Latitude Zero was described as Star Trek produced by the makers of Godzilla, but I would describe it more as a Japanese attempt at a live action version of the Andersons' supermarionation show Stingray.
Although made in Japan by the director of Godzilla, it was made in English with a mixed cast. It starts with 2 scientists and a reporter getting in trouble in a bathysphere. They are rescued by a supersubmarine captained by a Nemo-esque Joseph Cotten.
Poor Joseph Cotten. He looks terrible, gaunt and aged, but is dressed in swishy gold lame with a kicky neckerchief. I started out feeling sorry that he was so hard up for money that he took this role. I wound up sorry for him because he was so hard up for money that he couldn't buy up every print of this movie and burn it.
Cotten lives in an undersea Utopia with a bunch of immortal scientists and statesmen. Their only enemy is the evil Cesar Romero. He has a lair in the requisite volcano island, quite close to Latitude Zero, and he makes horrible experiments, grafting human brains into hilariously inept animal suits. At least he seems to be enjoying himself. Of course, he was the Joker on TV's Batman, so he knows he has no dignity left.
We went into this movie expecting it to be so bad it would be good. We were half right.
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