Finding the RKO Adventure Comedy The Tuttles of Tahiti to be far better than expected,I started hoping that the BBC would show other similar films. Taking a look at BBC iPlayer listings,I was pleased to see an RKO sea life adventure epic,which led to me jumping in the ocean with Jane Russell.The plot:Splashing their cash to go on a boat to go in search for sunken treasure in the Caribbean,Johnny and his friend Dominic take their partners Theresa and Gloria along,with priest Father Cannon joining them at the last moment. Diving under the sea, Dominic and Johnny are thrilled to find a ship wreck which appears to contain priceless items. Coming back up from the ocean,Johnny and Dominic discover that a both filled with shady locals have taken an interest in their activities.View on the film: Going under the sea in scuba gear wearing a sexy figure-hugging red dress, Jane Russell gives a charismatic performance for her final RKO production,with Russell hitting the cheerful Adventure targets that the movie aims for. Stuck with re-writing the original screenplay by Hugh King & Robert B. Bailey,writer Walter Newman layers a new plot outline in extended narration sequences played over the scuba diving,which despite taking place during a "wet" activity,come off as rather dry.Breaking the waves above land,Newman gives the group a neat Adventure tale,which rides on light comedic flirting and a slick desire between Johnny and Dominic to explore the depths of the deep blue sea,which is disappointingly pulled down by the plodding added narration. Losing a huge amount of footage and cameras left in a barge and shooting during the storm seasons,director John Sturges and cinematographer Harry J. Wild are impressively still able to set sail for an enjoyable Adventure. Taking place a good amount of time under water,Sturges and Wild give the scuba diving an impressive crisp atmosphere,where smooth side shots allow the viewer to clearly see the cast underwater and also to spot the shiny treasure in the underwater world.

Howard Hughes was a producer that had a lot of talent for discovering beautiful women that went on to have better careers with other vehicles than the ones he decided to create for them. That seems to be the case of this John Sturges' 1955 film "Underwater!" in which the curvaceous Jane Russell starred for the last time for Howard Hughes.The film is a curious one. We are introduced to Johnny and Dominic, two underwater divers who are searching for those sunken ships in the Caribbean, especially this one, not too far from Cuba. As they stumble into the old Spanish galleon, they find a man that appears to be a sort of pirate awaiting for them because it's obvious they are after those treasures.As Johnny and Dominic go back to Cuba, we are introduced to Theresa, Johnny's wife, who is dead set against spending money chasing his dreams. But when Dominic meets Gloria, by chance, she tells him about the yacht she has been left with by a departing old flame. So the four friends, and a priest who knows about those sunk ships, go in search of the riches trapped underwater.The film doesn't bring anything new to this film genre. In fact, it's pretty tame stuff we see in a predictable story we know how it will end. The best reward for the viewers of "Underwater" is the beautiful Jane Russell at her best. She was one of the sultriest women working in films during those days. The problem is the male stars who give by the numbers performances. Joseph Calleia is the only one that shows any spunk as the man who wants the riches from under the sea.

I enjoy this movie very much and try to watch it periodically. As someone who took up SCUBA diving the year before this movie was made, I'd like to call attention to the fact that it is the first full length feature movie in which SCUBA was used. In fact, it was so early in the development of equipment that the tanks that they were using were smaller than the 72 cubic foot tanks that became standard for steel tanks.(There were other sizes.) Also, note the two hose regulators that are all but obsolete, the early flipper designs, and the primitive back packs. To some, the story may seem a little corny, but so were early aviation pictures and early submarine pictures. This considered, I think that the movie deserves look.

Leonard Maltin got this one right, I'm afraid. It's standard fare all the way through. Richard Egan and Gilbert Roland searching for lost treasure don't create much excitement, even with Jane Russell and Lori Nelson along for the ride. Ms. Russell briefly displays a Latin accent which goes in and out, mostly out. If you could never get enough of the old TV series 'Sea Hunt' this might be your thing but otherwise it's strictly take it or leave it.