Del Monroe(1931-2009)
- Actor
Del Monroe is probably best known as Seaman Kowalski in
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)
and the subsequent TV series based on the film,
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964),
He was thrilled to play a seaman in the big-budget film, but one day on
the set he noticed what he believed to be a silly-looking mistake. He
pointed it out to producer
Irwin Allen, not knowing if Allen
would take offense and end Del's career right there. It turned out that
Allen didn't take offense at all, and in fact hired Monroe to play the
same role in the series, which lasted for four seasons (1964-68).
Monroe has stated that he enjoyed doing the "Voyage" series, no matter
what the plot of the episodes he was in--Cold War spies, deadly
amphibians, monsters from outer space--he loved them all. He didn't
even mind the change in the show's premise from an adult sci-fi series
in the first year to a more children-oriented viewpoint in subsequent
seasons.
In the third season he had a meaty part in the episode "Deadly Waters",
in which his character had to deal with the problems of his troubled
brother. The next year saw Del's character as the focal point of
another episode, "The Deadly Amphibian", in which he was taken over by
a deadly undersea creature. However, in the final season he was given
another chance to strut his stuff in "The Return of Blackbeard", in
which he was required to behave like a rollicking, devil-may-care
pirate, but the episode did not go over well with series viewers.
Irwin Allen also tapped Del for appearances in his other TV series, and
Del showed up in an episode of
The Time Tunnel (1966), but
turned down a chance for a recurring role in Allen's
Land of the Giants (1968).
After "Voyage", Del did guest roles such TV series as
Wonder Woman (1975). He found
time to return to the big screen when he secured a part in
Speedway Junky (1999), showing up
in the beginning of the film as a grizzled old-timer. In 2004 a few
"Voyage" cast members got together (not including
Richard Basehart, who had died) for a
convention and Del was speechless that so many fans turned out to
celebrate a 40-year-old TV series.
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)
and the subsequent TV series based on the film,
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964),
He was thrilled to play a seaman in the big-budget film, but one day on
the set he noticed what he believed to be a silly-looking mistake. He
pointed it out to producer
Irwin Allen, not knowing if Allen
would take offense and end Del's career right there. It turned out that
Allen didn't take offense at all, and in fact hired Monroe to play the
same role in the series, which lasted for four seasons (1964-68).
Monroe has stated that he enjoyed doing the "Voyage" series, no matter
what the plot of the episodes he was in--Cold War spies, deadly
amphibians, monsters from outer space--he loved them all. He didn't
even mind the change in the show's premise from an adult sci-fi series
in the first year to a more children-oriented viewpoint in subsequent
seasons.
In the third season he had a meaty part in the episode "Deadly Waters",
in which his character had to deal with the problems of his troubled
brother. The next year saw Del's character as the focal point of
another episode, "The Deadly Amphibian", in which he was taken over by
a deadly undersea creature. However, in the final season he was given
another chance to strut his stuff in "The Return of Blackbeard", in
which he was required to behave like a rollicking, devil-may-care
pirate, but the episode did not go over well with series viewers.
Irwin Allen also tapped Del for appearances in his other TV series, and
Del showed up in an episode of
The Time Tunnel (1966), but
turned down a chance for a recurring role in Allen's
Land of the Giants (1968).
After "Voyage", Del did guest roles such TV series as
Wonder Woman (1975). He found
time to return to the big screen when he secured a part in
Speedway Junky (1999), showing up
in the beginning of the film as a grizzled old-timer. In 2004 a few
"Voyage" cast members got together (not including
Richard Basehart, who had died) for a
convention and Del was speechless that so many fans turned out to
celebrate a 40-year-old TV series.