City Beneath the Sea

Trailer—City Beneath the Sea

There's a certain class of film, it seems above all among those hailing from the 30s, 40s, and 50s, that any well-rounded viewer will surely recognize. They're not bad, and in fact are mildly enjoyable, but are definitely nothing special, and one can usually "watch" without especial active engagement. Such films may be overly casual about exposition, and plot development generally (including in the direction, and subsequently the acting), to the point that some information is imparted so indifferently or outright poorly that it's easy to miss - but it doesn't particularly matter anyway, because the storytelling is on the lighter and less robust side of things. In case it's not already clear, 'City beneath the sea' counts among such films. As one expects we also get some ham-handedness, intended humor that may or may not elicit a real reaction, tiresomely old-fashioned dynamics between men and women, and variable levels of quality. I admire Charles P. Boyle's smart cinematography, for example, including the underwater sequences; in contrast, the sound design is imbalanced and unreliable. The cabaret sequence where we first meet Venita is fun and well done, and Suzan Ball makes a stunning first impression; on the other hand, part of why this scene stands out is because meaningful care and energy was put into it, whereas many other scenes are handled so blithely, often with a happy-go-lucky frivolousness and frivolity, that ensure they come and go as unremarkably as that one square foot of sidewalk you walked over that one day. Don't remember any patch of sidewalk? Yes, that's the point. The sets are pretty terrific, and the costume design, hair, and makeup are easy on the eyes. Those stunts and effects that are employed are rather splendid. While Ball makes a great first impression, and there are some noteworthy names and faces starring alongside her, the cast don't necessarily stand out otherwise. In addition to meek treatment of the material the picture also struggles with pacing, not least in scenes that take place underwater (remember the dull climax of 'Thunderball?'). There are some swell ideas here, both in terms of scenes and the overall narrative; incidentally, it seems to me that some of the best writing is reserved for moments that include Ball. But too often the plot development, sequencing, and storytelling at large feel scattered, and less than fully committed or convincing. Why, it almost comes across that no one involved was specifically interested in the movie they were making. I don't mean that no effort was made, because that's not true, and there are some definite sparks in the acting. Those sparks are erratic and irregular, however, and no matter how well done the various bits and bobs are, there's a considerable lack of vitality in the feature as a whole. What traits 'City beneath the sea' carries with it at its best - attentiveness, energy, discernible skill and intelligence - needed to be more present and consistent throughout the entire length, in every regard. Had they been, the title would be remembered as more than a footnote in the careers of those who participated in its creation, and one of the few credits to Ball's name. In fairness, the climax is well done, and that quality carries through to the end. I do like this, but it's something to watch on a quiet, lazy day, and nothing that one needs to go out of their way to see. Moreover, it's recommended most for those who are diehard fans of those on hand; for general audiences, take it or leave it. Granted, not every film needs to be a revelation, and it's enough for some to be gently entertaining. And that's kind of true here. Would that it weren't also so easy to see how the end result might have been improved. 'City beneath the sea' is passably decent if you happen to come across it, and maybe we should just leave it at that.

City Beneath the Sea(480P)

source: City Beneath the Sea

Two American divers (Robert Ryan and Anthony Quinn) get a gig in Jamaica to find a sunken vessel with gold cargo while carousing and seeking out fair ladies (Mala Powers and Suzan Ball). Unfortunately, there are shady characters afoot (George Mathews). Woody Strode has a peripheral role. "City Beneath the Sea" (1953) is an oceanic adventure/thriller that has the look and tone of "Dinosaurus!" (1960), but is thematically similar to "The Deep" (1977), "Into the Blue" (2005), "Into the Blue 2: The Reef" (2009) and "Fool's Gold" (2008). The best of these, believe it or not, is "Into the Blue 2," which was a direct-to-video release. This one is worthy too if you can acclimate to the early 50's quaintness. It's rollicking escapist fare with a buddy film foundation. On the female front, Suzan Ball is reminiscent of a taller Salma Hayek while Mala Powers evokes Susan Hayward. The film runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot at Universal Studios in Universal City, California. GRADE: B.

Two divers get involved in the retrieval of a gold shipment at the bottom of the sea near Jamaica. It's a standard undersea salvage story with the usual kind of B movie characters which slows down too much in the middle for the romantic scenes but picks up at the end with a storm, a crumbling undersea city, murderous action on two boats and a helpless diver trapped by rocks. As the divers Robert Ryan and Anthony Quinn are nothing special but George Mathews as the sleazy villain is memorable. A young Woody Strode appears but doesn't have much to do except never having a shirt on. On the positive visual side it has good Technicolor photography and Mala Powers looking distractingly gorgeous in a bright yellow swimsuit.

Though competently directed by the currently "in" idol, Budd Boetticher, this is a fairly routine adventure/romance. Robert Ryan seems miscast as a laconic, two-fisted (thanks to a double in his fight scenes) hero, but Anthony Quinn is even less sympathetic as his greedy partner. The girls, Mala Powers and Suzan Ball, seem determined to be picture postcard pretty, but little else. In fact, nearly everyone's clothes in this seedy outpost in the West Indies are always remarkably clean and shiny. However, as usual, it's the villains who come off best in both writing and acting. Indeed it's George Mathews who ascends to the top spot in his Hollywood career as the ex-captain Meade. And Technicolor is also cleverly utilized (by cinematographer Charles P. Boyle) to give "A" stature to a basically "B"-budget picture.

Genuine chemistry between Ryan and Powers lifts this a notch above fodder. But what happened to Susan Ball, her performance is almost not there. The camaraderie between Ryan and Quinn is the crux of the story, and unfortunately it doesn't work. There is a fun underwater earthquake that topples the "city", but spectacular it ain't. George Matthews makes a very sleazy villain.

I noticed another reviewer gave this one a score of 1. I do not understand this. While few would consider "City Beneath the Sea" a great film, it certainly is a modestly enjoyable one. Two deep sea divers, Brad (Robert Ryan) and Tony (Anthony Quinn), arrive in Jamaica dive for the Fornby Company. Apparently, one of their ships sank and it was filled with gold...so no wonder they'd employ a could divers to look for it. However, they don't know that the rep from the company is a crook...and he has a nasty partner. Their plan is to send Brad and Tony to the wrong area...and return later themselves to get the gold. Not surprisingly, this is very dangerous stuff. While the dives were undoubtedly filmed in a pool at the Universal lot, the diving scenes looked pretty good and there were no goofy sea monsters or giant squids or octopi (like in "Reap the Wild Wind"). Additionally, while the story is light and not especially memorable, it is a decent time-passer. Not a perfect or excellent film by any standard, it still is reasonably entertaining and worth a look.

Have you ever seen a film about jamaica that didn't hoodoo voodoo in it ? the sunken city of port royal is more hoakum ...the real city still exists at the mouth of kingston harbor guarded by the cannons of fort charles ... a million dollars in gold eh ... i've been laughing uncontrollably since this film started ...anthony quinn is a scene eater while robert ryan looks more look a cigar store wooden indian ... all my votes go to mala powers and suzan ball, the only bright spots in this dreary saga