Nemo

 

THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND-1961-In 1865, during the second siege of Richmond, 3 Union soldiers prisoners Capt. Harding (Michael Craig), Corporal Neb Nugget (Dan Jackson) and Herbert Brown (Michael Callan) escape in a hit air observation balloon along with Union reporter Spilitt (Gary Merrill) and rebel Sgt. Pencroft (Percy Herbert). After they crash the balloon in the ocean, they wind up on an island surrounded by a volcano. After eating giant oysters, they are attacked by a giant crab which they manage to kill, boil and eat. 

While exploring they find a rowboat containing the upper-class twit Lady Fairchild (Joan Greenwood) and her niece Elena (Beth Rogan) who’s boat was wrecked. They build huts and try to get along. It seems an unknown presence is also helping them. Neb finds a trunk that they determine belonged to the infamous Capt. Nemo, now presumed dead. Then they are attacked by a giant chicken monster. It seems like Herbert kills it but while eating it they learn it was shot by a bullet. Herb and Elena fall in love and are menaced by giant bees and sealed in a honeycomb. They escape and discover Nemo's powerful sub, The Nautilus. Then the group is attacked by pirates but something sinks their ship. Of course, Nemo (Herbert Lom) is still alive but the Nautilus is broken. He devises a plan to re-float the pirate ship he sunk so they can leave before the volcano blows. Problems arise especially from a giant octopus. 

THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND is the sixth collaboration between producer Charles Scheer and SFX genius Ray Harryhausen, who's stop motion effects in this film are fabulous. The music is by Bernard Heerman conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. The story is loosely based on the 1874 novel of the same name by Jules Verne. Nice direction by Cy Enfield who was blacklisted in the 1950's and relocated to England.

This is actually the second adaptation of the Verne novel. There's a silent version:

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