Underwater! Reviews

UNDERWATER! is an absurd and outlandish picture, better known for the hype that surrounded it than for the film itself. Russell and Egan are a married diving team who discover a sunken Spanish galleon in the Caribbean. They enlist the help of adventurer Roland and together scout the ocean floor for the galleon's treasure. Also along for the dive are Keith, a priest who advises Russell and Egan on their treasure, and Nelson, a scantily clad beauty. What little suspense the film offers involves the divers' attempts to salvage the treasure before the galleon teeters off the underwater ridge upon which it rests and sinks to an unreachable depth. Rather than tell a story, billionaire Howard Hughes (the mastermind behind the film) concentrated on two things--exploiting Russell's figure once again (his first attempt was 1943's THE OUTLAW) and showing off scuba gear, a relatively new invention. This would be the final film that Russell and Hughes completed together, though he did sign her for another contract--unlike any before in Hollywood--paying her $1 million to make six pictures on loan-out. Russell, in return, received complete control over her career, the freedom to enter any other professional deals, and the choice of her directors.