Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)

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

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 Llewellyn Parker
Henry Daniell	...	Dr. Zucco
Skip Ward	...	Crew member
Mark Slade	...	Seaman Jimmy 'Red' Smith
Charles Tannen	...	CPO Gleason
Del Monroe	...	Seaman Kowski (as Delbert Monroe)
Anthony Monaco	...	Cookie
Michael Ford	...	Crew member
Robert Easton	...	Sparks
Jonathan Gilmore	...	Seaman 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:

Director's Trademark: The voice-over for the newscasts that crew members watch, detailing the burning forests, etc., is done by director Irwin Allen.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Seaview has a big fish tank, full of water and open on top. What happens to the contents during a crash dive?

Quotes:

[last lines]
Admiral Nelson: Full speed for home, Lee.
Capt. Lee Crane: Aye, aye, sir.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Phineas and Ferb: Boyfriend from 27,000 B.C./Voyage to the Bottom of Buford (#1.27)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea

A Beautifully Filmed Movie

I had ordered Voyage to The Bottom of The Sea on DVD and at 3:00 in the morning I found myself watching it. Okay, the idea of the Van Allen radiation belt catching on fire is silly, but it's just the premise for a really good sci-fi adventure film that I wish I could've seen in the theaters on a wide screen. But the rich colors on the DVD and Dolby sound is a good substitute for the real thing.

In looking at it, I can't help but compare the movie with the series that followed as there are some of the actors from the movie who ended up in the show. Seeing this Lee Crane constantly arguing and second-guessing Admiral Nelson is a little disturbing, yet the movie inspired one of the best sci-fi series of the '60s. And the movie itself, like Fantastic Voyage, shows great creativity. Irwin Allen is always being underestimated by people with 60 second attention spans, but this movie shows how much of a creative artist that Allen was.

I gladly give this movie 8/10