The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues
| The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Dan Milner |
| Produced by | Dan and Jack Milner |
| Written by | Lou Rusoff |
| Based on | original story by Dorys Lukather |
| Starring |
Kent Taylor Cathy Downs Michael Whalen |
| Music by | Ronald Stein |
| Cinematography | Brydon Baker |
| Edited by | Jack Milner |
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Production
company |
Milner Bros. Productions
|
| Distributed by | American Releasing Corporation |
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Release date
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Running time
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80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $75,000 |
| Box office | $400,000 (as part of double bill) |
The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues is a 1955 science fiction film, directed by Dan Milner, produced by Dan and Jack Milner (two former film editors), starring Kent Taylor.
The movie was released in December 1955 on a double bill with Day the World Ended, American Releasing Corporation's first double feature. American Releasing Corporation soon changed their name to American International Pictures. Both films cost approximately $100,000 each. It has had many DVD releases.
A mysterious, man-sized monster kills a fisherman at sea. A marine biologist and a Federal agent later find the body on the beach. The biologist, Ted Baxter (Kent Taylor), tries to get a sample of a radioactive rock in the sea, but the same monster attacks him. Ted escapes and returns to the beach. On a later trip with the other agent, William Grant (Rodney Bell), the monster nearly kills Ted, but Grant shoots it with a spear gun. Ted discovers that Dr. King (Michael Whalen), a marine biologist, created the monster and the radioactive rock with a strange device in his laboratory. Meanwhile, foreign agents try to discover Dr. King's secrets, while Ted and King's daughter develop a relationship. Agent Grant captures the foreign agents, while Ted finally tells Dr. King the monster is killing people and must be stopped and King witnesses a ship explode as it passes over the rock. Dr. King destroys his lab and goes to kill his creation using dynamite. Shortly before a timed detonation, the monster grabs him. Ted arrives just in time to witness the explosion, which destroys the rock, the monster, and Dr. King.
The American Releasing Company began making low budget movies. They realised if they made two low budget films and distributed them on a double bill they could make more profit. ARC's cofounder James H. Nicholson came up with the title. He was looking for a movie to support Day the World Ended on a double bill. ARC lacked money to make both films so they allocated Phantom to Dan and Jack Milner, film editors who wanted to get into production. ARC and Milner spit the costs 60/40.
The double bill with Day the World Ended proved popular, due in part to savvy marketing by James H. Nicholson. Within two months of release the films had earned $400,000.
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