Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)

When the Earth is threatened by a burning Van Allen Radiation Belt, U.S. Navy Admiral Harriman Nelson plans to shoot a nuclear missile at the Belt, using his experimental atomic submarine, the Seaview.

Director:

Irwin Allen

Writers:

Irwin Allen (screenplay), Charles Bennett (screenplay)

Stars:

Walter Pidgeon, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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)

Storyline

Admiral Nelson takes a brand new atomic submarine through its paces. When the Van Allen radiation belt catches fire, the admiral must find a way to beat the heat or watch the world go up in smoke.

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Plot Keywords:

killing an animal | watching tv | admiral | fire | radiation | 

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Taglines:

Race from outer space to seven miles below the sea ... with amazing aquanauts of the deep !

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some perilous situations

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

12 July 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Irwin Allen's Production of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Filming Locations:

Stage 3, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,580,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,000,000, 31 December 1961

Company Credits

Production Co:

Irwin Allen Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Ansara returned to the series along with Del Monroe who also played Seaman Kowski in the 1961 film. While Monroe had a steady role in the series, Ansara only played in one show in which he played Captain Tomas Ruiz.

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Goofs

Barbara Eden appears to be writing madly at the U.N. hearing, making some kind of scientific calculations, yet at one point she looks up and continues writing in what appears to be random scribbling.

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Quotes

Admiral Nelson: Alvarez... are you saying that Man must accept destruction even though it's in his power to prevent it?
Alvarez: It's not for us to judge, Admiral.
Admiral Nelson: Not to judge, maybe; but we can reason. If God ordains that Man should die without a fight, then why does He give us the will to live?

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Connections

Edited into Wonder Woman: The Bermuda Triangle Crisis (1977)

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Soundtracks

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Sung by Frankie Avalon
Written by Russell Faith

User Reviews

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.