Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Irwin Allen

Writers:

Irwin Allen (screenplay) and
Charles Bennett (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 July 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Admiral Nelson takes a brand new atomic submarine through its paces. When the Van Allen radiation belt catches fire...

Plot Keywords:

Admiral | Submarine | Missile | Heat | Scientist

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 15

6:15 AM

AMC

Cast

Walter Pidgeon	...	Adm. Harriman Nelson
Joan Fontaine	...	Dr. Susan Hiller
Barbara Eden	...	Lt Cathy Connors
Peter Lorre	...	Comm. Lucius Emery
Robert Sterling	...	Capt. Lee Crane
Michael Ansara	...	Miguel Alvarez
Frankie Avalon	...	Lt (j.g.) Danny Romano
Regis Toomey	...	Dr. Jamieson
John Litel	...	Vice-Adm. B.J. Crawford
Howard McNear	...	Congressman Parker
Henry Daniell	...	Dr. Zucco
Skip Ward	...	Crew member
Mark Slade	...	Seaman Jimmy 'Red' Smith
Charles Tannen	...	CPO Gleason
Del Monroe	...	Kowski (as Delbert Monroe)
Anthony Monaco	...	Cookie
Michael Ford	...	Crew member
Robert Easton	...	Sparks
Jonathan Gilmore	...	George Young
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Adams	...	Crew member (uncredited)
Art Baker	...	UN commentator (uncredited)
Robert Buckingham	...	Crew member (uncredited)
Charles Dierkop	...	Pilot of the Seaview (uncredited)
George Diestel	...	Lt. Hodges (uncredited)
Dr. John Giovanni	...	Italian delegate (uncredited)
Larry Gray	...	Dr. Newmar (uncredited)
William Herrin	...	Crew member (uncredited)
Kendrick Huxham	...	UN chairman (uncredited)
David McLean	...	Ned Thompson (uncredited)
James Murphy	...	Crew member (uncredited)

Directed by
Irwin Allen

Writing credits
Irwin Allen		(screenplay) and
Charles Bennett		(screenplay)
Irwin Allen		(story)

Produced by
Irwin Allen	....	producer

Original Music by
Paul Sawtell
Bert Shefter

Cinematography by
Winton C. Hoch		(as Winton Hoch)

Film Editing by
George Boemler

Art Direction by
Herman A. Blumenthal
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Walter M. Scott
John Sturtevant

Costume Design by
Paul Zastupnevich

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ad Schaumer	....	assistant director

Sound Department
David Bell	....	sound restoration (2007 restored version)
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Warren B. Delaplain	....	sound
Jeffrey P. Kloth	....	sound restoration (2007 restored version)

Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Johnny Hagner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Zale Parry	....	underwater stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Lamb	....	underwater cinematographer

Music Department
Max Reese	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Jim Martell	....	transportation coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Al Gail	....	assistant to producer
Fred Zendar	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Windsor Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Centfox (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Encore Entertainment (1996) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Journey to the Bottom of the Sea (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some perilous situations.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:12 (nf) | USA:Approved (certificate #19888) (original rating) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Windsor Productions

Trivia:

On a Congressional tour of the submarine "Seaview", Admiral Nelson mentions that there are things on the sub that even Jules Verne had not imagined. The next person they meet is Commodore Lucius Emery played by Peter Lorre who was Professor Pierre Arronax's assistant Conseil on the Walt Disney version of the Jules Verne classic 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) about a 19th century submarine.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: According to the dialogue, the Seaview has been underway from New York for 25 hours when its location is put off Cape de Sao Roque, in Brazil - a distance of at least 3000 miles. It is not possible that the sub could have crossed that distance in so short a time (and if it could do so, it wouldn't take them 16 days to reach the Marianas from New York, as Admiral Nelson says he requires).

Quotes:

Sparks: U.S.O.S. Seaview calling Washington. Come in, Washington.
[pause]
Sparks: Twenty-five hours of static in my ear. Man, I'm getting shell-shocked.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Gorgo (#10.9)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea

Check this movie out!

Now this is sci fi, I like to see. An underwater adventure, involving a powerful nuclear submarine that moves like the great blue whale. Only a different color. I first saw the lunch box when I was in New York, and there was the title, the sub, and the menacing red octopus attacking a mini-sub. The cast of the movie were perfect. I would later remember that Barbara Eden("I Dream of Jeanine") and Michael Ansara(The Blue Djinn) have their memorable roles 4 years later on TV. She really puts on a show in the break room when the Lt. plays his trumpet down hard! The scenes are amazing, and I think that octopus is really a minor threat in the movie. He looks too uncooperative. The special effects are good, and the backgrounds, are OK. This movie is one of the best in scifi. I wouldn't disagree with anyone about it! Rating 4 out of 5 stars.