While the S.S. "Colossal" in the film appears to be similar to the 1935 steam turbo-electric-propelled passenger ship S.S. "Normandie" with its classic Art Deco French Line-styled exterior, the S.S. "Gigantic" is a Streamline Moderne futuristic-fantasy ship inside and out (based on Norman Bel Geddes "Liner of the Future"), with deck-mounted air propellers and diesel engines powered by remote controlled radio electricity capable of reaching 65 knots, a speed more than twice that of a real ocean liner of the time. Modern cruise ships have come to somewhat resemble the "Gigantic"'s glass-enclosed upper deck design.