CITY
UNDER THE SEA Alternate Titles: WAR GODS OF THE DEEP; THE CITY IN THE SEA.
RT: 85mins Cast: Vincent Price, Tab Hunter, David Tomlinson, Susan Hart, John Le Mesurier, Harry Oscar, Derek Newark, Roy Patrick, Tony Selby. INTRODUCTION By the time City Under the Sea went into production, American International Pictures had exhausted most of the adaptable Edgar Alan Poe canon they had been dramatising so successfully since Roger Corman's The House of Usher (60). While using Poe's poem "The City in the Sea" and the presence of their top star, Vincent Price, as crutches for the production, AIP were keen to exploit material from other literary and filmic sources that would blend in well with the existing format of their gothic franchise To this end the studio not only reunited Price and director Jacques Tourneur from the popular Richard Matheson-scripted horror spoof The Comedy of Terrors (63), but also the screenwriter from Tourneur's classic occult thriller Night of the Demon (57), to create this curio. SYNOPSIS Cornwall 1903. An American mining engineer, Ben Harris, discovers a body on the beach near the village of Tregarthen. Local fishermen identify the corpse as a lawyer who has been dealing with the estate of another American, Miss Jill Tregillis. Some of the locals express unease about the presence of the Americans, particularly the engineer and his investigation of local tin mines. Since no-one else will carry out the task, Harris volunteers to tell Miss Tregillis about the incident. He travels to the remote inn that she is staying at and asks to be taken to her. The innkeeper informs him that Miss Tregillis and an artist gentleman are in the dining room. There he meets the woman and is introduced to the artist called Harold Tuffnell-Jones along with the man's pet chicken. Jill believes her lawyer to be still working in his study and takes the engineer to see him. However, just as they reach the door, strange noises are heard from within. Ben ventures inside and finds the room has been ransacked and the windows lying open. He is attacked by two strange looking creatures who he manages to fend off before they apparently disappear from the room. Tuffnell-Jones and Miss Tregillis tell him that they saw no-one leave the room and are unsure as to what actually occurred there. Harris finally reveals that the lawyer is dead. Meanwhile back on the beach, the fisherman discuss the legend of the sunken city of Lyonesse which lies just of the coast and a bell which is heard tolling from the depths whenever a death occurs in the area. Back at the study, the artist and the engineer are putting the room back together when Ben notices a book is missing. Tuffnell-Jones mentions that the village and locale have a reputation for things disappearing, such as the local church rector who disappeared more than 50 years previously. On revealing that the missing book contained a sketch of Jill, Harris suddenly comes to the realisation that all the recent events that have taken place are connected in some way to her. The artist rejects this as does Jill who refuses to move away to somewhere safer. Ben decides to spend the night in the study. Just before retiring he finds a pile of seaweed next to the window. Later that night a bell is heard sounding some distance away and Miss Tregillan is seen walking through the house, apparently in some sort of trance. On reaching the study she is kidnapped and bundled away through a secret passageway behind some bookshelves. The engineer awakens just in time to see this. With the aid of the artist and his chicken, the secret opening is located. Entering the passageway they follow a trail of seaweed that leads further and further into the bowels of the earth. REVIEW Like Roger Corman's HP Lovecraft/Edgar Alan Poe crossover The Haunted Palace (63), City Under the Sea opens with top-billed Vincent Price reading from a piece of Poe's verse, in this case "The City in the Sea". The purpose of this was an attempt by American International Pictures (AIP) to convince audiences that the film they were about to see was another in entry in the franchise the studio had been producing with Corman in recent years, exploiting Poe's writings and nearly always featuring the talents of Price. This is underlined by the appearance of some very familiar visual motifs from that franchise, including establishing shots of waves crashing against a stormy shore, bizarre looking structures perched precariously atop steep cliffs and a cast of grotesque minor characters. The inn that heroine Jill Tregillis stays in would also fit into the Poe environment, with its sombre, gothic architecture and emphasis on long corridors with the reliance on candle-light, as the newly installed electricity supply is so unreliable. Another convention established by Corman is the almost obsessive use of elaborate tracking shots down hallways and corridors, at the end of which are ominous sets of double doors waiting to be opened by the unwary, and here director Jacques Tourneur also adopts this stylistic device. Meanwhile the music score by Stanley Black (Maniac 63) echoes the work of regular contributors Poe cycle Ronald Stein and Les Baxter, especially the latter. However, even early on there are signs that things are not quite as they would first appear. The