The Underwater City (1962)

An engineer, a psychologist and several other disparate types take part in an experiment to see if people can live for extended periods of time in a city built under the ocean.

Director:

Frank McDonald

Writers:

Alex Gordon (story), Ruth Alexander (story)

Stars:

William Lundigan, Julie Adams, Roy Roberts

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Lundigan	...	Bob Gage
Julie Adams	...	Dr. Monica Powers
Roy Roberts	...	Tim Graham
Carl Benton Reid	...	Dr. Junius Halstead
Chet Douglas	...	Chuck Marlow
Paul Dubov	...	George Burnett
Karen Norris	...	Phyllis Gatewood
Kathie Browne	...	Dotty Steele
Edward Mallory	...	Lt. Wally Steele

Storyline

An engineer, a psychologist and several other disparate types take part in an experiment to see if people can live for extended periods of time in a city built under the ocean.

---

Plot Keywords:

bio dome | biosphere | underwater city | 

---

Taglines:

An Atomic-Proof World On the Ocean Floor

---

Genres:

Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 April 1962 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

A Cidade Submarina

Box Office

Budget:

$350,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Neptune Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the film was shot in color, producer Alex Gordon stopped in a theater where it was showing and was astounded to see that it was being shown in black and white. He checked with Columbia Pictures, the distributor, and was informed that all release prints of the film were in black and white. Gordon could not get anyone at Columbia to explain to him why the film was released that way. Later, when the film was syndicated to television, the prints that were sent out were in color. Gordon couldn't get Columbia to explain that, either.

---

Goofs

When the moray eel and octopus were fighting, the tentacles of the octopus were obviously stuck on the aquarium glass through which the scene was filmed.

User Reviews

Pleasant, Inoffensive Sci-Fi

This was one of the last science-fiction adventure relics from the 1950s to early 1960s before the JFK assassination changed the mood of this genre to something less innocent and more grim. Lovely Julie Adams portrays a psychologist who tests engineer William Lundigan to ascertain that he can lead a construction effort to build the world's first underwater metropolis. After completion, the couple plus several others, move down to the city, until it is discovered that it was built on a fault line, creating climactic chaos. An interesting idea, shot in color, is hampered by the fact that it was filmed entirely indoors, on sound stages. The underwater scenes were created by filming through double-paned, water-filled aquarium glasses. Also a laundry alert: Adams wears the same orange outfit 3 times! Karen Norris gives a good performance as a nutritionist, spouting several intriguing ideas of why one should live underwater, while the others (although Lundigan is sausage-stuffed into his diving gear) are competent.