Beneath the 12-Mile Reef

Released Dec 2, 1953

1h 42m

Adventure

List

60%

5 Reviews

Tomatometer

24%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Just off the coast of Florida, two fishing operations have become spiteful business rivals. On one side is Mike Petrakis (Gilbert Roland) and on the other is Thomas Rhys (Richard Boone). Mounting tension over territory in the Gulf Coast soon leads to violence. However, when dashing young Tony Petrakis (Robert Wagner) meets the lovely Gwyneth Rhys (Terry Moore), the young lovers quickly forget their fathers' bloody feud and begin a dangerous romance on the high seas.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Along with The Robe and How to Marry a Millionaire, one of the first three CinemaScope films that were all released toward the end of '53.

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 22, 2021

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

The film certainly looks great, the Technicolor and CinemaScope mix really pops, but it's all in service of a paper-thin plot, blandly executed by Robert Wagner and Terry Moore's dull leads.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jun 4, 2019

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

You can bet all the sponges in the ocean that this is no work of Shakespeare.

Rated: B-

Sep 11, 2009

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Susan Granger

www.susangranger.com

Rated: 3/5

Apr 20, 2006

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 1/5

Jun 11, 2005

Full Review

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Jeff S

Flat. There were interesting elements, but none of them were presented in an interesting fashion.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

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tom

I saw this movie the first time on a black and white TV in 1961 when I was 11 years old and I remember loving it. I just saw it again on a wide screen TV in colour. What a difference! The cinematography and the score are beautiful.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

kevin w

Filmed in beautiful Tarpon Springs, Florida, this trinket of lurid passion concerns the ethnic and financial tensions between the local American homeboys versus the pushy, dirty, "you-know-how-they-are", immigrant Greeks ("why don't you go back to where you came from!!!"). The fight plays out over sponge diving rights at a time when Florida was where most of the sponges were. Greek Adonis boy (Wagner in curly black hair) is caught looking a little too hard at fresh as a daisy American girl (Moore, in a tight button-down shirt and tight shorts!), and you just know that that ain't gonna happen. Romeo and Juliet then in sunny Florida ... where there's a giant octopus that needs love as well ... Beneath the 12 Mile Reef!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Excellent movie reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, realistic characters, racist element still relevant

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Beautiful underwater photography but hokey beyond belief!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A totally uncaptivating soap opera where the underwater scenes, although completely uneventful, overshadow the dull action on shore. It is, admittedly, a generally well-made production; the direction is okay, the performances are quite good (especially from Robert Wagner), but A.I. Besserides' uninvolving screenplay distracts from focusing on any positives.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Robert D. Webb

Director

Robert Wagner

Tony Petrakis

Terry Moore

Gwyneth Rhys

Gilbert Roland

Mike Petrakis

J. Carrol Naish

Socrates "Soc" Houlis

Richard Boone

Thomas Rhys

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Synopsis

Just off the coast of Florida, two fishing operations have become spiteful business rivals. On one side is Mike Petrakis (Gilbert Roland) and on the other is Thomas Rhys (Richard Boone). Mounting tension over territory in the Gulf Coast soon leads to violence. However, when dashing young Tony Petrakis (Robert Wagner) meets the lovely Gwyneth Rhys (Terry Moore), the young lovers quickly forget their fathers' bloody feud and begin a dangerous romance on the high seas.

Director: Robert D. Webb
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 2, 1953, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 26, 2011
Runtime: 1h 42m

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