locals talk of the legend of a sunken city and a bell heard tolling from the depths of the ocean to portend a death or some other strange occurrence. Then there are glimpses of a threat unlike that usually found in the works of Poe, usually a crazed or possessed relative or spouse, but seen in this film seen to be of a substantial, otherworldly nature. That threat becomes reality at the end of the first act when bizarre creatures, vaguely humanoid in form, kidnap the heroine and make off with her through a secret passageway. It is at this point that the overt Edgar Alan Poe influence in the plot is largely left behind. One of the most successful genre movies in the years prior to City Under the Sea was Henry Levin's production of Journey to the Centre of the Earth (59) that, in terms of spin-offs and pastiches, proved even more successful at generating interest in the work of French author of the fantastic Jules Verne than even earlier successes like Richard Fleischer's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (54) and Michael Anderson's Around the World in 80 Days (56). It is probably Levin's work that will most likely spring to mind when watching this movie, with the hero and his sidekick, Tuffnell-Jones, following a series of ancient, but obviously man-made passageways deeper and deeper underground. Eventually they stumble on the remnants of a long-lost civilisation that is being threatened by increasingly powerful seismic activity, generated by a nearby undersea volcano. The Verne connection is emphasised by presence of a megalomaniacal figure in the form of Vincent Price's Captain. Price had already played a variation on this character in a more straightforward adaptation of Verne's work for AIP, William Witney's Master of the World (61). The main difference here is that the Captain is not an unbalanced political reformer like Robur in the earlier production, but rather a corrupt knight of the realm who held sway over much of the County of Cornwall until his illegal activities were uncovered by the authorities. Then he managed to escape through a maze of underground tunnels until he and his men eventually came upon what was left of the lost civilisation. Here he established his own personal fiefdom where his word became law. Another adaptation of the French writer's work which may also have had a bearing on the makers of City Under the Sea may well have been Cy Endfield's Mysterious Island (61), particularly the sequences involving the use of primitive diving suits along with glimpses of a submerged, but largely intact, massive underwater city. AIP had already began dramatising the work of another major American writer in the horror vein, HP Lovecraft with the previously mentioned The Haunted Palace, and that film's art director (and City Under the Sea's debutante producer) Daniel Haller had helmed his first feature with the British-shot Die Monster, Die! (65), a very loose interpretation of Lovecraft's novel "The Colour Out of Space". Jacques Tourneur's work continues this interest in the author's work by introducing some recurring elements into its plot. Among these are these are the presence of the amphibious Gillmen, who worship the Captain almost as a deity, and are said to be the degenerate descendents of the master race who inhabited the sunken city known by the Cornish locals as Lyonesse. Price's character suggests that the city was known by several names in the past, implying that it could in fact be a remnant of Atlantis or conceivably even Lovecraft's own Dunwich, a possibility underlined by the tolling of the bell heard out at sea. Meanwhile, the concept of strange atmospheric conditions prolonging human lives indefinitely has been a staple of fantastic fiction for centuries, but probably its best-known incarnation is in James Hilton's Lost Horizon, filmed in 1937 by Frank Capra. Into this melange of influences, the makers also manage to reintroduce material from Edgar Alan Poe, whose poem the film kicked off with. Initially presented as a cruel megalomaniac, a harsher version of Robur from Master of the World, along with elements taken from the Count Prospero character in Corman's Masque of the Red Death (64), Price's Captain proves in fact to have a lot in common with both Roderick Usher from House of Usher and Verden Fell from another Corman production, Tomb of Ligeia (64). He is in fact a typically rarefied Poe male character who cannot leave the confines of his underworld domain, fully aware that he has probably built his own tomb. His melancholia and the suppressed longing for the release of death are all very much Poe traits. His relationship to Usher is underlined by the fact that as he has grown older and more unstable, probably corrupting from the inside, this is represented by the fact that his world is rapidly being destroyed around him, the volcano being the symbol of his repressed madness, in much the same way that the strains of enduring the cursed family line are reflected in the crumbling mansion in 1960 work Other recurring Poe concerns adopted for City Under the Sea are those of obsession and reincarnation. Here the chain of events in the plot are triggered by the heroine Jill Tregillan's uncanny resemblance to the Captain's long lost wife and his obsessive quest for her which