I saw Twenty Thousand Leagues on the big screen I thought no one would watch this film because it was old. I barely got in the Dominion cinema in London as it was packed to the roof. Afterwards everyone stood up and applauded it is a terrific movie.
You know when this movie was filmed it was the MOST expensive movie ever made at that time. It was sooo expensive that it would have literally bankrupted Walt Disney if it didn’t do well in the box office. Walt Disney gambled and told his special effects artists to continue on despite the warnings of a financial disaster. Well the movie was a total box office hit that it draw in more money that expected. This movie was so far ahead of its time and even till this day it holds up!!
WOAH! What a risk to have taken ... to almost have it bankrupt the company, wow, that's an ironclad will and belief in the film that's very admirable, after the fact 😅
Robert Mattey was the special effects genius who created the giant squid. Over 20 years later, he was called out of retirement by Steven Spielberg to create the shark for "Jaws".
You picked a truly beautifully shot film this time. Growing up I was completely mesmerized by anything by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. This film along with Journey to The Center of The Earth were huge early inspiration for my imagination. Subsequently I devoured any books by either of these authors and others of that ilk. The plethora of films covering these great tales is almost endless. Nemo in particular makes other appearances in many films such as Mysterious Island, War Gods of The Deep, Captain Nemo and The Underwater City among others. If you choose to continue the movies covering these classic book to film adaptations I'm sure you'll have a blast doing it ✌️
Now that you've done 20,000 Leagues you must do "Mysterious Island" (1961) sometime. Can't tell you why because of a spoiler, but you'll like it. And soon after that try another scifi gem from the 60s "First Men In the Moon" (1964) based on the H.G.Wells book published in 1901!
@@latenightswithsammy My pleasure Sammy! Enjoyed your reaction to 20,000 Leagues, BTW. When you do "First Men In The Moon" keep in mind the first moon landing was about 5 years away. Another even older moon inspired scifi movie, one that may have helped it along a bit, is the 1950 "Destination Moon", filmed in color. It's a good movie for the 50s era, but there's one iconic scifi of that decade you must do someday (an even better one IMO) is the B&W classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951). See you on the next vid! 🖖👽
"The treachery of discovery" - that's a great line and describes this movie quite well. It's also nice to see Peter Lorre in a relatively normal role, quite different from his usual character.
"I am not what is called a civilized man, Professor. I have done with society for reasons that seem good to me. Therefore, I do not obey its laws." Fun Fact: Peter Lorre claimed that the giant squid got the role that was usually reserved for him. Cannibal Humor Fact: Actors portraying the cannibals chasing Ned Land painted humorous messages on their foreheads (not legible on-screen). In particular, one actor wrote "Eat At Joe's" while another actor wrote "I Ate Joe" behind him. Music Enthusiast Fact: In 1969, Captain Nemo's pipe organ, which had been on display in Disneyland, was redressed and now resides in the ballroom of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. A duplicate was constructed for the ballroom of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Haunted Mansion, which opened in 1971, and over a decade later another duplicate was built for Tokyo Disneyland. Climactic Battle Fact: The climactic squid battle on the Nautilus was originally shot with a serene sunset and a calm sea. Director Richard Fleischer was troubled by the look of it because the cams and gears that operated the squid could easily be seen, making it look obviously fake. Walt Disney visited the set one day and Fleischer told him about the problem. Disney came up with the idea of having the squid battle take place during a fierce storm (another story is that it was actually screenwriter Earl Felton who came up with the idea). The scene was reshot that way and is considered by many to be the highlight of the film.
Apparently, the shark showing up was not intended. It started swimming around the stunt divers. Of course, the director wisely decided to keep it in and not dump the shots just because it wasn't planned. Watching this movie again in 2024, 70 years after it was made, makes me realize what cheap hamburger food modern CGI is when you compare it to a masterpiece like this with real sets and scenes that look so wonderfully real.
There is an interesting back story to this movie, an important and famous one. Because of this movie, Disneyland was constructed. At the time of this movie Walt Disney’s dream of Disneyland was not possible. He didn’t have the money enough to build it. However in creating this movie and the success of the movie Disney earned enough money to fully make Disneyland possible!!!! Impressive
The first guy who build a subway was inspired by the novel. Another must watch "adventure movie" on sea is "Moby Dick" with Gregory Peck. A master piece.
The "how they filmed it" documentaries on this movie are amazing to watch too. I became a fan of James Mason after watching this film in a movie theater back in the 1970s. I would bet that James Cameron was highly influenced by this movie.
Ohh, I got to check out those documentaries! And yes, I found James Mason to be perfectly cast in the role, he has a very interesting screen presence ... And I'd agree with you too, this seems like something James Cameron would adore!
