09/2009
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) (Silent)
Almost 100 years old, this is a true gem, a very entertaining early version of Jules Verne's classic. Released by Universal the day before Christmas in 1916. I rented a recent re-released DVD of this; the colorized tints really enhance the experience. It was one of the first big-budget films of the silent era, with spectacular underwater photography; there's scenes aplenty of coral and sea life that British director Stuart Paton wanted to show off. Scenes of the Nautilus submarine are cool, as are the scenes on the island, which bring to mind another Verne novel, "Mysterious Island". Haven't read either novel, but this film is reported to be a very faithful film version of the "Leagues" book, with elements of "Island" mixed in. I recommend it. Captain Nemo is played by Allen Holubar, who died at the much-too-soon age of 35. The excellent music score is from the early 90's. View the Wikipedia post.
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