20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

I say there ain't no monster!

But we need men,

And just to treat you fair and square,

We're payin' double wages and a bonus

From Frisco to Shanghai and back, all found.

All dead, you mean!

Don't sign with him, mates.

You can't buy off the monster with double wages and a bonus.

You'll never get back to Frisco to collect your pay.

I got a man here that sailed on the Golden Arrow

And lived to tell about it.

Come on, Billy.

Tell 'em what you saw, Bill.

It was the monster, all right.

A cable's length long from beak to tail.

And it came a-bellerin' out of the night

With one big eye like a lighthouse.

Whoosh! We was thrown into starboard!

Ka-rumph! We were smashed to port.

And then... it come up at midships

And broke our backs and sunk us...

40 poor sailor men drowned dead.

The point is, this thing is a ship killer!

And it's a miracle old Billy's alive today.

Tell 'em about its teeth, Billy.

As big as a mainsail, I swear it.

And its breath...

Ooh, its breath was like a furnace!

Ooh, you got a pretty strong breath yourself,

My easy-talkin' friend.

You mind answering a few questions?

I'm a harpooner by trade, and monsters interest me...

All kinds.

Keep away from him, you noisy sea lawyer!

Just want to smell his breath. I can already smell yours.

Boiled down for his oils, lads,

There'd be free grog for all hands!

If we could swallow it on top of his...

There! There they are!

Here! Come on!

Stop it!

Come on, Casey.

This is no place for a clergyman's son.

Hey!

Hey, Daphne, come on!

Let's shove off!

Oh! Oh!

Hey! What are you guys doin' to me?!

Don't bother unloading. Sailing's been canceled.

Canceled again?

This is ridiculous. We'll see about this.

Driver, you wait here.

Yes, sir.

Is it true about the sailing being canceled?

Unfortunately, yes, Professor Aronnax.

The crew deserted this morning.

But we just have to get to Saigon.

Isn't there some other ship?

Not a thing. I'm sorry.

Next.

Halfway around the world from Paris,

And... and now this happens.

There's nothing we can do about it.

No.

Except pack and unpack.

It's all I've been doing now for a month.

Oh, professor?

At any rate, San Francisco will have the honor

Of your company a while longer.

I'm from The Bulletin.

These gentlemen are from The Globe and The Post.

How do you do? Gentlemen.

We're interested in your opinion of this monster.

My opinion?

Frankly, it's rather low at the moment.

But actually, gentlemen,

I don't know any more about it than you do.

Oh, professor... just a moment.

Yes?

Professor, what does the National Museum in Paris

Think about it?

I cannot answer that.

Professor, we heard this, expedition of yours

Was to gather facts about the monster.

I'm afraid you were misinformed.

My reasons for going to the Orient are purely scientific...

If I ever get there.

Professor, doesn't the giant narwhal

Reach a length of 80 feet?

Why don't you ask a fish?

If we could go deep enough,

We'd all be surprised at the creatures down there.

Well, could such a creature destroy a ship

Or drag it under?

Well, it might if it were big enough.

Don't you print that.

Please be careful, professor.

Well, gentlemen, I shall prepare a statement later.

You do not deny, then, that such a monster could exist.

Is that correct?

I'm not denying anything.

Are you sure?

Hey, what are you drawing there?

A sketch of the monster.

Thank you, professor.

Good day. Back to the hotel, driver.

Yes, sir. Good day, sir.

Now put the wings on it.

Look what they've done to me.

I made no such claims as these.

Look at this drawing.

I knew it.

"Living horrors of the deep were described today

By Professor Aronnax of the Paris National Museum."

Why, this is the most farfetched nonsense yet.

Farfetched?

I think the proportions are about right on the monster.

You're not serious, professor?

Oh, I don't mean flying off with a ship in its mouth.

But the general size...

You know, come to think of it,

It is a rather interesting conception.

Excuse me, Professor Aronnax.

Oh, no. No more reporters.

You've done damage enough. Professor is very busy now.

But I'm not a reporter.

I represent the United States government.

United States government?

May I come in?

Will he come in?

Of course, sir.

Please do come in, Mr. Howard.

Of course. Thank you.

I'll be brief, professor.

I understand that your destination is the Orient

And that you've been delayed.

What would you say if we could get you there,

But by a roundabout route,

A cruise of three or four months through the South Seas?

Would you accept?

Well, I would be interested, yes, naturally.

Sit down.

Thank you.

I can see no reason

Why you and your apprentice shouldn't consider yourselves

Guests of the United States government

Until we can set you ashore at Saigon, do you?

May I ask, why have you honored the professor this way?

Well, I think the honor is ours.

As the foremost authority on the sea and its mysteries,

You can be an excellent observer.

Your observations will greatly influence public opinion,

And we can either confirm or deny certain rumors.

I knew it... concerns the monster.

Is that true?

Very much so.

And according to the papers,

You seem to believe the rumors, professor.

Oh, no. The professor has been misquoted outrageously.

Yes, I'm afraid I was misquoted.

However, I have an open mind on the subject.

All the better. Your reports would be unbiased.

You see, other nations besides ours

Are forming expeditions,

But I like to think ours has the advantage

If for no other reason than you might consent to join us.

Well, it's, very kind of you...

We accept.

Good.

And now, professor, if you don't mind,

I'd like you to come downstairs and meet Captain Farragut.

He's in command of the warship upon which you're sailing.

And I might add that he has some rather strong ideas

On the subject of sea monsters.

You mean that his mind is not open?

Most emphatically not.

We headed south, and excitement ran high.

Every man aboard was on the lookout,

And the watch was kept day and night.

Regardless of his own feelings in the matter,

Captain Farragut left nothing to chance.

With traditional thoroughness,

The Navy plan was to cut the South Pacific into squares

And search each square.

For the first month, we steamed in circles,

Crossing and recrossing our course.

There was no sign of our quarry.

False alarms were common,

And they didn't help our morale.

Blow!

Off the weather bow!

For endless days and nights, we scoured the South Pacific.

Our hopes began to wane.

It came as no surprise when Captain Farragut,

On the night of December 8, 1868,

Summoned us to the wardroom.

Gentlemen, I believe my obligation to this legend

Has been dispatched.

I offer these charts in evidence.

They represent an accurate record