What a classic just rewatched a couple months ago, and what’s funny is growing up all the Disney movies I went to the theater to see were live action with maybe just a little animation, this was early 60s I guess, thanks again and for another great movie about the same subject try “Mysterious Island “ 1961, excellent film thanks
I adore this film from the cast, sceneic look, the music, effects. It is all great and won a couple of Oscars one for Art Direction and the other for Visual Effects. Also the director of the film was Richard Fleischer who's father was a cartoon competitor of Disney (primarily behind Popeye). One interesting thing I learned is that the character of Nemo is actually supposed to be Indian. So it is kind of Ironic he is played by a British man. Originally the Giant Squid attack was done during the day, but it didn't look as good so they had the idea to shoot it in a storm to hid the strings better.
Yes! This film has every element working in its favour 👌 And I so appreciate the Giant Squid attack occurring in a night storm ... it was such a suspenseful intro, and climax with Captain Nemo encountering it 😆
Saw this in an ornate and very large old theater in Cincinnati, Ohio when it first came out. I was 7 years old. An unforgettable experience. Love your reaction!
I can remember very fondly watching this movie a lot as a kid. This movie always goes into my top 5 favorites! And those last words of Nemo, will always stick with me. So glad you enjoyed it. Would like to see you react to Disney's The Swiss Family Robinson as well.
great reaction to one of the truly groundbreaking films in science fiction/action/adventure cinema. i remember seeing this in theater when i was about 8 years old, when disney used to reissue films on a regular rotation, and the impact of seeing it on a huge, curved cinemascope screen made the impression even deeper. an interesting note about the name "nemo" is that it is the latin word for "no one" or "nobody," which is the same name that odysseus gave himself in his encounter with the cyclops, thus possibly linking captain nemo thematically with the protagonist of homer's epic.
WOW .. I can only imagine what seeing it on a true cinemascope screen must've looked like! Amazing ... and I appreciate the naming connection, would not known 😊
I think you're possibly the only person yet to react to this absolute classic. I've been lucky enough to see it on a big cinema screen. It differs from the novel a little - no cute seals plus the Nautilus isn't nuclear powered. It was the 50's so I guess the scriptwriters wanted to be (then) 'up to date'. In the book, it generates electricity by extracting sodium from seawater for use in batteries. The giant squid attack was originally on a calm tropical sea at sunset - you could possibly find it on YT - but the tentacle wires were visible and it looked awful. Disney ordered a reshoot and so they switched it to night in a storm. The result is one of the most memorable scenes in cinema (and it almost drowned James Mason!). Fun trivia: the squid was built by Bob Mattey & his team and Spielberg got him to do the mechanical shark in Jaws(1975). Harper Goff designed the iconic Nautilus, basing the look on the way alligators & crocodiles lay low in the water. There have been other versions of 20,000 Leagues, mainly TV movies. They often use Goff's design. In the book the sub goes down in a whirlpool and is presumed lost. The sequel, Mysterious Island brings Nemo back and was made into a movie in 1961 with Herbert Lom - Clouseau's long suffering boss in the Pink Panther movies - doing a great turn as the troubled captain. Mysterious Island lacks the epic lavish feel of its predecessor but is great fun and showcases FX guru Ray Harryhausen's stop motion monsters at their best. Mason returned to Verne novels at the end of the 50's as the irascible Professor Lindenbrook in Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959). Although veering from the novel, but not as far as recent versions, this is just pure fun and captures the awe and wonder in the book as the expedition ventures into the Earth. The best remake (its been done a lot) is the 1976 Where Time Began or possibly 'The Fabulous Journey to the Centre of the Earth'. It is slightly more accurate than the Mason/Boone version in that it starts in Hamburg as per the book, not Edinburgh in the movie. And the most faithful version of the book isn't actually a movie at all...its an LP album by the Yes keyboard legend, Rick Wakeman, recorded in 1974. Its a live album of a concert in the Royal Albert Hall in London and is basically, a rock musical of the novel. Its a terrific album and does the story as per the book although Wakeman was disappointed with the 1959 movie as it deviated from Verne's original story. More fun trivia: Peter Lorre was cast in another submarine sci-fi drama, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961) which inspired a TV spin-off version. Its heavily Verne-inspired and despite the silly science, is surprisingly good fun.
WOW finally someone reacts this masterpiece very classic 20.000 Leagues Under the Sea produced by Walt Disney and based on the book of the same name by Jules Verne starring Kirk Douglas, James Mason and Peter Lorre. Thank you Sammy great reaction awesome👍👍👍👍
Jules Verne, the author of the book, wrote a sequel story to this called The Mysterious Island. There is a movie based on the book. The 1960 movie is the one you should watch. The great Ray Harryhausen did the effects work on it.
I will suggest further movies: MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ( 1961 )is another Jules Verne story that is something of a sequel to this film. JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH ( 1959 ) is another Jules Verne adventure featuring James Mason. [ you'll discover where certain ideas used in Indiana Jones movies originated ) FANTASTIC VOYAGE ( 1966 ) is another remarkable film directed by Richard Fleischer and with another incredible submarine designed by Harper Goff ( who designed the Nautilus for this film ). These are all incredibly imaginative and spectacular motion pictures which should not be forgotten!
