The Neptune Factor Daybill Poster Original 1973 Ben Gazzara Berkey Art
Daybill Poster with artwork by John Berkey.The Neptune Factor, also known as The Neptune Disaster, is a 1973 science fiction film directed by Daniel Petrie, featuring underwater cinematography by Paul Herbermann. The storyline was as follows: When an earthquake on the ocean floor causes an underwater laboratory to fall into a deep trench and places the scientists' lives in peril, Cmdr. Adrian Blake (Ben Gazzara) embarks on a rescue mission in his small experimental submarine. The film's special effects utilized underwater photography of miniatures with actual marine life. The film was based on an original story by writer Jack DeWitt. Gazzara and Borgnine's casting was announced in August 1972.The movie has a subtitle of "An Underwater Odyssey". Filming began in Toronto in September 1972.The nature of the Oceanlab underwater facility bears a resemblance to real-world projects of the 1960s such as the ConShelf Two project of Jacques Cousteau, NASA's NEEMO, and the US Navy SEALAB. The film premiered in Florida in May 1973 and grossed $203,000 in its first four days. Critics praised the underwater photography scenes.
