1933's "Sixteen Fathoms Deep" is a Monogram production featuring 27 year old Lon Chaney Jr. in the starring role, freelancing after his two year stint at RKO. Sponge fishing is the focus of this fast moving 56 minute programmer, as Joe Bethel (Chaney) acquires a new boat christened after his sweetheart, Rosita (Sally O'Neil), hoping to pay back the $3000 loan he borrowed from the villainous Theo Savanis (George Regas), who secretly covets Rosita for himself and uses his henchman, Nick Samos (Maurice Black), to sabotage Joe's vessel, preventing him from reaching the sponge auction that would enable Joe to get out of debt. Plenty of action and done without a hint of a music score. Still billed under his real name, Creighton Chaney is quite a confident revelation, often bare chested as he athletically barks orders to his crewmen, played by Richard Alexander, Constantine Romanoff, Raul S. Figarola, and Popeye lookalike Si Jenks, who even smokes a corncob pipe. Third billed Russell Simpson only appears once before the climactic auction, while top billed Sally O'Neil displays a fetching figure in a one piece bathing suit (she made only 5 more features). Producer Paul Malvern would be at the helm for two of Lon's iconic Universal titles, "House of Frankenstein" and "House of Dracula," while Monogram would remake this film in 1948, top billing Chaney as the villain, in "16 Fathoms Deep" (Creighton quickly followed this with another atypical Monogram, "Girl O' My Dreams").
5 Reviews
Surprisingly Good
boblipton25 April 2023
Lon Chaney Jr. -- still credited as Creighton Chaney -- is a sponge diver, anxious to get his own boat and Sally O'Neil. He has a boat to buy, but auctioneer Russel Simpson thinks it's a cursed boat, and won't lend him the money. But George Regas wants Miss O'Neil, so he lends Chaney the money, and puts a saboteur on board the ship.
I wasn't expecting much given this is a Paul Malvern production directed by Armand Schaefer. I was very pleasantly surprised. With Archie Stout in charge of the camera, and most of the movie shot off Catalina, the audience is treated to some fine camerawork from aloft, and a long sequence shot underwater, showing the men harvesting the sponges. It's topped off with a lively and funny fight aboard ship.
In addition, the cast is spot on, with Chaney good in an early role, Regas quite good, and Miss O'Neil outstanding, beautiful, full of energy, and her accent fitting her role to a T. There's also some good comic relief by Si Jenks, dressed in a Popeye suit, with a corncob pipe stuck in his mouth, looking more like Poopdeck Pappy than the spinach-munching sailor man. Over all, it's as good as a Gower Gulch production can be.
I wasn't expecting much given this is a Paul Malvern production directed by Armand Schaefer. I was very pleasantly surprised. With Archie Stout in charge of the camera, and most of the movie shot off Catalina, the audience is treated to some fine camerawork from aloft, and a long sequence shot underwater, showing the men harvesting the sponges. It's topped off with a lively and funny fight aboard ship.
In addition, the cast is spot on, with Chaney good in an early role, Regas quite good, and Miss O'Neil outstanding, beautiful, full of energy, and her accent fitting her role to a T. There's also some good comic relief by Si Jenks, dressed in a Popeye suit, with a corncob pipe stuck in his mouth, looking more like Poopdeck Pappy than the spinach-munching sailor man. Over all, it's as good as a Gower Gulch production can be.
Back when Lon Chaney was young and cute!
mark.waltz24 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Lon Chaney, cute? Yes in deed, at one time the future B movie boogie man was somewhat attractive. Attractive, yes, but still a lousy actor. In this under sea adventure, his acting is passable, made more tolerable by a great story and one of Monogram's best films. He is in love with pretty Sally O'Neil, a Joan Crawford look- alike who was a better than average actress and could be pretty tough too. She has to be tough to help Chaney deal with the villain here who wants to kill Chaney in order to claim her for himself. Chaney's a deep sea diver with his own boat and this leads to rival George Revas to plan sabotaging Chaney's gear. At am hour, this is pretty exciting and features underwater sequences that appear not to be stock footage. The set is pretty good too, looking much like some of MGM's water front set A films. When a little studio like Monogram can turn out one of the best films of the year, that is something to celebrate.
