Lower Decks

I apologize for the delay but I think it’s worth it. I’m reviewing The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues, a movie so bad that I can’t think of anything good to say about it. Released in 1955, the title makes absolutely no sense. There’s no phantom involve — the monster is quite visible — and 10,000 leagues would equal about 30,000 miles. That’s pretty deep.

The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues

The plot of the movie is straightforward: there’s a monster, born of a radioactive rock at the bottom of the ocean, and it’s killing people. A scientist by the name of Ted Stevens (played by Kent Taylor) is sent to investigate. He soon meets one Professor King (played by Michael Whalen) and his daughter Lois (played by Cathy Downs).

Raaaaargh!

I don’t remember why but for some reason Ted initially pretends to be named Ted Baxter. There’s also a subplot involving a mysterious and beautiful woman named Wanda (played by Helene Stanton) who may or may not be a Communist and Professor King’s assistant, George (played Phillip Pine), who is trying to steal the good professor’s secrets. Rounding out the cast are Vivi Janiss as Professor King’s secretary, Ethel, and Rodney Bell as FBI agent Bill Grant.

Ted decides to scuba dive into the monster’s presumed lair to check things out and is nearly killed. After escaping and returning to the surface he almost trips over Lois, who has arrived on the beach to sun herself. Obviously, the two are destined to fall in love. Later, Ted and Bill go scuba diving together to look for the monster and Ted is nearly killed (again). But Bill saves him by firing a spear gun at the monster.

Cheesecake!

Even as it begins to dawn on Ted that Professor King may be involved with the monster, he continues his romance with Lois. There’s a horribly awkward scene at the King residence when Ted shows up while Lois is in the shower. We then see her dressing in the bathroom and Ted later helps zip up her dress. Weird stuff.

Ethel is murdered by George in a hilarious scene on the beach. He uses a spear gun while hiding in the bushes. Poor Ethel. George later tries to kill Ted and Bill but fails and is captured. So is Wanda. Professor King, realizing what his research has led to, destroys all his papers and his electronics and then destroys the monster as well, dying the process. Just before this, however, a freighter blows up after coming into contact with the radioactive light from the radioactive rock.

Harpooned!

There’s nothing to redeem The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues. It’s just a bad movie. A very, very bad movie. The monster is simply laughable, the acting wooden and unbelievable, and the plot all but incomprehensible. Professor King develops some sort of death ray that creates the monster, doesn’t seem to care that innocent people are dying left and right, and then dies in an attempt to destroy his creation.

Hopefully, my painful viewing of this movie will keep others from having to watch it.