Beneath The 12-Mile Reef
For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.
Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.
Pick any era and you will have a great technological invention.
In 1953, CinemaScope burst onto the scene with, at the time, the greatest visual images ever produced on any video screen.
Beneath The 12-Mile Reef was one of the first movies using this innovation. The plot was loosely based on William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” but shot in and around a seafaring town – with picturesque views for CinemaScope to use and enhance the beauty of the images.
Academy Award-winning Robert Webb took over the reins as director. For a big box office draw, up-and-coming star Robert Wagner was teamed with established film star Terry Moore for the leads.
Wagner’s star power would later grow with starring roles in “It Takes a Thief” and “Hart to Hart“. He also would be involved in the scandal regarding Natalie Wood‘s death a few years later. For younger audiences, Wagner would go on to play Austin Powers‘s “Number Two” and had the recurring role of Teddy on the hit TV show, “Two and a Half Men.”
Moore, meanwhile, already was a part of hits in numerous successful films in the 1940s and had just been dubbed “Hollywood Sexiest Tomboy” in an early July, 1953 edition of “Life” magazine. Moore had her own sea-related scandal a few years later regarding a debated marriage to Howard Hughes while aboard his yacht.
With two big stars on board, a top-notch director, a solid supporting cast (anchored by Gilbert Rowland and Gloria Gordon) and the breathtaking scenery filmed completely in CinemaScope, it was targeted to be one of the biggest films of the year.
The initial reviews for “Reef” were mixed. Viewers loved the picturesque views and storyline but critics blamed Webb’s lack of direction as to the cause of an alleged lackadaisical performance by Wagner. Movie reviewers were further critical of the director, saying that he didn’t use enough exterior shots, especially below sea level, to take full advantage of the new technology.
Still, the film has grossed over $7 million in movie rentals over the last several years alone (it cost just $1.5 million to shoot.)
It is also an historical flick, being just the third film ever shot in what would be the most popular visual movie innovation of the 1950s. Check it out and see what a vast improvement it was over films produced before 1953 – you’ll notice a big difference.
Beneath the 12-Mile Reef will be featured in the ATVN Movie Vault this Saturday, at 9:30 p.m.
To see the full listing of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here on our website.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.
