This week’s mystery movie was the 1955 RKO Superscope production Underwater! with Jane Russell, Gilbert Roland, Richard Egan, Lori Nelson, Robert Keith, Joseph Calleia, Eugene Iglesias and Ric Roman.
Screenplay by Walter Newman. Based on a story by Hugh King and Robert B. Bailey.
Photography by Harry J. Wild. Technicolor consultant James Gooch, underwater photography by Lamar Boren. Music by Roy Webb. Musical director C. Bakaleinikoff. Art directors Albert S. D’Agostino and Carroll Clark. Edited by Stuart Gilmore and Frederic Knudtson. Sound effects by Walter G. Elliott.
Sound by S.G. Haughton and Terry Kellum. Assistant director William Dorfman. Set decorations by Darrell Silvera and John Sturtevant. Costumes by Michael Woulfe. makeup by Mel Berns. Miss Russell’s makeup artist Layne Britton. Hairstyles by Larry Germain.
Produced by Harry Tatelman.
Directed by John Sturges.
Presented by Howard Hughes.
Color by Technicolor.
Underwater! is available on Blu-ray in a Warner Archive (RIP) release from the soon-to-close TCM shop.
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I picked Underwater! by going through the trades and looking for a critically acclaimed film. The photography is striking and the plot is a standard adventure tale. Newspapers said the premiere was staged underwater in Silver Springs, Fla., with the audience 20 feet underwater in oxygen masks.
More on the history of the film is available from the AFI catalog.
Let’s see what Bosley Crowther had to say about it. I’m guessing he’ll dismiss it as “old hat.”
Yes, it’s Bosley, all right, Feb. 10, 1955:
They have tried many ways of showing Jane Russell’s attractiveness in films, from rigging her out in low-cut dresses to pouring her into tight-fitting cowboy duds. Now they have put her in a swim suit, wearing a pair of mechanical gills and paddling around among the fishes in the subaqueous gloom of a sunken ship. This happens in Underwater! which came to the Mayfair yesterday. The title conveys a description and an estimation of the contents in one word.
Seldom has anything so trifling as this story of delving for treasure beneath the seas been dished up as feature entertainment — or even as a special vehicle.
… This presentation of Miss Russell is like one of those fountain pens that is guaranteed to write underwater. it is novel, but impractical. Miss Russell does nothing that she hasn’t done better above.
For Monday, we have a mystery fellow.
Update: This is Eugene Iglesias.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious musician.
Update: This is Perez Prado.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest), Jenny M. (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest) and Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest). Adding: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest).
Note: I am having continuing problems with comments disappearing, with Howard and Mary the latest victims. They’re not in the spam folder or in the trash; they’re gone. If I don’t give you proper credit, please drop me a note. Thanks!
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mystery guest.
Update: This is Robert Keith.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s mystery pianist), Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery pianist), Jenny M. (Tuesday’s mystery pianist) and Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery pianist).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is the hardly recognizable Joseph Calleia.
We also have a mystery woman. And Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Lori Nelson and Gilbert Roland as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery gent), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), Incredibleinman (Wednesday’s mystery gent), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery gent), Richard Wegescheide (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery gent), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery gent), Pat in Michigan (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest), Gary (mystery movie and mystery movie’s tagline!), Benito (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest) and Tucson Barbara (Wednesday’s mystery guest).
Note: Several more comments ended up in the trash folder. Thanks for your continued patience.
For Friday, we have a mystery fellow.
Update: This is Gilbert Roland.
And a second mystery gent.
Update: This is Richard Egan.
Finally, our mysterious leading lady.
Update: This is Jane Russell.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and all mystery guests, plus Back of the Head Guy), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy) and McDee (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery gent and Thursday’s Back of the Head Guy).
ladailymirror.com 
TWILIGHT FOR THE GODS with Rock Hudson and Cyd Charisse? The boat looks familiar, but I do not know who this guy is!
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Interesting guess! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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I’m probably wrong but I’m going to guess Felipe Pazos.
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An interesting guess, but alas, I’m afraid not….
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Eugene Iglesias in UNDERWATER.
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Eugene Iglesias in Underwater.
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Uncredited in The Twelve Mile Reef.
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An excellent guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Damaso Perez Prado.
