20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1916)

An epic of watery glory in this classic adaptation of Jules Verne’s masterpiece. Directed by Stuart Paton, and starring Lois Alexander, Curtis Benton, Wallace Clarke, Howard Crampton among others, and with undersea shots filmed in the Bahamas, which explains the crystal clear depths even in this silent, black and white version, even though no actual underwater cameras were used, as watertight tubes and mirrors allowed such actions. For many, this adaptation was a landmark for special effects despite it lacking much of the punch of the novel and seems to lean slightly more to Verne’s Mysterious Island book. It’s flat direction leaves a lot to be desired.

2/5