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The Return Of Captain Nemo

THE AMAZING CAPTAIN NEMO

The Return Of Captain Nemo

Movie

Year: 1978

Director: Alex March

US Premiere: 8 March 1978

Copyright 1978 Warner Bros Inc.

Plot Summary

The Amazing Captain Nemo is the theatrical release of the three part mini-series, The Return of Captain Nemo, which chronicles the discovery of the Captain Nemo who has been frozen for 100 years.

The Amazing Captain Nemo

Cast

José Ferrer - Captain Nemo
Burgess Meredith - Professor Waldo Cunningham
Tom Hallick - Commander Tom Franklin
Burr DeBenning - Lt. Jim Porter
Lynda Day George - Kate
Mel Ferrer - Dr. Robert Cook
Richard Angarola - Trog
Horst Buchholz - King Tibor
Warren Stevens - Mr. Miller, US Navy Intelligence
Med Flory - Tor
Yale Summers - Sirak
Anthony Geary - Bork
Randolph Roberts - Nautilus Helmsman
David Westberg - Nautilus Crewman
Harvey Fisher - Nautilus Radioman #2
Jerry Maren - Caesar
Art Balinger - Announcer
Steve Powers - Lloyd, Engineer
Anthony McHugh - Nautilus Radioman #1
Peter Jason - Raven Helmsman

Stunts

Hubie Kerns, Jr.
Paul Stader
Fred Zendar
George Robotham
John Hayes
Mic Rodgers
Brian Williams
Gary Taraman
Mike Cassidy
James J. Stader

Production Crew

Film Editor - Bill Brame, A.C.E.
Director of Photography - Lamar Boren, A.S.C.
Writers - Norman Katkov, Preston Wood, Robert C. Dennis, William Keys, Mann Rubin, Robert Bloch, Larry Alexander
Director - Alex March
Production Executive - Arthur Weiss
Unit Production Manager - Donald C. Klune
Assistant Director - Norman Arthur August
Executive Assistant to the Producer - Art Volpert
Post Production Supervisor - George E. Swink
Music - Richard La Salle
Special Photographic Effects - L. B. Abbott, A.S.C.
Art Directors - Gene Lourie, Duane Alt
Casting - Jack Baur
Director of Underwater Sequences - Paul Stader
Costume Design - Paul Zastupnevich, C.D.G.
Sound Mixer - Al Overton, Jr.
Sound Editor - Allan R. Potter
Music Editor - Eugene Marks
Program Consultant - Herman Rush
Optical Effects - Van Der Veer Photo Effects
Set Decorator John Anderson
Set Designer - Harold Fuhrman
Makeup - John Inzerella
Property - Jackie Ackerman

Trivia

The Amazing Captain Nemo is the theatrical release of the three part mini-series, The Return of Captain Nemo. Running at on hour and 42 minutes, the story is a significantly cut-down version of the 3 hour mini-series. Released as The Amazing Captain Nemo in many countries including across Europe. The UK enjoyed both the theatrical version and in the early 1980's a couple of airings of the actual mini-series.

Differences

There are many differences between the two versions, The Return of Captain Nemo and The Amazing Captain Nemo. The titles are obviously different and the theatrical release does not include the episode endings. Also missing are the trailers to next week with José Ferrer saying "Next on Captain Nemo" and clips from the following episode . The second and third episodes have quite significant differences and are where the major cuts were made.

It is clear that scenes for the theatrical release were filmed at the same as the mini-series as there are scenes which feature in the Amazing Captain Nemo which are not in The Return of Captain Nemo.

Scene differences from part 1, Deadly Blackmail include:

  • Scene featuring the news announcement from Art Balinger
  • The episode ending

Scene differences from part 2, Duel in the Deep include:

  • Discussion on route through the Panama Canal
  • Kate discussing cryogenics
  • Raven divers placing the Atlas magnets on the sea bed to take away control of the Nautilus
  • Nemo and Tom diving with magnetometers to locate the problem
  • Cook is not killed in the mini-series but rather imprisoned by Nemo. Two variations were filmed, one of Nemo telling Cunningham that Cook was dead, the other telling him that Cook was locked up
  • Nemo asking Kate to stay aboard the Nautilus

What happened to Dr. Cook?

Scene differences from part 3, Atlantis Dead Ahead include:

  • Jim's whereabouts when Captain Nemo and Tibor return to the Nautilus. In The Return of Captain Nemo, the clip of Jim being frozen with the others is cropped out as the camera pans around the control room. Tibor and his men are shown instead.
  • Lengthy scenes removed of Jim freeing himself from being tied up and searching the Nautilus looking for crew who aren't frozen
  • Jim suspicious of Tibor, Sirak and Borg when they return to the Nautilus
  • Scene where Jim radios Mr. Miller to tell him the situation
  • Nemo unfreezing Jim is not shown in the mini-series as he was never frozen in the first place!

Alternative Titles

Austria: Abenteuer in Atlantis
France: Le retour du capitaine Nemo
Germany: Abenteuer Atlantis
Italy: Capitan Nemo, Missione Atlantide

Collectibles

The Amazing Captain Nemo DVD

The Amazing Captain Nemo DVD at Amazon US (#ad)

Note: This is the movie version called Amazing Captain Nemo, and not the 3 part mini-series.