This looks like a rejected script from a British secret agent TV show. That doesn’t mean it isn’t some fun. After all, it does have a crazy Chinese General played by an English actor with an accent that sounds more German than Chinese.
Seismologist Dr.Arnold Kramer is laying down on a Las Vegas sidewalk ranting about the noises underground. He’s taken to a psychiatric hospital. Dropping by to see him is his pal from the Korean War, Commander John Shaw (Kerwin Matthews). Since this is Vegas the hospital lobby has slot machines for gambling addicted patents.
Kramer is in a padded cell because he’s violent. He shows Shaw some drawings showing underground tunnels headed for the U.S. under the Pacific. Some are already under the coast. Shaw takes him to see Admiral Felix Hillebrand at Los Alamos. He says his equipment and drawings were destroyed when a volcano blew its top. They’re giving him some sly looks. That includes Lt.Commander Vince Cassidy (Ed Bishop).
There’s a mine collapse in the small town of Placer, Oregon. Shaw and Kramer are sent to investigate. They break through a tunnel and find a strange medallion and evidence of some kind of heat machine that fused the rock. Back for another visit. This time with some troops. They break through a wall and find a lab staffed by Chinese. It’s loaded with atom bombs. The troops mow ’em down with machine guns and defuse the bombs.
Back at Los Alamos they discover that three tunnels are already halfway across the U.S. mainland. There’s a major one under Hawaii. That’s the headquarters of rogue general Chan Lu (Martin Benson). The U.S.Navy is on to him. Shaw, Kramer and cave explorer Tila Young (Vivenne Ventura) lead a group underground to put a stop to all this. Good thing Kramer has invented a underground vehicle that shoots laser beams.
The medallion found in Oregon is Lu’s symbol. The big plot is to come at the U.S. from underground as opposed to land,sea or air. Lu wants to blow up the country. It’s mentioned that he was in charge of guarding China’s plutonium plants but took them over for himself and planted a couple bombs under Peking. Asked how he managed to take over the plants the Admiral says, “He has.” Guess that’s all anyone needs to know.
One of Lu’s babes brainwashes Kramer into telling them where everyone is and they’re all captured and tossed into a cell. Meanwhile the bomb train is moving through headed for the mainland.
If you’re into Cold War paranoia don’t miss this one. It drags in spots but it’s still fun.
American Ed Bishop starred as Commander Ed Straker in the British TV series”UFO” (1969-73).
This is going on under our feet
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