Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (TV Series) The Ghost of Moby Dick (1964) User Reviews

The Ghost of Moby Dick

[Scarecrow-88 · 6/10 · 29 May 2012]

Inspired by Moby Dick, Captain Ahab of this episode of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is a chief authority in marine life, Dr. Bryce (Edmond Ginns), on a mission to destroy the largest mammal on the earth and possibly in the history of the world because of his own stubbornness and undaunted determination to get as close to it as possible, his ship cut in two, his only son killed. The death of his son drives Bryce; he's practically insane, a brilliant mind now only dedicated to killing one of the most important animal discoveries in the history of mankind. Admiral Nelson agrees to allow Bryce to use the Seaview for what he believes is a study mission to examine the whale's heart beat with an electrocardiogram, not knowing the marine scientist's true motives, his ultimate agenda of revenge. "The Ghost of Moby Dick" may be memorable as an episode featuring June Lockhart before she went on to star as Maureen Robinson in Irwin Allen's Lost in Space (interesting enough a common LoS director, Sobey Martin, also directed this episode of Voyage); he she portrays a former gifted student who studied under Nelson and married Bryce. As Ellen Bryce, Lockhart shows a woman at her wit's end with a husband, his left side paralyzed, his personality centered on the whale and nothing else, who can no longer function normally, his obsession completely taking control of his life. Ellen forces him to confront his own responsibility in their son's death, which results in him shoving her up against a cabinet wall. She tries to warn Nelson, as does Capt. Crane, who, after the Seaview sustains monumental damage, including heavy structural integrity issues, orders the sub back to port because of a massive whale attack which sent them to the bottom of the ocean floor. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect—let's face it, this plot is super predictable and we know where it is going—is Crane's butting heads with Nelson over whether or not to return to Bryce who has exited the Seaview to go after the whale with a harpoon gun (!), questioning if one man's life is worth more than 125 crew members. Nelson believes such a brilliant mind, that can still contribute so much to science, especially marine science, should be saved so Crane will reluctantly follow his orders. The tautest aspect of the plot is the idea that the Seaview is susceptible to total destruction if the whale decides to hammer them again. Even Lockhart believes Nelson should not go back but the Admiral is bound and determined to try to save him. The most groan-inducing scenes show the whale prop being pulled around the Seaview and underwater by visible strings (this is 1964, we mustn't forget). It is still quite a cool looking creature, especially next to the Seaview model during the underwater scenes. This is one of those episodes where Crane has to talk sense into Nelson, usually a cool head and not so gullible, but because he's blinded by the desire to learn from the heart beat of the mammal (heart research means a lot to him, a man of science as he is)the Admiral will need convincing that Bryce is using him. The episode is such a homage to Moby Dick, Crane even has Nelson read passages from the novel just to understand how far he himself has fallen into an obsession in the quest to go after the whale.

If you are familiar with the story "Moby Dick" then you pretty much know what to expect.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 21 September 2017]

The show begins with the Bryce family out in the ocean on a boat. Walter Bryce (Edward Binns) is excited because they just spotted a whale twice the size of the largest previously discovered whale. He decides to shoot a harpoon at the creature to implant a device to take various measurements. Not surprisingly, this ticks off the creature and it turns and destroys the boat...killing Walter's son. He and his wife, Ellen (June Lockhart), survived.

Six months pass. The Seaview has inexplicably been ordered to help Walter find this giant whale. Little do they realize that for Walter, it's a one-way mission...he just wants to kill the whale and it's got nothing to do with research any more! In the process, the creature once again becomes enraged and attacks the sub.

This episode is essentially a re-write of "Moby Dick". Because of this, there are not surprises here. Watchable but not much more. Plus, the Admiral is amazingly dumb in this show...even when it's obvious that it's a lost cause.

Third Rate Moby Dick

[Johnny_West · 10/10 · 31 May 2020]

Richard Basehart was the narrator on the 1980s Knight Rider TV series. Richard Basehart also played Ishmael in the classic 1956 version of Moby Dick that starred Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab.

In this episode of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, the man pursuing the gigantic whale is Edward Binns, a far cry from Gregory Peck. Admiral Nelson is good friends with Dr. Bryce, so he is recreating the dynamics of the relationship that Ishmael had with Captain Ahab (Gregory Peck) in Moby Dick.

Binns plays Walter Bryce, a famed medical researcher whose son was killed by the great whale because Binns harpooned the whale and it capsized the boat he was on with his son. Binns usually played third rate villains from the 1950s Golden Age of TV Westerns all the way to The Rockford Files.

Binns was not very convincing as the greatest heart disease doctor on Earth. It is also never clear how catching a whale is supposed to lead to medical discoveries regarding heart disease. The general idea seems to be that Dr. Bryce wants to dissect the whale, and maybe it will lead to a medical discovery. Their cavalier attitude about killing rare animals is pathetic, considering Dr. Bryce is supposedly an educated man.

The highlight of this episode is that June Lockhart plays Binns' wife. She warns Admiral Nelson that her husband is insane on several occasions, but Nelson ignores her. This episode illustrates a lot about U.S. culture of the early 1960s. The men ignore the opinions of women as totally worthless, and the scientists look at "the rarest whale ever found" as just another opportunity to kill something big, mostly for bragging rights.

Crazy man

[bsama · 3/10 · 19 May 2013]

This Bryce guy is the leading authority on marine life? And he wants to kill it? Secondly, you know a show is in trouble when the lead actor, Nelson, agrees to a script from one of the greatest movies ever made. If the wife is so determined to stop him, why doesn't she tip off Nelson? Wife is a sign of the times. She knows her husband is wrong buts stays submissive. She even takes a shot upside the head. Scene in the show depicting the slaughter of a whale.....Libs want this scene deleted from the show. The year is 1964. Given the world situation, the navy has nothing better to do than send its most advanced sub to chase a whale? Irwin Allen, to be fair, did give us some memorable show. Lost in Space is still my favorite. In 2013, Ms. June Lockhart retains her beauty.

Eight Out Of Ten Drama

[StuOz · 3 November 2016]

A big whale, the largest creature living on the planet, kills the son of a scientist...now he wants revenge.

A wonderfully scripted/acted drama about the desire for revenge. June Lockhart and Basehart are outstanding. However, "Chip" makes a couple of mid-episode forced attempts at humour (in the missile room) that go over like a bad smell.

If you want a B&W Voyage with lots of Seaview miniature effects: this is the one for you! In fact this hour and The Creature are the two season one episodes that highlight the outside of the Seaview more than any other B&W shows.

However, an hour like this with lots of Seaview special effects and a powerful plot line demands a strong musical score and we don't get it! We just get the same sleepy music that fills season one, thankfully the scores would improve in the colour years.