Captain Nemo and the giant octopus: A film highlight of the 50s!

Captain Nemo and the giant octopus: A film highlight of the 50s!

In the Filmhaus Saarbrücken, visitors can expect a nostalgic film screening in retro style at the special demonstration event. The 1954 classic " 20.000 Leagues under the Sea " is shown in an old film projector, which wakes memories of past cinema days. The film is presented on an impressive large coil, which is modeled in its shape to a channel lid. The film band used is three and a half centimeters wide and winds down from the ceiling, across the demonstration room to the projector "Ernemann 12". This projector has the ability to play both 35 and 16-millimeter films. The presentation is a true play of light that projects the exciting pictures of the film onto the screen.

The scenes shown are important in film history, including the impressive performance of Kirk Douglas Sailor t-shirt runs a fight against a gigantic octopus. James Mason, who appears as a Captain Nemo, plays on an organ, among other things, and prefers Bach's works. The scenes playing under water with the "Nautilus" submarine, which glides through turquoise Hollywood waters, offer an impressive visual experience.

cinematic key data

"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is a film based on Jules Verne's book from 1870. The story began in 1868 when rumors about a monster that attacks ships in the Pacific Ocean are in circulation. Professor Aronnax, his assistant Consil and the Harpunier Ned Land embark on an expedition and quickly find themselves in adventurous situations. After all, they discover that the monster is a man built by people, which is commanded by Nemo, which is pursuing mysterious motifs.

The film was produced under the direction of Richard Fleischer and launched by Walt Disney Productions. With a production budget of around 9 million USD, this film is one of the most expensive productions of its time. The shooting took place in fascinating scenes on the Bahamas, in Jamaica and various locations in California.

critical reception and awards

"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" was generally praised as Captain Nemo for its visual effects, directing and in particular the performance of James Mason. The film won two Academy Awards for scene and special effects. He quickly achieved great success on the box office and ultimately developed into the highest sales film in 1954 in the United States. Until January 1956, the film had already achieved $ 8 million in rental income and was considered the third highest film of the year.

In addition, the film was the inspiration for various leisure attractions in Disneyland and Walt Disney World, some of which used the original scenes. Despite several attempts to realize a remake of the classic, many projects have been stopped or got stuck in the development.