Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea the 1st and original from 1916 on DVD

This, the first filmed version of the Verne classic, portrays Captain Nemo as an opium-smoking, ousted Indian (India) prince.  His goal, outside of sinking many ships, is very personal as he takes his incredible submarine, the Nautilus, on a search for the man who killed his wife. This was the first feature to have filmed underwater footage, much of which is very engaging.  Watch out for the giant octopus!  There’s a cool underwater shark hunting scene, too.

Underwater cameras were not used. The Williamson brothers had developed a system of watertight tubes and mirrors, like an upside-down periscope, and were dependent on the clarity of water and sunshine to provide the necessary light.

The actual undersea footage was shot in the Bahamas due to the unusually clear water. When this film was remade by Walt Disney 38 years later, they came to this same spot for their undersea footage.

Starring Allen Holubar, Dan Hanlon, Matt Moore, Edna Pendleton, Curtis Benton.

Black and White, Fullscreen, Subtitles in English, Appx. Running time 1 hour 45 minutes