leads to his eventual downfall. Finally although this film was advertised as a fantasy adventure by its studio and takes place in a locale favoured by Jules Verne and his successors , it has little in common with the visual representation of the type of environment seen in films like Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Mysterious Island, with their employment of wide shots and bold use of bright primary colours. Instead the world inhabited by Price and his followers most resembles that seen in the tombs or crypts that occupy the bowels of cursed mansions that litter the works of Poe, albeit on a much larger scale, with cinematographer Stephen Dade employing sombre lighting and deep shadows to create general air of claustrophobia. In terms of themes, content and style, City Under the Sea remains a fascinating piece of work. However, regarding its success as a piece of filmmaking there are some issues that need addressing. This was reportedly a much-troubled production, with very late script revisions carried out on Charles Bennet's already approved screenplay by AIP's then in-house writer and associate producer, Louis M. Heyward, with the blessing of studio head Samuel Z. Arkoff. These script changes together with other matters led to a great deal of friction between director Jacques Tourneur and the American backers. This conflict apparently extended to the British production team, with co-producer George Willoughby allegedly quitting the enterprise at one point. Heyward's main contribution to the final screenplay appears to have been the introduction of some very low-grade humour to the proceedings. These mainly involve the antics of "silly ass" Englishman Tuffnell-Jones, played by David Tomlinson, a fine character actor condemned to mainly playing roles like these after his appearance in the very successful Walt Disney fantasy Mary Poppins (64). Here Heyward has Tomlinson's character accompanied everywhere by his pet chicken, which he keeps in a basket when not running about after it. The fact that the chicken is in fact called Herbert gives an indication of the level of wit involved in the writing. There in fact seems to be something of a minor tradition in Vernesque adventure movies in which comedic or cut animals appear, as typified by the duck in Levin's Journey to the Centre of the Earth and a poodle in Robert Stevenson's The Island at the Top of the World (74). In City Under the Sea, the chicken and Tomlinson are used mainly for padding and plot contrivance, ultimately proving to be far more annoying than even remotely amusing, seriously marring the film. Another weak point is the introduction of the reincarnation subplot. While it seems to underline the Edgar Alan Poe connection within the production, it fits extremely uncomfortably within the overall framework of the plot, the general impression being that it has been shoehorned into the film. The fact that Jacques Tourneur viewed working on City Under the Sea as a deeply unhappy experience really becomes apparent from the second act onwards, when the plot moves to the underground world governed by Price. Although very atmospheric and featuring some stylish moments, there is very little in the way of visual flourishes or narrative drive and the impression is given that the director is merely biding his time until the end of the picture. This is compounded by the lack of real incident, with the characters mainly dodging falling masonery, navigating rock-strewn tunnels and attempting to rescue the drugged heroine, together with half-hearted attempts to escape the clutches of Price and his henchmen. It's to the director's credit that even something so mundane as these scenes, along with his obvious lack of interest, still holds the attention of the audience. The movie contains two major underwater action sequences, supervised by John Lamb and Neil "Ginger" Gemmell. The first has Hunter, Tomlinson and Hart escape from one part of the city and attempting to make it to safety in another part. While technically proficient and ambitious the final result is rather laboured with the sequence going on way too long and eventually becoming confusing. Matters are not helped by the intrusion of more comic material involving Tuffnell-Jones and his pet bird, nestling in his diving helmet. The second sequence occurs at the climax of the movie and is much shorter, all to the better. This features some decent underwater stunts involving the heroes and their battle with the gillmen, which they manage to despatch with crossbows. Both of these sequences are undermined, when it becomes obvious in many shots that they are taking place in a shallow studio tank rather than out at sea, with the surface of the tank very visible, especially if the film is seen in widescreen. The production is further hindered by the presence of a rather unappealing leading man in the form of former teen idol Tab Hunter (La Freccia d'Oro 63) whose character comes across as an arrogant hothead, all too ready to use his fists rather than his brain to deal with situations. Heroine Susan Hart (Dr Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine 65), proves to be particularly colourless, although given the substandard material she is given to work with, functioning mainly as a decorative