@@latenightswithsammy I'll second these picks, and "Journey to the Center of the Earth" in particular has the same A-list production values as "20,000 Leagues".
If the professor’s assistant sounds familiar, you might remember Peter Lorre as the oily character negotiating for the Maltese Falcon and exit visas from Casablanca. And for more cool Jules Verne fun, you might want to check out the 1961 Ray Harryhausen version of “Mysterious Island”, which takes place in the same Verne book-verse as this story.
Peter Lorre by a quick search has been in some awesome films ... and the many confirmations of "Mysterious Island" being a great film means at some point, I gotta check it out 😆
Another Jules Verne great starring James Mason is 1959’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. I love that film even more than this one and no one on RU-vid has reacted to it.
When I watched this movie for the first time I was quite surprised that they made some changes to the ending, having read the novel before. That's because the novel actually has a sequel, which this movie version cannot have due to Nemo dying and the Nautilus clearly having sunk by being flooded. In the novel the ship gets sucked into a maelstrom and the readers can only assume that it gets destroyed. In the sequel to the novel we learn that the Nautilus and Nemo actually survived. Said sequel actually got turned into several movie versions as well, though if I recall correctly never by Disney. In case you are curious, it is called "The Mysterious Island". The movie version from 1961 is one variant I know and can recommend.
@@latenightswithsammy Nemo was played by Herbert Lom. But Ray Harryhausen did the special effects, making the movie a very interesting watch either way.
This was a great surprise! It’s such an adventurous movie. 😀 I first saw it when I was a kid and the Nautilus posing as a green-eyed monster scared the heck outta me. I definitely need to re-watch this. 😄
What a great reaction to one of the great Disney live-action movies! Amazing set design in this movie! Thanks for the trivia regarding the underwater nature photography and how it was incorporated into the film! That makes sense! Disney during this period also made nature documentaries (a precursor to the nature stuff you see on PBS these days. So obviously they must have been filming for one of those documentaries and Walt said "No! We will put it in 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea! :D
this was a childhood favorite of mine. I always did like sci-fi and monsters and stuff. Disney can do the more serious vibe too. and like many Disney films they slipped in an animal. Under water photography was pioneered a lot by they guy who did Creature from the Black Lagoon While a lot of this is real some fish are hand drawn. some shots are moddles, Some of the best parts are reshoots where the original shots didn't work at 1st The movie was turned in to a ride at Disney World but was taken out a few years ago because under water rides were hard to maintain. It was replaced by the Whinny the Pooh ride which also took up space used for Mr Toad. and for a time it was also Little Mermaid and also finding Nemo. A version of captain nemo also appears in "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" other fun sci-fi The Time Machine 1960 war of the worlds 1953 and an other Disney movie that also goes under water, Bedknobs and Broomsticks An other Disney film that gets a bit intense, The Black Hole Actor Peter Lori who we see here appears ion many sci-fi, Horror and murder mystery movies you may see him again in any number of films I'll suggest some if interested. The Orgon for Captain Nemo is preserved in The Haunted Mansion at Disney World The meddles for the sub have been on display at a few places. Often submarine museums. There's one on the East Coast but I forget the exact location I saw it so long ago. This movie was remade outside of Disney a few times as I believe it is a public domain story. This is my favorite version though.
The Time Machine is available on the channel, had fun watching that one. Haven't seen "War of the Worlds" (1953) or "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" yet, but very eager to watch it 😆
I do not believe so. Walt had a way of changing everything. I do not have enough fingers on both hands to count the number of times I read the book before I was sixteen. Yet on that same note I got into so many arguments with the UFO nuts trying to tell me how Aliens taught Jules Verne about Nuclear Power. There is not one mention of a mysterious power on that boat. just sea water over lime and coal ash and some magnetos of varying size. Those were known then but did not create Ohms to make wattage. Nor was there a seal, the Nautilus was not destroyed in a giant explosion and Nemo did not have a base. Hated talking stories over with people that saw a movie and did not read a book.
20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA has a number of unusual connections. First of all, it was Disney's first domestically produced live action film, and his first live action film made in Cinemascope. At the time, it was one of the most expensive films then made, and the future of the studio was hanging on its success. This responsibility was placed on the shoulders of Richard Fleischer, the son of animation pioneer, Max Fleischer, Producer of the Betty Boop and Popeye cartoons of the 1930s, and the pioneering OUT OF THE INKWELL/INKWELL IMPS series of the 1920s. The irony of Disney approaching Richard Fleischer was based on Fleischer's direction of THE HAPPY TIME for Columbia, which starred Louis Jordan, Charles Boyer, and the teenage Bobby Driscoll, who had been under contract to Disney since childhood. When Fleischer asked Walt why he asked him to direct this film, Disney said, "Anybody who can make an actor out of Bobby Driscoll can direct this film!" Of course, knowing the past history between his father and Walt, Richard said he'd have to check with his father about accepting the offer. When Richard told Max about it, Max said, "Of course take the offer. And tell Walt for me that he has excellent taste in directors."