Much better than I expected!
JohnHowardReid20 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Director: ARMAND SCHAEFER. Screenplay: Norman Houston. Adapted by A.B. Barringer from the November 1932 American Magazine story Sixteen Fathoms Under by Eustace L. Adams. Photography: Archie Stout. Film editor: Carl Pierson. Art director: E.R. Hickson. Sound recording: John Stransky Jr. Balsley and Phillips Sound System. Producer: Paul Malvern. Executive producer: Trem Carr.
Copyright 1 January 1934 by Monogram Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Mayfair: 18 January 1934. U.K. release through Pathé: 25 August 1934. No record of Australian theatrical release. 57 minutes.
COMMENT: Sally O'Neil is a lovely girl. Her vibrant performance here is nicely complemented by Lon Chaney as the hard-luck skipper be-set by a trio of agreeably dastardly villains led by George Regas.
It is Jack Kennedy, however, who walks (or rather totters) away with the movie, thanks to his splendidly low-life drunk. The scene in which he manages to consume a bottle of whiskey underwater is just one of his many engaging horrifying low-lights.
Armand Shaefer has directed with his usual action-plus expertise. Locations are particularly appealing. Even the underwater scenes which usually bore me silly are quite tolerable, whilst the Alaska Seas climax in which a raiding party battles our heroes with fish-hooks had me sitting on the edge.
Copyright 1 January 1934 by Monogram Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Mayfair: 18 January 1934. U.K. release through Pathé: 25 August 1934. No record of Australian theatrical release. 57 minutes.
COMMENT: Sally O'Neil is a lovely girl. Her vibrant performance here is nicely complemented by Lon Chaney as the hard-luck skipper be-set by a trio of agreeably dastardly villains led by George Regas.
It is Jack Kennedy, however, who walks (or rather totters) away with the movie, thanks to his splendidly low-life drunk. The scene in which he manages to consume a bottle of whiskey underwater is just one of his many engaging horrifying low-lights.
Armand Shaefer has directed with his usual action-plus expertise. Locations are particularly appealing. Even the underwater scenes which usually bore me silly are quite tolerable, whilst the Alaska Seas climax in which a raiding party battles our heroes with fish-hooks had me sitting on the edge.
Good Early Role For Chaney
Rainey-Dawn6 February 2016
Joe Bethel (Chaney) is a sponge diver who has a fishing boat and a lovely girlfriend named Rosita. Theo Savanis is the richest man in town and always gets what he wants and what he wants is Joe's boat and girlfriend. Savanis will do whatever it takes to acquire both the girl and boat.
This is a film that surprised me - I was expecting it to be kinda cute but a bit on the boring side is when I popped it into the player but the movie surprised me because it's an interesting little flick. I'll admit I watched this film for Chaney but the story and other actors/characters were good enough that they caught my interest as much as Chaney did. I would have liked this movie Chaney or no Chaney.
This 1934 film is not to be confused with the 1948 "16 Fathoms Deep" which also stars Lon Chaney Jr but puts Chaney in the role of the antagonist.
8.5/10
This is a film that surprised me - I was expecting it to be kinda cute but a bit on the boring side is when I popped it into the player but the movie surprised me because it's an interesting little flick. I'll admit I watched this film for Chaney but the story and other actors/characters were good enough that they caught my interest as much as Chaney did. I would have liked this movie Chaney or no Chaney.
This 1934 film is not to be confused with the 1948 "16 Fathoms Deep" which also stars Lon Chaney Jr but puts Chaney in the role of the antagonist.
8.5/10
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
