20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

(1916)

75 min.

Silent film with music track

Directed by Stuart Paton

Cast:  Alan Houbar, Jane Gail and Curtis Benton

Released by Universal in 1916, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” was the first great special effects spectacular of early cinema.  Based on the Jules Verne novel, the story concerns a team of scientists investigating a series of naval disturbances who find the culprit is the Nautilus, a submarine piloted by Captain Nemo, a hate-driven renegade seaman.  Over a year and a half in production, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” is a colorful recreation of Verne’s science fiction classic.