Underwater! (1955)

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Here's a rare chance to see Jane Russell give a truly ridiculous performance as a sultry Latina with an unconvincing Spanish accent. She is married to deep sea diver Richard Egan, who along with older Latin lothario Gilbert Roland, wants to go down to the depths to collect the gold from a sunken ship in the Caribbean. Russell fills her performance with fury, but she's not at all believable in her part (where was Abbe Lane?) so her presence becomes a distraction from the often dully plotted adventure yarn. The film opens on a fantastic note with the credits (set underwater) rolling over a very classical sounding version of "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" which Cuban bandleader Perez Prado made very popular in a mambo recording that has stood the test of time. The Prado version appears several times in the film, once with Prado and his band playing it in a cafe sequence, and another rather sultry sequence where Egan chases a playful Russell on the beach of the island that they, along with Roland and his younger girlfriend, Lori Nelson, have a picnic on.There's the typical danger with both the risks of diving in these rocky waters (and going into the hull of a much damaged ship that could collapse in on the divers at any minute) and crew members who may have nefarious plans of their own. The film is narrated by the third billed Egan who is really the lead, and at one point, I had a chuckle over his line, "Capital is the least of my worries", considering that his last acting job was as the wealthy patriarch Sam Clegg on the daytime soap opera "Capitol". Technically, this film is extremely well done, with the photography breathtaking and almost 3-D in nature, but script wise, it often becomes boring when the actors (or stuntmen) are not diving down to the depths to retrieve the gold and other treasures they find. I've been searching for this film for years ever since first seeing it when it came out on VHS in the early 1990's, and while the second trip underwater was a slight disappointment, I did find many things in it to enjoy. If only director John Sturges had gotten Russell some lessons in a proper Spanish accent where she didn't sound like a female version of Speedy Gonzalez!

Full-figured Jane Russell (as Theresa), her skin-diving husband Richard Egan (as Johnny), and his Cuban partner Gilbert Roland (as Dominic) search for treasure in the Caribbean. They find a shipwreck, shark, and others interested in the booty. Early in the running time, listen for Perez Prado's mega-hit instrumental "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White". This Howard Hughes production unabashedly showcased the chests and legs of its co-stars; other than the obvious, note how the Ms. Russell's legs are made visible while under the ship's table and Mr. Egan's shirt blows open in the breeze, for a loving camera. The "Underwater!" climax (and Russell cleavage) is routine, but it does not bore.***** Underwater! (2/9/55) John Sturges ~ Jane Russell, Richard Egan, Gilbert Roland, Lori Nelson

This was the first film seen in theaters as a widescreen presentation in Finland in the fifties. So much for the film history, because the video version I saw was in 1.33:1 format leaving a lot of the visual underwater spectaculars out of the picture. Not that it might have helped much the otherwise lackluster presentation. The underwater photography of scavenging a sunken treasure does look great and very well done for its time. But above the surface there are the all too static scenes made in a studio with painted skies and wind machines. The dialog and acting are stiff and more like posing instead of running smoothly along the story. Not that the plot is much of a help either. A bit more care for the script would have been needed for a working balance next to the well executed underwater scenes and such ambitious plans for marketing tricks like underwater screenings with aqualungs for the press. The whole story is very slow moving and largely without excitement until the final fifteen minutes. Only then is the movie finally able to fill some of the expectations that have been promised all along with claustrophobic mood, shark danger and Jane Russell stuck in a favorable position in open red swimming suit. John Sturges was usually a very capable director, but this time his skills have probably been too tied under the command of the producer Howard Hughes. I'm sure they didn't really mean the whole movie to sink like that.

Leonard Maltin got this one right, I'm afraid. It's standard fare all the way through. Richard Egan and Gilbert Roland searching for lost treasure don't create much excitement, even with Jane Russell and Lori Nelson along for the ride. Ms. Russell briefly displays a Latin accent which goes in and out, mostly out. If you could never get enough of the old TV series 'Sea Hunt' this might be your thing but otherwise it's strictly take it or leave it.