Beneath The 12-Mile Reef

Mike and Tony Petrakis are a Greek father and son team who dive for sponges off the coast of Florida. After they are robbed by crooks, Arnold and the Rhys brothers, Mike decides to take his men to the dangerous 12-mile reef to dive for more sponges. Mike suffers a fatal accident when he falls from the reef leaving Tony to carry on the business. But now he has a companion, Gwyneth Rhys. Beneath The 12-Mile Reef

Beneath The 12-Mile Reef starring Robert Wagner, Terry Morse

Product Description 

Young Robert Wagner undergoes a dangerous rite of passage in this undersea adventure that depicts the steadfast virtues of familial loyalty. Set in the Gulf of Mexico off the West Coast of Florida, Beneath the 12-Mile Reef chronicles the life of sponge fisherman Mike Petrakis (Gilbert Roland) and his cocksure son Tony (Wagner). Having little luck in their pursuit of sponges, Mike schemes to make an early morning voyage into the Key West waters controlled by the territorial Conch fishermen led by Thomas Rhys (Richard Boone). When the locals discover the “trespassing” Greeks, tensions arise between the families which become even more strained when Tony falls in love with Rhys’ beautiful daughter Gwyneth (Terry Moore).

Filmed on location, Beneath the 12-Mile Reefboasts vivid underwater scenes and crisp, breathtaking cinematography (which earned Edward Cronjager an Oscar nomination), as well as a haunting score by the renowned composer Bernard Herrmann. An uncredited Rock Hudson provides a brief narrative introduction in the opening sequences.