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Hello, Larry,
I suspect my answer is submerged!
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I think it ate my first response. Eugene Iglesias Monday with Richard Egan and Gilbert Roland out of frame, and Damaso Perez Prado and orchestra today. UNDERWATER!
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Perez Prado
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Perez Prado.
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Good old Robert Keith today.
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Mr Robert Keith was my way in.
“Underwater” 1955
Monday – I think the image is of Eugene Iglesias
Tuesday – Perez Prado (I never knew Perez was his middle name and that his actual first name was Damaso). Will see if I can find info on the other band members.
Wednesday – Robert Keith
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My comments usually, when I first send them, appear so I can read them, until I check out from the email. That didn’t happen this time, soooo we’ll see. Don’t know if they made it to you.
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Underwater (1955) w/Richard Egan, Lori Nelson, Jane Russell, Robert Keith, Joseph Calleia, Gilbert Roland, Eugene Iglesias, Perez Prado…
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Robert Keith today.
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Robert Keith.
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Robert Keith is my guess for Wednesday. For whatever reason, maybe channeling my Cuban relatives, it triggered in my mind Damaso Prado as Tuesday’s mambo king band leader. I do not know the movie.
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Robert Keith.
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With those O2 tanks behind him I’m guessing Robert Keith is trending Underwater.
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Wednesday’s guest is Robert Keith in the film with aqualung thrills, “Underwater!”
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For Tuesday – is that Machito and his band?
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Great guess! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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100% WAG: “Jamaica Run?”
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A good guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Like some homeowners this film is Underwater. With Jane Russell…”as you’ve never seen here before.” I’ll bet!
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Robert Keith today. Is it UNDERWATER 1955? Filmed off Catalina
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Robert Keith today. Is it UNDERWATER 1955? Filmed off Catalina
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Wednesday’s mystery guest is Robert Keith (father of Brian Keith) in Underwater! (1955)
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I think Wednesday’s gentleman is Brian’s dad, Robert Keith.
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On Wednesday, might that be Brian Keith’s father, Robert, in “Underwater”?
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Joseph Calleia, Lori Nelson, and woof woof BOTH Gilbert Roland.
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We’ll see what happens.
Thursday – Joseph Calleia, I think is in image #1 and in image #2, we have Lori Nelson struggling with BOTHG, Gilbert Roland
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Underwater!
Mon – Eugene Iglesias
Tues – Damaso Perez Prado,
Wed – Robert Keith
Thurs – Joseph Calleia, Lori Nelson, Gilbert Roland
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Fuller-faced Joseph Calleia; Lori Nelson, Gilbert Roland.
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Catching up with Monday, that looks like Eugene Iglesias. On Thursday, Joseph Calleia, Lori Nelson and Gilbert Roland in “Underwater!”
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Test sbx
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Test 2 sbx
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Joseph Calleia, Lori Nelson and Gilbert Roland.
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Robert Keith on Wednesday. Could Thursday’s BOTH guy be Gilbert Roland? Wild guess: Underwater from 1955.
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Gilbert Roland, Richard Egan, Jane Russell.
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Friday – Gilbert Roland, Richard Egan and Jane Russell
Looking forward to the Saturday breakdown.
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Gilbert Roland, Richard Egan and Jane Russell
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Gilbert Roland; Richard Egan; Jane Russell.
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This is a bit late, the movie this week is “Underwater!”. Monday’s guest was Eugene Iglesias. For Tuesday the man on piano was Damas Perez Prado. On Wednesday we had Robert Keith. The guests for Thursday were Joseph Calleia, Lori Nelson and Gilbert Roland. Finally, for today were Gilbert Roland, Richard Egan and Jane Russell.
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Gilbert Roland, Jane Russell and Richard Egan.
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Eugene Iglesias for Monday
Perez Paradox (Mr. Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White) for Tues
Wed #1 is Robert Keith with an aging Joseph Calleia in Wed #2
Our film is John Sturges’ Underwater
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For Thurs we have Joseph Calleia in #1 and in #2 we have Pork Nelson with bothg being Gilbert Roland.
For Fri we have Gilbert Roland in #1. #2 is Richard Egan with #3 being Jane Russell.
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Oops that should be Lori Nelson on Thurs with both Gilbert Rolanf
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