Movie Musings: Disney and More

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: An Unconventional Classic

1954 was a remarkable year for the movies. It was the year Columbia Pictures released On the Waterfront, which won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, and Paramount Pictures released Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window and the Christmas classic White Christmas and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) released Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. ’54 was also the year that Walt Disney Pictures released a film that was unlike anything they had ever done before. It was a live-action film based on a hit novel by Jules Verne, and even though it had a budget of nine million dollars when it was in production, it grossed $28,200,000 at the USA box office. The film is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and in this blog, I’d like to tell you about why this film is so special.

“20,000 Leagues,” was the Walt Disney Studio’s fifth live-action feature film, but was the very first produced in America. The studio’s first four films (Treasure Island (1950), The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), The Sword and the Rose (1953), and Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1954)) had all been produced in the United Kingdom. But laws changed in the mid-50’s, requiring that revenue from films produced in country had to stay in the U.K.

When Walt Disney was considering what his next film ought to be, he saw the potential for an animated film adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel, but Harper Goff who was an artist working at Disney, believed that it could be a wonderful live-action film. Goff convinced Disney when he drew heavily detailed production sketches.

After a green-light from walt, attention turned to casting. They considered Ralph Richardson for the role of Captain Nemo, and auditioned Gregory Peck, but ultimately cast James Mason, who simultaneously was starring in Warner Bros.’ adaptation of A Star is Born, opposite Judy Garland. Kirk Douglas had reservations about taking on the role of Ned Land because he felt being in a family-oriented adventure film would damage his reputation as a “ladies man.” His reservations were put at ease when screenwriter Earl Felton wrote Ned’s intro scene into the film: Ned strolls up with two beautiful women in each arm and rather humorously gets into a fight with a man from the crowd. Mason, Douglas, and Peter Lorre, who was cast as Conseil, all got along well with each other, but Paul Lukas (Professor Pierre Arronax) isolated himself from associating with the other actors. It is believed that that was because due to his age he couldn’t remember all of his lines and was embarrassed as a result.

Walt also knew that hiring someone to direct the film would be a crucial decision, and decided that Richard Fleischer, who had directed some minor Hollywood movies, would be the perfect person to do it. Fleischer was surprised that Disney considered him to do it, because his father, Max Fleischer, was the creator of the cartoon characters Betty Boop and Popeye (one of Walt Disney’s biggest competitors). Richard didn’t want to be disloyal to his father, but when he told his father of the opportunity, Max Fleischer not only encouraged his son to do it, but he even told Richard to tell Disney that he had great taste in directors! Walt later invited Max on a tour of the studio, and he and Walt went from competitors to friends.

When it came time to shoot the climatic “Squid” sequence, originally set to take place during a beautiful sunset with calm sea, but Richard Fleischer felt the scene wasn’t working at all because the squid itself could be viewed easily on camera, making it look fake rather than real. When Richard told Walt about the problem, Walt came up with the idea that the scene ought to take place during a wild storm. The scene was reshot like that, and to this day it remains one of the most legendary action scenes ever captured on film.

When “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” was released it won two Academy Awards: Best Special Effects and Best Art Direction. It also received a third nomination for Best Editing. Harper Goff was uncredited as the Production Designer and Production Developer of the film. He designed every inch of the exterior of the Nautilus and the sets for all of the compartments within the Nautilus. The reason why Goff wasn’t given the award was because the Art Directors Union had created the bylaw within the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences which stated that “Only Union Art Directors can win the Oscar,” and because Goff didn’t have a Union card, John Meehan and Emilie Kuri who were his assistants, took the award home. Goff also taught Kirk Douglas how to play the guitar for the “Whale of a Tale,” number in the film.  

The success of “20,000 Leagues” also led to the creation of special film-themed attractions at the Disney Parks. On August 5th, 1955, a walkthrough exhibit where guests could explore sets and props from the film opened at Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. The attraction closed on August 28th, 1966. On October 14th, 1971, nearly two weeks after Walt Disney World opened, the attraction 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage opened at the Magic Kingdom Park. This attraction gave guests a chance to ride a boat like the Nautilus and feel as though they were in the movie while being guided by Captain Nemo himself. This attraction closed in 1994. There are still, however, currently “20,000 Leagues,”-themed attractions at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. Another fun fact about the Disney parks that pertains to “20,000 Leagues,” is that the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland currently houses Captain Nemo’s pipe organ from the film.

“20,000 Leagues,” premiered in New York City on December 23rd, 1954, which means that on December 23rd, 2019, the film will be 65 years old. There are all kinds of reasons why it is a special film: first live-action Disney film produced in America, award-winning art direction and special effects, and the legendary “squid” scene. While most Disney films that stand the test of time today are animated, few live-action Disney films are fortunate enough to do the same thing. “20,000 Leagues,” is one of those exceptions.