20,000 Leagues under the Sea

20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Walt Disney’s lavish adaptation of Jules Verne’s 1870 novel was reportedly the most expensive Hollywood film made up to that time, a Technicolor-and-CinemaScope spectacle that used the full resources of the studio to bring Verne’s adventure classic to life. James Mason plays Captain Nemo, who sails the world in his futuristic submarine Nautilus, on a mission to destroy all who would wage war. The film won Oscars for its special effects—including a thrilling battle with a giant squid—and art direction, and was nominated for its film editing.

DIRECTED BY: Richard Fleischer. WRITTEN BY: Earl Felton. WITH: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre. 1954. 128 min. USA. Color. Scope. English. Rated G. DCP.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation. 

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