20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a silent film made in 1916, based on the novel by Jules Verne of the same title. This version is notable for its groundbreaking work in actual underwater photography by George M. Williamson and J. Ernest Williamson. Actual underwater cameras were not used, but a system of watertight tubes and mirrors allowed the camera to shoot reflected images of underwater scenes staged in shallow sunlit waters. Captain Nemo is p... more

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a silent film made in 1916, based on the novel by Jules Verne of the same title. This version is notable for its groundbreaking work in actual underwater photography by George M. Williamson and J. Ernest Williamson. Actual underwater cameras were not used, but a system of watertight tubes and mirrors allowed the camera to shoot reflected images of underwater scenes staged in shallow sunlit waters. Captain Nemo is presented as an Indian prince who created the Nautilus after an unscrupulous colonial officer killed his wife and burned down his palace, a characterization in keeping with Verne's book. less