- When the cable breaks on their diving bell four people find themselves trapped in a hidden underwater world.
- Four adventurers descend to the depths of the ocean when the cable on their underwater diving bell snaps. The rest of their expedition, believing them to be lost, abandons hope of finding them. Exiting the diving bell, the party finds themselves in a network of underwater caverns. They encounter a shipwreck survivor. He tells them he has been there for 14 years and that there is no way out. The two men in the exploring party believe him only after a hike to a volcanic vent that supplies the caverns with oxygen. On the surface, Prof. Millard Wyman, the elder scientist who designed the original diving bell, decides to try again to explore the depths of the ocean. He finds out that there is another diving bell in existence that is identical to the one that was lost...—Jim Cobb <gymcobb@azstarnet.com>
- The movie opens with titles and credits shown over an ocean scene of large swells and white caps. A narrator (Robert Carroll) tells us, "This is the sea, as old as the world itself. It extends over three-quarters of the surface of the globe. The sea, the birthplace of life...We are now prepared to invade this black wilderness."
The projector is shut off and the screen raised in a large room. The assembled group is thanked for their attention by Jim Wyman (Joe Maierhouser). Refreshments are served. We are told a new diving bell will be ready soon and more pictures are planned. Dr. J.R. Matheny (George Skaff) explains that their new equipment will allow for greater exploration of the depths.
On a boat in the Caribbean, Professor Millard Wyman (John Carradine) helps Craig Randall (Robert Clarke) back on board after he finished a dive. Paul Whitmore (Allen Windsor) and Lauri Talbott (Sheila Noonan) are drinking coffee and tell Wyman they are ready to board the diving bell. Paul goes to get Dale Marshall (Phyllis Coates), a reporter responsible for taking pictures on the expedition. She tells her reporter colleagues on board that they may not be the first with the story, but they will have the exclusive with pictures, thanks to her. Craig, Dale, Paul and Lauri board the diving bell with Wyman. But Wyman will not be going on the dive and after a few words of goodbye, he exits the bell. Craig checks the communication with the surface and the bell is lowered into the ocean. Wyman monitors the bell's progress deeper into the ocean. At 1700 feet the first indication of trouble is that half the lights malfunction. After that communication with the surface is lost. Hank (Milt Collion) calls Matheny to tell him of the trouble on the ship. Matheny informs Jim Wyman, Professor Wyman's brother, "It seems the bell broke loose at 1700 feet."
One of the reporters talks to Professor Wyman in his cabin. He asks about the crew lost on the bell. Wyman tells him they were very brave and that Lauri and Paul were former students of his studying oceanography.
The bell sits on the ocean floor. The crew revives to assess their situation. Craig gives them some oxygen. Dale starts to panic and must be slapped. Paul notices light outside, and Craig is at a loss to explain how. They conclude they must be on a shelf in shallow water. They get into scuba gear and exit the bell. They swim to the surface.
The sonar man Wilson (Lloyd Nelson) notices something and calls for the captain (Harry Raven) and Professor Wyman. They interpret the figures as the crew exiting the bell, but doomed to be crushed by the great depth. Wyman explains, "What we see is their bodies floating up with the currents." Craig surfaces first and notices he is in a cave. Wilson makes a general distress call to ships in the vicinity to assist with the search for the bell. Craig and Paul start to explore the cave system (Colossal Cave, Tucson, Arizona). They return to where they left the women. Paul is able to answer the question about the light--Phosphorus. Craig and Paul decide to return to the bell for clothes, shoes, and other supplies. Craig fashions spears from some piping and they return to the cave system. Wilson reports to the captain and Wyman that he saw two figures moving under their own power which he believes were the divers. He is not believed.
The four explorers have dressed and are having fish for a meal. The women decide to get some sleep. Paul asks Craig what he thinks their chances are. Later, the four start their trek in search for the surface. Some distance into their journey they encounter a large, black lizard. They find a well and drink fresh water. They decide to rest. Dale finally reads the contents of the telegram she was handed before she boarded the diving bell. Her boyfriend, Tom, sent her a note breaking up. Lauri tries to comfort Dale, but she responds by being insulting and establishing their relationship. Dale informs Lauri, "Well you just listen to me Miss Innocent. There is nothing friendly between two females. There never was and there never will be."
Craig observes that the rocks must be about sixty percent iron and therefore the compass will not work. Paul works on fashioning a knife from a key. Paul retrieves the women and the four continue their journey, but discover only a dead end. They double back to a fresh water pool and build a fire with roots. Paul discovers the skeletonized remains of a human. He estimates it must have been that way ten or twelve years. Paul is encouraged, he reasons that the man must have come from the surface and lost his way and died. Lauri sees another human, this one alive (Maurice Bernard). Paul calls to the old man. He appears to be 40 or 50 years old, with a beard, long hair and tattered clothes. The explorers tell the old man their story. The old man explains he arrived in a similar fashion, and has been in the caves for fourteen years and that there is no way to the surface. The old man leads the four to his "home" in the caves. He provides food. The men accompany the old man to the volcano, source of the air they breathe. The women stay behind. The three men return later and confirm the volcano is the source of the air. Craig professes his love for Lauri. They embrace and kiss. The old man watches, unobserved by the pair.
Professor Wyman takes a flight to California. Sitting behind him is a passenger reading a magazine (cameo by Producer/Director Jerry Warren). Wyman enters the Marine Research of California building and asks the receptionist to see Matheny. Matheny tells Wyman they intend to drop any further work or research on the bell on which they were working. Wyman is told his brother's work for Matheny is similar to his own design that failed. Wyman wants to take Matheny's bell and make another dive. He thinks he knows the weakness and why the original failed. They agree and Wyman joins his brother in the lab to make the necessary corrections to the design and vessel.
In the caves, Lauri gathers fresh water with a shell. The men returned to the bell to get more supplies. Dale is jealous of Lauri's relationship with Craig and the women bicker. The men make two dives for all their supplies, but Paul has trouble on the second dive. He has run out of compressed air. The rescue bell spots the duo and takes them on board. Jim Wyman helps Paul. The old man makes his play for Dale. He tells her he like her much better than the others. When the old man, looking like Charles Manson, suggests killing the others, Dale is shocked and horrified. The old man admits to Dale that he killed the man they found as a skeleton. Dale screams as the old man paws her. An earthquake and rock fall from the volcano provides Lauri the chance to grab Dale and escape. The old man is killed by the rock fall. The women run back to the pool where they surfaced and find Craig knocked out by the rock fall. He revives and gives the women breathing devices and they dive into the water for the safety of the rescue bell. The volcano erupts.
The rescue bell is brought back to the surface with all aboard safe. They are introduced to Matheny. We close with a long shot of the boat sailing back to shore.
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By what name was The Incredible Petrified World (1959) officially released in India in English?
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