20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
(Richard Fleischer, US 1954, 127 min., DCP)
Adapted from the 1870 Jules Verne novel of the same name, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea follows the story of expeditioners Professor Aronnax (Paul Lukas) and his assistant, Conseil (Peter Lorre), who are attempting to track a sea monster that is ravaging the ships sailing in the Pacific Ocean. They are joined on a US Navy frigate by master-harpooner Ned Land (Kirk Douglas) and Captain Nemo (James Mason). After months of patrolling, a steamship in the distance explodes, and when the frigate arrives to help, the “monster” is spotted. An action-packed journey under the surface of the sea ensues with the expeditioners discovering what the sea monster is and learning about themselves in the process.