City Beneath the Sea (1971 film)

Did You Know?

• The story combined a natural disaster story with high-stakes crime drama and futuristic adventure.
• Many props and models from Allen's previous sci-fi series were included in the 1971 movie.
• Filming took place in August 1970 at 20th Century Fox studios.

Storyline

On June 12, 2053, a futuristic oil rig explodes in the Atlantic Ocean. Retired admiral Michael Matthews, overseeing engineering projects from his New York City office, is reactivated against his will as administrator of the underwater city Pacifica. He travels there by flying submarine with commander Woody Patterson. Matthews regrets returning due to a past tragedy and notes that his return will demote Patterson. They discuss the ongoing transfer of the entire American gold reserve from Fort Knox to Pacifica, a project nearing completion in 17 days.

1967 teaser reel

Allen filmed the original concept as a science fiction movie set in 2068, but it was never publicly shown. The plot involves an undersea drilling project threatening the city of Triton, run by General Kevin Matthews with associates Lia Holmes, Dr. Raymond Aguila (an amphibian/human hybrid), and head of security Choo Choo Kino. Engineer Temple schemes to stop the drilling, and in the finale Matthews confronts him on a burning surface platform. The proposed cast included Glenn Corbett, Lloyd Bochner, Lawrence Montaigne, Francine York, Cecile Ozorio, and James Brolin. The reel remained unseen until the DVD release of the 1995 documentary The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen.