Trivia

Along with other Hollywood stars, he preferred personal friends of his to star in his movies. Sheila Allen (his wife), Erik L. Nelson and Elizabeth Rogers were some of Irwin Allen's close friends who starred in many of his movies and television series.

After The Poseidon Adventure (1972) was released and became a huge hit, Allen got the nickname "The Master of Disaster".

When his star-studded "ultimate B movie" The Swarm tanked at the box office, Allen decreed that no member of the press would ever be permitted to mention the film in his presence. The L.A. Times later sent a pair of brash, wisecracking young reporters to interview him about one of his subsequent projects, and when their very first question wanted to know why they were forbidden to mention The Swarm, Allen made good on his threat and immediately had Warner Brothers security guards accompany both journalists off the studio lot.

When his career took a downturn and three of his big-budget/all-star movies in a row bombed at the box office (The Swarm, Beyond the Poseidon Adventure and When Time Ran Out) Allen's nickname of "The Master of Disaster" suddenly had a new, less than flattering meaning.

He also created and produced the popular 1960s science-fiction television series: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants.

His production company was called Irwin Allen Productions.

Trade paper articles announcing upcoming productions in 1950 included the news that Irwin Allen had written a story called "The Easy Path" to be produced by RKO Radio Pictures in England, and to star Robert Mitchum. The project ultimately never happened.