Around the World Under the Sea is a 1966 science fiction film directed by Andrew Marton and starring Lloyd Bridges, with Marshall Thompson, Shirley Eaton, Gary Merrill, and David McCallum. It follows the adventures of a crew of the deep-diving nuclear-powered civilian research submarine Hydronaut making a submerged circumnavigation of the world to plant monitoring sensors on the ocean floor that will help scientists better predict impending earthquakes. Although Jules Verne isn’t credited by the film makers, his influence can be seen throughout the film. Many of the under water scenes were filmed at Wakulla Springs.
New York Times July 21, 1966
Around the World Under the Sea (1965)
Screen: Submarine Saga Hits Bottom:’Under the Sea’ Sails Into Neighborhoods
By BOSLEY CROWTHER
Published: July 21, 1966
A deplorable lack of imagination is apparent in “Around the World Under the Sea,” a science-fiction drama that came to neighborhood theaters yesterday.
Here is an underwater saga in which the crew of the crucial submarine includes four prominent television actors who are all stars in popular series and one beautiful blonde, Shirley Eaton, who was the gold-painted girl in “Goldfinger.”
And what do they do? Do they quarrel over how to control that submarine or perform their skin-diving maneuvers, based on their experiences in their television shows?
Does Brian Kelly, human star of “Flipper,” challenge Lloyd Bridges, late of “Sea Hunt” fame, for going away from the boat without radio equipment, which is something no intelligent dolphin would ever do? Or does Marshall Thompson, hero of “Daktari,” fire a withering blast of contempt at David McCallum, the creep in “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” for being inhumane to an eel?
Not at all. They don’t even mention their respective TV shows or occasionally make pointed reference to their ratings in order to assert themselves.
No, they just buzz off to the bottom in their miniature submarine and tend to the business of planting sensors in a vast international earthquake-warning chain while dull, ordinary perils beset them, such as underwater volcanoes and a giant, voracious eel. And even though the beauteous Miss Eaton is quite conspicuous in the narrowly confined space, not one of the fellows ever grabs her on the impish pretext of wanting to see if she’s made of gold.
What a chance was missed by Andrew Marton and the fellows who wrote the script! What were they trying to make these actors act like—people? Didn’t they realize these are personalities?
AROUND THE WORLD UNDER THE SEA, screenplay by Arthur Weiss and Art Arthur; directed and produced by Andrew Marton and presented by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. At neighborhood theaters. Running time: 120 minutes.
Dr. Doug Standish . . . . . Lloyd Bridges
Dr. Maggie Hanford . . . . . Shirley Eaton
Dr. Craig Mosby . . . . . Brian Kelly
Dr. Phil Volker . . . . . David McCallum
Hank Stahl . . . . . Keenan Wynn
Dr. Orin Hillyard . . . . . Marshall Thompson
Dr. August Boren . . . . . Gary Merrill
Brunkman . . . . . Ron Hayes
Professor Hamuru . . . . . George Shibata