''The Underwater City'' is a 1962 American science fiction film in

Eastmancolor Eastmancolor is a trade name used by Eastman Kodak for a number of related film and processing technologies associated with color motion picture production and referring to George Eastman, founder of Kodak. Eastmancolor, introduced in 1950, was on ...

, about overcoming engineering obstacles for establishing an underwater living environment. The film was directed by Frank McDonald, produced by

Alex Gordon Alexander Jonathan Gordon (born February 10, 1984) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played his entire career for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2007 to 2020. Prior to playing professio ...

and written by Gordon's wife Ruth Alexander.

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

released the film as a double feature with ''

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules ''The Three Stooges Meet Hercules'' is a 1962 American comedy fantasy film directed by Edward Bernds. It is the third feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howar ...

''.

Plot

Dr. Halstead ( Carl Benton Reid) of the Institute of Oceanography hires Bob Gage (

William Lundigan William Paul Lundigan (June 12, 1914 – December 20, 1975) was an American film actor. His more than 125 films include '' Dodge City'' (1939), ''The Fighting 69th'' (1940), ''The Sea Hawk'' (1940), ''Santa Fe Trail'' (1940), '' Dishonored Lady ...

) to supervise the construction of an underwater city. If humans are going to blow themselves sky-high at some point in the future, then it might be a good idea to have an escape hatch down at the bottom of the ocean. Gage falls in love with Dr. Halstead's niece, Dr. Monica Powers (

Julie Adams Julie Adams (born Betty May Adams; October 17, 1926 – February 3, 2019) was an American actress, billed as Julia Adams toward the beginning of her career, primarily known for her numerous television guest roles. She starred in a number of ...

). A series of underwater living units are carefully created and tested until it seems that they are ready for residents to move in. What no one considers is that the sea floor and the sea itself may not be as stable as expected.

Cast

as Cmdr Bob Gage *

as Dr. Monica Powers * Roy Roberts as Tim Graham * Carl Benton Reid as Dr. Junius Halstead * Chet Douglas as Chuck Marlow *

Paul Dubov Paul Dubov (October 10, 1918 – September 20, 1979) was an American radio, film and television actor as well as screenwriter. He frequently appeared in the works of Sam Fuller. Among Dubov's radio credits include the 05/02/1953 episode of Guns ...

as George Burnett * Karen Norris as Phyllis Gatewood *

Kathie Browne Kathie Browne (September 19, 1929 – April 8, 2003) was an American stage, film and television actress. Early life She was born Jacqueline Sue Browne on September 19, 1929 in Humansville, Missouri to Winn Roscoe Browne and Erma Mae Wood.Jacqu ...

as Dottie Steele

Production

Originally shown in black and white in the theaters, it was later released to television in color. The filming was fraught with conflict, leading to a lawsuit by Neptune Productions against

. Alex Gordon recalls that his wife was inspired by an article in ''American Weekly'' magazine about scientists growing food on the ocean floor. Gordon also recalled that the original choice for Dr Halstead, Raymond Massey was replaced when he couldn't arrive in time to commence production. The film was originally supposed to be the first of a six-picture deal with Columbia for Gordon but the deal was dropped.

Comic book adaptation

* Dell

Four Color ''Four Color'', also known as ''Four Color Comics'' and ''Dell Four Color'', was an American comic book anthology series published by Dell Comics between 1939 and 1962. The title is a reference to the four basic colors used when printing comic ...

#1328 (1962)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Underwater City 1960s science fiction films 1962 films Columbia Pictures films American science fiction films Films adapted into comics Films scored by Ronald Stein Films with underwater settings Films directed by Frank McDonald 1960s English-language films 1960s American films