War-Gods of the Deep (1965)

WAR-GODS OF THE DEEP (CITY IN THE SEA) has one thing going for it: director Jacques Tourneur. Unfortunately, even one of the finest Fright Film makers to ever shiver me timbers can't overcome this script. There ARE a couple of shots near the beginning of the movie that promise more than the final film ever delivers: beautifully-composed shots of a darkened den that even COLOR can't ruin. And then there's the first assault of the "gill-men." They attack at night and are gone in an instant. This brief glimpse is so tantalizing that later scenes in which we see them fully exposed (and lit) are painfully disappointing (and by no means in keeping with Tourneur's lifelong assertion that "less is more" when it comes to Monsters on screen). I'd be interested in reading up on the making of this one, because the departure from his Standard Operating Procedure needs some explaining. Maybe McFarland Publishing has a book on the subject... (If not, perhaps FILMFAX has run an article about the making of...)

A couple of respectable elements assemble here for a decent fantasy feature: source material from master of horror Edgar Allan Poe, a capable director in Jacques Tourneur, and the consistently amusing film star Vincent Price. While ultimately it lacks the imagination, budget, and style to be anything more, it's still acceptable entertainment of this kind.Ben (Tab Hunter) is an American living on the Cornish coast at the turn of the 20th century. When mysterious forces kidnap area resident Jill (Susan Hart), on whom Ben is sweet, he sets out after her, with the doddering artist Harold (David Tomlinson) in tow. (Oh, and not to forget, Harolds' pet rooster Herbert.) They soon discover a strange underwater civilization, ruled by the domineering captain (Price). The captain, upon being led to believe that Ben is a professor of immense knowledge, wants to pick his brain on what to do in the event of a cataclysmic volcanic eruption.As part of the package, the captain and his men exploit local "gill men". They're NOT as cool as the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but the masks aren't bad either, and they're not bad characters. Considering that A.I.P. probably controlled expenses a lot, the sets and production values are still respectable enough. The movie is shot in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio and is fairly colourful. The score by Stanley Black is also nice. Tourneur gets down to business quickly and the pacing & editing are adequate. Most of the cast & crew credits are saved for the end.Hunter is a handsome and engaging hero. The beautiful Hart is a likable enough heroine. Tomlinson handles all of the comedy relief duties and is delightful. John Le Mesurier is excellent as helpful old Reverend Ives; Henry Oscar, Derek Newark, and Roy Patrick co-star. Price is magnetic as always as our villain, and the lines from the Poe story flow off of his tongue with the greatest of ease.The viewer may not enjoy this quite as much as they'd like to, but it remains watchable for most of its 85 minute run time.Sadly, director Tourneurs' final feature film.Seven out of 10.

City Under the Sea is directed by Jacques Tourneur and written by Charles Bennett and Louis M. Heyward. It stars Vincent Price, Tab Hunter, Susan Hart, David Tomlinson and John Le Mesurier. Filmed in Pathecolor it features music by Stanley Black and cinematography by Stephen Dade.Inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe/Roger Corman/Vincent Price series of films, with some Jules Verne flavourings, City Under the Sea turns out to be a disappointment and a far from fitting farewell to cinema for Tourneur. A shame because visually it's a treat for the eyes with its striking set designs and character clobber. Derived as an idea from Poe's poem The City in the Sea, the story just isn't interesting enough. It's based in olde Cornwall, England, and finds Hunter (dull) and Tomlinson (out acted by his chicken companion) discovering an underwater city when Hart (err, she is just there!) disappears from her room via a secret passage. Turns out the city is presided over by an unhinged Price (on auto-pilot but still engaging enough) who believes Hart to be the reincarnation of his long dead wife. There's some gill men ancients, a smuggling back story, ageless oxygen and a volcano just waiting to explode in the finale. What transpires is a load of talking and nothing much happens until the expected chase and explosive ending that really isn't worth the wait.Price and the visuals ensure it's not a total wash out, but all told its pretty ordinary. 5/10

WAR GODS OF DEEP contains fantastic adventures full of sea-monsters in a lost continent placed underwater . Set on the Cornish coast in 1903, the film starts when a body is washed ashore on a remote seacoast little town , it originates an investigation by an American named Ben Harris (Tab Hunter). He goes to the home where the dead had been an advocate and encounters tracks that indicate that the gorgeous Jill (Susan Hart) may be in deadly risk . Establishing menace and seeing off a suspicious strange monster like a gill-man who he trapped in the act of robbing a portrait of Jill but he gets escape . In the overnight Jill is abducted and Ben and Harold (David Tomlinson ) chase him. Finding a tunnel system going under the sea they walk across a dangerous rout . The duo discovering an underwater band of smugglers who never age residing in a lost underwater city along with their gill-man slaves . The group of people find inhabitants of the lost world that are ruled by one megalomaniac named Sir Hugh (Vincent Price)who has discovered the secret of eternal life but is desperate to avoid his world being destroyed by an eruption caused by a relentless volcano . Sir Hugh governs over the gill-men as slavers and wishes to rule the human beings and the creation a totalitarian state.Based on Edgar Allan Poe writings with interesting screenplay by Charles Bennett . This fantasy picture packs thrills, weird sea monsters, lively pace and fantastic scenarios located undersea . Vincent Price is the real star of this production and its chief attribute such as Robur the conquer . The tale is silly and laughable but the effects and undersea scenes are quite well. Among the most spectacular of its visuals there are a deeply shrouded caverns full giant sculptures in Persyian style . Some illogical parts in the argument are more than compensated for the excitement provided by Vincent Price acting and the sea-monsters appearance , though sometimes are a little bit shoddy . Cheesy underwater city with mediocre matte painting .Filmed in glimmer cinematography by Stephen Dade on location in Cornwall Coast, Cornwall, England, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK (studio). Colorful and stirring musical score by Stanley Black . The motion picture is produced by American International (James H Nicholson , Samuel Z. Arkoff) in average budget and middling directed by the classic director Jacques Tourneur in his final feature . He is an expert on terror cinema (Cat people , Curse of the demon, I walked with a Zombie) and adventures (Flame and the arrow ) . ¨City under the sea¨ will appeal to youngsters who swallow whole and sit convulsed in their armchair and of course Vincent Price fans.