Not particularly weird (except if viewed from a post-modern perspective for its kitsch value) or obscure, producer Ivan Tors (of Gentle Ben and Flipper fame) Around the World Under the Sea is far more interesting for the fact that a real private submarine known as Submanaut was used in the production. Submanaut had originally been built as a relatively large, 43ft underwater filming platform. As such, it had been modified so that its bow dome was cut into and a huge, wrap-around viewport installed, replacing the original, conical portholes. This meant its diving depth was reduced from 2,500 to 600 feet, but it now had a full, 180 degree view for underwater film-makers. After the sub was leased for the film, its parent company appears to have closed doors, its ownership in Busbys Manned Submersibles is listed as uncertain and there are photos on psubs.org of it rusting hulk sitting by the side of the road in Nowwheresville, USA (though I have heard reports that there are plans to restore it and put it on display). As to the film--Ivan Tors, being a cut-price Irwin Allan, rips-off Allans own Jules Verne rip-off, the movie/far superior TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (complete with a vessel suspiciously similar to the Seaview from VTTBOTS) but were Allans stock in trade was the disaster movie formula, Tors is family-friendly, bland soap opera. Complete with a title disigned to give Jules Verne readers a momentary thrill before they sit back down and say, Wait a minute, he didnt write that one and a poster that tells you to Hold your breath for the biggest undersea adventure of all!, this is more of a rainy-saturday-morning-movie-when-you-were-6 affair. Goodpoints? Well, Lloyd Bridges picked the wrong day to quit drinking coffee; David McCallum, (the Man From Uncle everyone wanted to be in the playground) is in it, alone with his obligatory shades; theres a crap love triangle that goes exactly the way you think its going to, and if you know anything about underwa-- actually, if you know anything about ANYTHING the ending is ridiculous. But its a romp, nevertheless.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 21:07:11 +0000
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