Sixteen Fathoms Deep

1934 American film by Armand Schaefer

Sixteen Fathoms Deep

Directed by	Armand Schaefer
Written by	Barry Barringer Norman Houston
Based on	the American magazine story by Eustace L. Adams
Produced by	Paul Malvern
Starring	Sally O'Neil Lon Chaney Jr. Russell Simpson
Production company	Paul Malvern Productions
Distributed by	Monogram Pictures
Release date	18 January 1934 (New York)^[1]
Running time	58 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Sixteen Fathoms Deep is a 1934 American film directed by Armand Schaefer and starring Lon Chaney Jr, Sally O'Neil and Russell Simpson. It was an early leading role for Chaney, then billed under his birth name "Creighton Chaney".

Plot

A sponge diver, Joe Bethel, hopes to make enough money to buy his own boat and marry his fiancée, Rosie. He must deal with a villainous fellow diver, Savanis.

Cast

Sally O'Neil as Rosie
Lon Chaney Jr. as Joe Bethel (billed as "Creighton Chaney")
Russell Simpson as A. B. Crockett
Maurice Black as Nick
Jack Kennedy as Mike
George Regas as Savanis
Constantine Romanoff as Kargas
Richard Alexander as Martin
Raul S. Figarola as Chinchin
Lloyd Ingraham as Old Athos
Robert Kortman as Cimos
Si Jenks as Sculpin

Production

O'Neil made the film after missing out on the role in Sitting Pretty (1933) to Ginger Rogers.^[2]

Reception

The New York Times called Sixteen Fathoms Deep a "good swaggering specimen" of action melodrama, "exciting, plausible and a lot of fun."^[3]

References

^ "SCREEN NOTES". New York Times. 18 January 1934. p. 19.
^ Schallert, Edwin (20 September 1933). "Hill-Billy Film Promises Scene-Stealing Fireworks". Los Angeles Times. p. 11.
^ "Among the Sponge Divers". New York Times. 19 January 1934. p. 24.