Hello Down There (1969)

A marine scientist volunteers to have his family live in a prototype underwater home to prove it's practical.

Directors:

Jack Arnold, Ricou Browning

Writers:

Art Arthur (story), John McGreevey (screenplay)

Stars:

Tony Randall, Janet Leigh, Roddy McDowall

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tony Randall	...	Fred Miller
Janet Leigh	...	Vivian Miller
Roddy McDowall	...	Nate Ashbury
Jim Backus	...	T.R. Hollister
Ken Berry	...	Mel Cheever
Charlotte Rae	...	Myrtle Ruth
Kay Cole	...	Lorrie Miller
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Harold Webster
Lou Wagner	...	Marvin Webster
Gary Tigerman	...	Tommie Miller
Arnold Stang	...	Jonah
Harvey Lembeck	...	Sonarman
Merv Griffin	...	Himself
Lee Meredith	...	Dr. Wells
Bruce Gordon	...	Adm. Sheridan

Storyline

Marine scientist Fred Miller designs the world's first underwater home, but when the business magnate funding his work threatens to end the project, Miller volunteers to live in it with his own family to prove it's practical. The underwater clan includes his water-phobic wife and his daughter and son, who are part of a rock and roll band. They bring along the lead singer and drummer. Along the way, they have to contend with a competing engineer who promises to mine the ocean floor for the businessman. A record producer likes their music and books them on TV, leading the kids to try to escape to the surface.

---

Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | underwater | band | seal the animal | family relationships | 

---

Taglines:

A combo of scuba dupes rock up a storm in a mad pad under the surf!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 June 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sub-A-Dub-Dub

Filming Locations:

Ivan Tors Studio, Miami, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ivan Tors Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 97 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Reissued for Saturday children's matinées under the title "Sub-A-Dub-Dub"

---

Goofs

Throughout the movie, the kids are singing and recording themselves without mikes. In reality, no sound system, especially in the sixties, could pick up their voices without mikes. Also, the guitar would drown out their singing voices without mikes.

---

Quotes

Merv Griffin: Ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to present to you a very special segment of our show from a very special place. I'm in a house somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, under 90 feet of water, speaking to you from the very eye of Hurricane Hazel. So now you music lovers, fasten your seat belts, for the first time anywhere, anyplace, a brand new rock group called "The Green Onion", and their manager, Nate Ashbury, tells me he is stoned on these shouters, that they're mellow yellow, turned on and groovy ...

---

Connections

References The Merv Griffin Show (1962)

---

Soundtracks

Glub
Lyrics and Music by Jeff Barry
Performed by Harold and the Hang-Ups

User Reviews

future tech fun

We loved this movie when we saw it at the theatre during its original release; I still have fond memories of the pet dolphins cavorting in the living room pool, and of the space-age push-button underwater conveniences (such as that neat pop-up refrigerator). I can even remember the lyrics to "Hey Little Goldfish" and "Glub, Glub"!! As kids we sang those songs for years. I can't wait to rent this one and rock out again with Dreyfuss and the gang! I hope he doesn't mind too much, 'cause I think this movie is a great sixties artifact, with a fun cast and very creative sets.