20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Synopsis of Movie

For its first big-budget live-action movie, Disney turned to a classic: Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The studio also turned to a few major Hollywood stars: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas and Peter Lorre.

Set in the close of the 19th century, the story opens in San Francisco, where terrified sailors spin tales of a giant narwhal (one-horned whale) wrecking their vessels. Professor Arronax (Lukas), his assistant Conseil (Lorre) and a roguish harpoonist named Ned Land (Douglas) join an armed expedition to find the narwhal. After their frigate is sunk, the three men discover the truth: the “narwhal” is actually the Nautilus, a giant submarine designed and built by reclusive genius Professor Nemo (Mason).

What follows is a dazzling undersea voyage aboard the Nautilus, beautifully photographed in widescreen CinemaScope. Much of the large budget went into the special effects, including a memorable battle with a giant squid.

While the film strayed from Verne’s original, the main characters remained ambiguously gray. Nemo may have been mad, but his ideas about society and man’s place in it were thought-provoking. But make no mistake: Disney wanted a children’s film, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea filled the bill. Ned Land was a crusty sea salt, but he wasn’t above horsing around with a playful seal or breaking into song for “A Whale of a Tale.”

The big-budget gamble paid off for Disney. The effects were like nothing 1950’s audiences had ever seen, and Verne’s story was timeless. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea scored with kids and their parents, paving the way for future Disney live-action extravaganzas like Mary Poppins.

Movie Release History

1954 - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Movie Sub Categories

live-action
sci-fi/fantasy
action/adventure
disney

Movie Studio

Disney

Cast

Ned Land Kirk Douglas
Captain Nemo James Mason
Professor Pierre Aronnax Paul Lukas
Conseil Peter Lorre
First Mate of the Nautilus Robert J. Wilke
Captain Farragut Ted de Corsia
John Howard Carleton Young
Billy J.M. Kerrigan
Coach Driver Percy Helton
Mate on "Lincoln" Ted Cooper
Casey Moore Fred Graham
Shipping Agent Eddie Marr
Ticket Agent Harry Harvey
Reporter for the Globe Herb Vigran

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