Film versions of Jules Verne are popular, especially in the modern cinema with its endless possibilities of special effects.

In 1954, Walt Disney created a lively and entertaining version of Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. James Mason is impressive as the somber Captain Nemo, while Kirk Douglas plays a swashbuckling Ned Land, and Peter Lorre is both pedantic and comical as Conseil. The real hero of the motion picture is the Nautilus, a menacingly sharklike vessel with barbs for ramming unfortunate ships, and an opulent Victorian-style interior.

The earliest motion picture version of the novel is probably 20000 lieues sous les mers, a 1907 French production. It was directed by Georges Melios. Its emphasis is on showing the wonders of the ocean rather than on the story line. The next significant adaptation of the novel was the 1916 American production 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. An early feature film, it runs 105 minutes...