20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, based on the 1869 story by French science-fiction author Jules Verne, dove onto screens on this day in 1954. With Verne’s great story in place, Walt Disney went to great depths to ensure that the movie would be equally as compelling. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is possibly the most elaborate live-action production that he ever produced, and the Studio spared no expense in creating the film’s undersea world. The first Disney movie filmed in CinemaScope features the astonishing giant squid attack which remains one of Hollywood’s most famous scenes. The film was able to hook three Hollywood legends in starring roles, Kirk Douglas, James Mason, and Peter Lorre, however, as written in 1954 in Variety, “…it is the production itself that is the star. Technical skill was lavished in fashioning the fabulous Nautilus with its exquisitely appointed interior. The underwater lensing is remarkable on a number of counts, among them being the special designing of aqualungs and other equipment to match Verne’s own illustrations.” Walt’s efforts proved worthwhile. The film took the world by storm, it was a box office smash and it sailed away with two Academy Awards® for Best Color Art Direction/Set Decoration and for Special Effects along with a nomination for Best Film Editing.
