Latitude Zero (film)

Infobox_Film
name =Latitude Zero


caption =Theatrical poster for "Latitude Zero" (1969)
director =Ishirō Honda
producer =Don Sharpe
Tomoyuki Tanaka
writer =Warren Lewis
Shinichi Sekizawa
Ted Sherdeman
starring =Joseph Cotten
Cesar Romero
Akira Takarada
Masumi Okada
Richard Jaeckel
Patricia Medina
Mari Nakayama
Akihiko Hirata
Hitoshi Oomae
Hikaru Kuroki
Linda Haynes
Susumu Kurobe
Haruo Nakajima
music =Akira Ifukube
cinematography =Taiichi Kankura
editing =Ume Takeda
distributor =Toho
National General Pictures (USA)
released =July 26, 1969 (Japan)
July 29, 1969 (Dallas)
December 4, 1970 (New York)
runtime =108 min. (Japan)
99 min. (USA)
language =Japanese
budget =
imdb_id =0064470
preceded_by =
followed_by = |nihongo|"Latitude Zero"|緯度0大作戦|Ido zero daisakusen, is a 1969 tokusatsu film. It was directed by Ishiro Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The story was written by Ted Sherdeman, writer on the 1954 science-fiction film, "Them!" (and based on a 1941 radio serial written by Sherdeman entitled "Latitude Zero"), and starred Joseph Cotten, Cesar Romero, Akira Takarada, Masumi Okada, Richard Jaeckel, Patricia Medina, and Akihiko Hirata.

The film was shot in English, with the Japanese actors, such as Akira Takarada, having learned their lines phonetically. In spite of this, the U.S. release is still eleven minutes shorter.

Three men (Dr. Ken Tashiro, Dr. Jules Masson, and Perry Lawton) are trapped in a bathysphere due to seismic activity. They are rescued by the crew of the supersubmarine, Alpha, captained by Craig Mackenzie (Cotten), which they learn is over 200 years old (and that the Alpha was launched in the early 1800s). Mackenzie takes them to Latitude Zero to deal with the serious injuries of Dr Masson. While returning to LZ, they are attacked by a rival supersubmarine, the Black Shark, captained by Kuroi, who works for a rival of Mackenzie, Malic, who is also over 200 years old and has a base at Blood Rock.

Latitude Zero is a paradise hidden fifteen miles below the surface at the intersection of the Equator and the International Date Line. Gold is plentiful there and is used for protective clothing by the island's newcomers, while those who arrived in the nineteenth century prefer to dress as they are accustomed, as no one ages or dies. Diamonds are very common and used only in industrial use.

Dr. Malic (Romero), however, wishes to destroy the paradise of Latitude Zero, and used giant rats and anthropomorphic bats in addition to James Bond-style devices against the undersea kingdom. Worst of all, after a cruel experiment grafting the wings of an eagle to a lion, he removes the brain of his former ally, Kuroi (Hikaru Kuroki) and places her brain in the creature, which proves to be his undoing.

Of all the visitors to Latitude Zero, only Perry Lawton (Jaeckel), a journalist, wishes to return home. He is picked up by a US Navy vessel and mets a Commander Glenn Mackenzie (Cotten again), and is put in the care of Lt. Hastings (Romero again). Horrified at who he sees, Lawton discovers his film is ruined and when he opens the pouch where he placed his complimentary diamonds, he finds tobacco. Just as he is about to resign himself to the fact that his adventure never occurred, the ship is wired a message stating that a cache of diamonds has been deposited in his name in a safe deposit box in New York City.

Cast

*Joseph Cotten ................. Craig McKenzie; Captain　of　"Alpha-Gou"　（Voice actor：Gorou　Naya）
*Cesar Romero　................. Dr. Malic; Scientist of Blood　Rock　（Voice actor：Kousei　Tomita）
*Akira Takarada　................. Dr. Ken Tashiro;　Oceanographer
*Masumi Okada　................. Dr. Jules Masson;　Oceanographer
*Richard Jaeckel　................. Perry Lawton; Journalist　（Voice actor：Ichirou　Murakoshi）
*Patricia Medina　.................　Lucretia;　Lover of Malic　（Voice actor：Michiko　Hirai）
*Hitoshi　Oomae　 ................. Koubo;　Crew　of　"Alpha-Gou"
*Linda Haynes 　　 ................. Dr. Anne Barton; Doctor　of　Latitude Zero;　（Voice actor：Junko　Midori）
*Tetsu Nakamura ................ Dr. Okada;　Japanese atomic physicist
*Mari Nakayama ................. Tsuruko　Okada; Daughter　of　Dr. Okada
*Akihiko Hirata ................. Dr. Sugata;　Doctor　of　Latitude Zero　
*Hikaru Kuroki ................. Captain Kuroi; "Black moth" Captain of　"Kurosame-Gou" ("Black Shark")
*Susumu Kurobe................ Chin;　Crewman　of　"Kurosame-Gou"
*Yū Sekida　 ................. Koumori-ningen; bat-human
*Haruo Nakajima ................ Koumori-ningen; bat-human　　　　　　　　　　　　　　................　Oo-Nezumi; Giant　mouse　　　　　　　　　　　　　................　Lion and　Gurihon　

External links

* Martinez, Mike A. " [http://millionmonkeytheater.com/LatitudeZero.html Latitude Zero] " (extended film analysis) "Millon Monkey Theater". April 14, 2008.

References

*Greenspun, Roger. " [http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?res=9E0CEFD61038E336A City Under Sea] " (film review) "The New York Times". December 5, 1970.
*"Variety Weekly". September 9, 1969.
*
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,851169,00.html "Latitude Zero" radio serial from 1941]