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The
Seaview - Atomic-powered submarine on the sci-fi adventure VOYAGE TO
THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA/ABC/1964-68.
The Seaview was one of two experimental
submarines designed by retired Admiral Harriman Nelson (Richard Basehart),
Director of the Nelson Institute of Marine Research, a top-secret government
complex located in Santa Barbara, California in the year 1980.
The crew of
the Seaview included:
- Commander Lee Crane (David Hedison)
- Lt. Commander Chip
Morton (Robert Dowdell)
- Chief Petty Officer Curley Jones (Henry Kulky)
- Chief Sharkey (Terry Becker)
- Ship's Physician "Doc" (Richard Bull)
- Seaman Sparks (Arch Whiting)
- Seaman Kowalski (Del Monroe)
- Seaman Pat Robertson (Paul Trinka)
- Seaman Stu Riley (Alan Hunt)
- Seaman Clark (Paul Carr)
Admiral Nelson, Cmd. Lee Crane and Lt. Cmd.
Chip Morton
The glass-nosed bow of the Seaview was not
rounded like a traditional submarine but flared, resembling a pair of wings.
Its hull can withstand depths of 3,600 plus feet [nearly 5000 feet on
episode No. 3 "The Fear Makers"]. In case of emergency, a pair of sliding
metal collision doors moved across the face of the bow's observation deck to
protect the glass surface.
A secondary smaller submarine called
The Flying Sub [referred to as "The Flying Fish" in publicity releases] was housed in
the underbelly of the Seaview and was launched by dropping it through
bomb-bay like doors. Once outside the Seaview, the Flying Sub's engines
could increase their thrust, rocket toward the ocean's surface and break
through the watery depths to the blue sky above.
"Seaview's job is never finished. As long as there are destructive forces in
the world, as long as there are secrets of nature to be probed, believe me,
there'll be work for us...on missions just as vital and as dangerous as
this one."
-- Admiral Nelson to Captain Crane
Special effects workers
built three models (4, 8 and 18 foot models) of the Seaview for the series.
The 18-foot model (used for surface shots) was fully automated with lights
and working torpedoes. There was also a one-foot and a two-foot model of the
mini-subs housed in the other ship.
The models for the series were created
for a total price of $200,000 by L.B. "Bill" Abbott who won two Emmy's for
the submarine and special effects. The submarine,
The Polidor (the sister ship of the Seaview) sank during episode No. 3 "The Fear Makers." It exceeded
its crush depth and exploded because a fear/nerve gas was introduced into
the sub's air supply, thus affecting the crew's judgment.
TRIVIA NOTE: The Seaview was first seen in the Irwin Allen
movie Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea (1961) starring Walter Pidgeon.
The Seaview's flashing master onboard computer was first seen
in the movie Desk Set (1957). Spencer Tracy played Richard Sumner, a methods
designer (efficiency expert) who invented the computer. Called "Emerac"-
Emmy for short.
The computer later appeared in the movies The Invisible Boy
(1957) and The Fly (1958) before finding its way to the Seaview.
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