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Greetings, and welcome to VIEWING THE CLASSICS. Here you'll find capsule reviews of vintage movies from the early days of cinema through the 1970s, with a special emphasis on sci-fi, horror, and mystery movies. Be sure to check out the Pages links, where you can find a Film Index of all my reviews, links to the reviews organized by cast members, directors, and other contributors, and links to my reviews of the films of talented young director Joshua Kennedy.

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Monday, January 21, 2019

The Phantom From 10,000 Leagues (1955)

Starring Kent Taylor, Cathy Downs, Michael Whalen, Helene Stanton, Phillip Pine
Directed by Dan Milner
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A scientist is sent to investigate deaths by radiation burns at a seaside community, and discovers a mutated monster is protecting a radioactive beam of light underwater.

A low budget sci-fi production by Dan & Jack Milner, it's not as entertaining as their later film, From Hell It Came, but I found elements to enjoy.  I've always liked the debonair and polished actor Kent Taylor, the monster design is fairly well done, and Ronald Stein's music score adds punch to the movie, particularly his haunting title theme.  However Downs has a fairly thankless part, and the story needs work, with too much ado placed on the difficulties of getting into Professor King's locked laboratory, and some nonsensical attacks by Pine's character with a speargun that is easily traced back to him.  This is the most substantial role I've seen for Whalen, as the oceanography professor who's clearly behind it all from the beginning of the film, and he has some worthwhile moments although his part could have been better written.  I still enjoyed the film on its own merits, despite its faults.

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