damsel-in-distress, this is entirely understandable. What is really frustrating about City Under the Sea, however, is its lack of ambition and particularly when there is so much potential on display. It would have been fascinating to have more emphasis on the fate of the civilisation that survived in the underwater city, along with the development of their technology and Price's role as a deity to the gillmen. Also hinted at, but never developed, are the internal conflicts between the various members of the underworld community, all vying for Price's position of power. Ultimately the film becomes a mundane adventure. The production is not without its positive aspects, however. Vincent Price, always the consummate star, easily dominates every scene his plays in, from the time he makes his first entrance from the shadows of a doorway to his final death throes in the sunlight. Adopting his usual highly theatrical style of acting, Price makes the most of the film's best dialogue and ensures that his character commands respect and fear in equal measure. While the other leading actors are fairly mediocre, some of the supporting players are more impressive. Of particular note is a stalwart of British cinema and television John Le Mesurier (Eye of the Devil 67) as the apparently senile rector Ives who actually proves to be the film's most heroic character when he arranges the escape of Hunter and his friends. This is a wonderfully touching performance from Le Mesurier who easily steals scenes from the other performers, effectively conveying the mental torture of someone who has lived far beyond their normal lifespan. An interesting cameo comes from Harry Oscar (Brides of Dracula 60) as the eccentric innkeeper Mumford, bemoaning the unreliability of the electricity supply and Tuffnell-Jones complete lack of talent as an artist. The first act of City Under the Sea, meanwhile shows director Jacques Tourneur at somewhere near the top of his game, with the very impressive use of fluid camerawork and deep-focus photography (unusual in a colour movie). The sequence where Susan Hart's character, apparently in a trance caused by the pealing of the bell, walks through the inn is easily on a par with his work for Val Lewton (The Cat People 42) or on Night of the Demon, with marvellous use being made of the subjective camera (notably a shot seen from behind a candle flame as it is carried down a hallway), offbeat sources of light and very wide angles. AIP's co-production deal with Britain's second major studio (after the Rank Organisation), Anglo-Amalgamated, meant that they were able to stretch their production dollars that much farther. Production values were further enhanced by exploiting the convention among British production facilities of placing sets and props into storage after they were struck, allowing other filmmakers to utilise them. Although the original source for the materials in this film can't be identified, art director Frank White (The Face of Fu Manchu 65) has done a sterling job in creating some very ambitious, large-scale sets. Dominated by stone statues, mysterious inscriptions on walls and very high ceiling, the sets easily convey both the grandeur and the desolation of the ancient civilisation that built them. White augments these with features like waterfalls, stone columns and elaborate ornamentation, one set in particular featuring a massive stone hand that turns out to be a method of execution. The special effects by Frank George (Dracula Has Risen From the Grave 67) and Les Bowie (The Day the Earth Caught Fire 61) are varied and interesting. These range from matte painting to enhance some of Frank White's sets, glass shots of the inn on the cliff top and mild destructive gags. Where they really come into their own though is at the climax of the movie, when the volcano erupts, destroying Price's domain. Here impressive use is made of complicated model work as the tunnels, statues and internal chambers are shaken to bits before being engulfed by molten lava. This is more in keeping with audience expectations of a title like City Under the Sea, rather than what actually appeared on screen. After directing some episodic television, Jacques Tourneur retired from filmmaking entirely, reportedly due to his experiences on this production. Louis M. Heyward contributed rewrites to other AIP projects including Mario Bava's Planet of the Vampires (65), before becoming the studio's head of British production where he was involved in movies like Michael Reeves' Witchfinder General/The Conqueror Worm (68), Gordon Hessler's The Oblong Box (69) and Robert Fuest's The Abominable Dr Phibes (71), all of these starring Vincent Price. Susan Hart eventually married the other head of American International Pictures, James H. Nicholson and largely retired from acting after appearing in Don Weis's The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (66). She did co-found Academy Pictures with her husband in the early 1970s, following his departure from AIP. Due to the Nicholson's premature death, the company only made two pictures, one of which was the highly regarded The Legend of Hell House (73), written by Richard Matheson and directed by John Hough. -Iain McLachlan |
© Iain McLachlan 2003
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