Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Beneath the 12-Mile Reef

  • 1953
  • Approved
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
1.5K
YOUR RATING
Robert Wagner and Terry Moore in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
Home Video Trailer from 20th Century Fox
Play trailer1:58
1 Video
15 Photos
AdventureDrama

Fierce competition among sponge fishermen forces a Greek-American family to fish in the dangerous 12-mile reef area off the western coast of Florida.Fierce competition among sponge fishermen forces a Greek-American family to fish in the dangerous 12-mile reef area off the western coast of Florida.Fierce competition among sponge fishermen forces a Greek-American family to fish in the dangerous 12-mile reef area off the western coast of Florida.

  • Director
    • Robert D. Webb
  • Writer
    • A.I. Bezzerides
  • Stars
    • Robert Wagner
    • Terry Moore
    • Gilbert Roland
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.7/10
    1.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Robert D. Webb
    • Writer
      • A.I. Bezzerides
    • Stars
      • Robert Wagner
      • Terry Moore
      • Gilbert Roland
    • 37User reviews
    • 22Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 2 nominations total

    Videos1

    Beneath the 12-Mile Reef
    Trailer 1:58
    Watch Beneath the 12-Mile Reef

    Photos15

    Robert Wagner and Gilbert Roland in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Robert Wagner in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Robert Wagner and Terry Moore in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Robert Wagner and Terry Moore in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Robert Wagner and Gilbert Roland in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Robert Wagner in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Robert Wagner, Peter Graves, Terry Moore, and Robert D. Webb in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Robert Wagner and Terry Moore in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Robert Wagner and Terry Moore in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Wagner
    Robert Wagner
    • Tony Petrakis
    Terry Moore
    Terry Moore
    • Gwyneth Rhys
    Gilbert Roland
    Gilbert Roland
    • Mike Petrakis
    J. Carrol Naish
    J. Carrol Naish
    • Socrates 'Soc' Houlis
    Richard Boone
    Richard Boone
    • Thomas Rhys
    Angela Clarke
    Angela Clarke
    • Mama Petrakis
    Peter Graves
    Peter Graves
    • Arnold Dix
    Jay Novello
    Jay Novello
    • Sinan
    Jacques Aubuchon
    Jacques Aubuchon
    • Demetrios Sofotes
    Gloria Gordon
    Gloria Gordon
    • Penny Petrakis
    Harry Carey Jr.
    Harry Carey Jr.
    • Griff Rhys
    Jack Burke
    • Conch
    • (uncredited)
    Guy Carleton
    • Jamison
    • (uncredited)
    John Conatos
    • Jemmy
    • (uncredited)
    Jack English
    • Doctor
    • (uncredited)
    John George Gladakis
    • Auctioneer
    • (uncredited)
    Eugene Halpin
    • Long Arm
    • (uncredited)
    James Harakas
    • Card
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Robert D. Webb
    • Writer
      • A.I. Bezzerides
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Frogmen
    6.5
    The Frogmen
    Horizons West
    6.2
    Horizons West
    Utah Blaine
    6.1
    Utah Blaine
    Cattle Empire
    6.1
    Cattle Empire
    Will Penny
    7.1
    Will Penny
    Along the Great Divide
    6.8
    Along the Great Divide
    Big Fella
    5.8
    Big Fella
    The Girl in the Bikini
    5.4
    The Girl in the Bikini
    L'amantide
    4.9
    L'amantide
    In Old Oklahoma
    6.4
    In Old Oklahoma
    Springfield Rifle
    6.6
    Springfield Rifle
    Back to God's Country
    5.7
    Back to God's Country

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Filmed in Tarpon Springs, FL. As of 2019 is it still the home of the natural sponge industry in the US, and has the highest percentage of Greek-Americans of any city in the country.
    • Goofs
      Sponges are harvested (at least in Florida) on the protected West Coast (as in Tarpon Springs) where this movie was shot.
    • Quotes

      Tony Petrakis: [to Gwyneth Rhys] Hey, you want to know what my real name is? Adonis. My mother named me after a Greek god. I'm a beautiful young man.

    • Alternate versions
      The Platinum DVD release removes the scene of Mike (Gilbert Roland) forcing Arnold (Peter Graves) to eat a cigar.
    • Connections
      Edited into Your Afternoon Movie: Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (2023)
    • Soundtracks
      It Had to Be You
      (uncredited)

      Music by Isham Jones

      Played on the juke box when Tony and Gwyneth dance

    User reviews37

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Memorable Cinematography & Score Highlight This Melodrama
    Directed by Robert D. Webb and released in 1953, this saga of competing sea sponge divers was noted for its drop-dead gorgeous cinematography and a brilliant score by composer Bernard Herrmann--and these remain the great assets of the film to this day.

    The story is pure melodrama given an exotic twist. The Petrakis and Rhys families earn their livings by diving for sea sponges, but when the Rhys family, led by father Thomas (Richard Boone) resort to dirty tricks the Petrakis family, led by father Mike (Gilbert Roland) are forced to resort to risky dives at the dangerous 'Twelve Mile' reef; at the same time a love affair between son Tony Petrakis (Robert Wagner) and daughter Gwyneth Rhys (Terry Moore) further complicate the rivalry. Needless to say, tragedy results.

    Both Wagner and Moore were considered rising stars when the film was made, and although Wagner makes for an unconvincing Greek both give enjoyable performances as the star-crossed lovers caught Romeo and Juliet fashion between battling families. Even so, the acting honors here go to Gilbert Roland and Richard Boone as the warring fathers with a special nod to Peter Graves as Arnold, an overly aggressive Rhys diver. Several notable character actors, including J. Carroll Nash, Jay Novello, and Harry Carey Jr. round out the cast.

    Although the cast is solid, the plot is more than a little predictable--but the chief thing is the photography and the score. REEF was among the earliest productions made in Cinemascope, and everyone concerned was determined to make it as visually attractive as possible. The result is some truly beautiful cinematography, particularly in reference to the film's many underwater scenes. The score by Bernard Herrmann, who would later be best known for his work on such Hitchcock films as VERTIGO, also captures the beauty of the sea to remarkable effect.

    Unfortunately, REEF seems to have fallen into public domain, and there are numerous DVD and VHS releases on the market. In most cases they are abominable things: the cinemascope has been reduced to pan and scan, the colors are muddy, and the sound is poor. There are, however, at least a few available that give you some idea of what all the 1953 fuss was about. Although they are hardly renowned for the quality of their product, the Digiview Productions release is actually quite good; the Digital Gold release is also more than respectable.

    Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
    helpful•37
    7
    • gftbiloxi
    • Aug 3, 2005

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ1

    • Is this available on DVD?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 2, 1953 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Greek
    • Also known as
      • 12-Mile Reef
    • Filming locations
      • Tarpon Springs, Florida, USA
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,560,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 42 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.66 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Robert Wagner and Terry Moore in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.