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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 054

Beneath the 12-Mile Reef

1953102 minUnited States
Adventure
Video edition
YouTube
Original language
English
This copy runs
98:45
Subtitles
English

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Synopsis

A Greek American father and son make their living diving for sponges off Florida, where a rival fishing family contests their access to the water. The younger man's attraction to the rival's daughter intensifies an already dangerous dispute. Underwater work and a forbidden romance place family loyalty against the possibility of cooperation.

Cast

DirectorsRobert D. Webb

Behind the scenes

One of the earliest CinemaScope features, the film took the new widescreen process underwater. Location work around Key West and Tarpon Springs made Florida's sponge-diving environment a major part of its appeal, linking technical experimentation to the story's setting.

Sources and availability

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WikipediaInternet Archive

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

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Availability checked on September 10, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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