VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA=THE PEACEMAKER

 

THE PEACEMAKER

Writer-William Reed Woodfield

Dir-Sobey Martin

 

Teaser

1978--Seaview with 8 windows is under the ice with 80 fathoms from keel to bottom and at 176 longitude and 80 Latitude, 25 miles from a detonation of an enemy weapon. When they find open water, Crane calls Nelson to the conning tower and the ship rises up, shooting from the open water, nose first. It is cold and desolate and they see this on the periscope. Intelligence was told of the enemy test--which is of a weapon smaller than a milk box--thus not a large explosion is expected. Nelson and Crane wear goggles in the conning tower...and a gigantic, unexpected massive explosion rocks them and the ship!

 

Act One

Admiral Phil Connors (Whit Bissel) calls Nelson, calling him Harry. The device is 12 to 16 inches high, 4 inches in diameter. Nelson fears it is a proton bomb which can blow up three fourths of the world. An Oriental Premier thanks Everett Lang, defector and builder of this new bomb. Lang wants lasting peace but the Premier tells of his peace: peace only on his terms. He leaves and has his guards shoot down all three scientist in cold blood. Lang somehow survives (an armored vest?) and drags himself to a radio. Lang was a nuclear physicist who went behind the Bamboo Curtain. He has contacted spies in Chougi and wants clemency and safety. In 18 hundred hours they will make contact. Lang is helped to a spot where spies are that will help him get out of this Oriental country. He and another man fight searching police. Lang strangles one. They call Connors and use code, "The fish is in the net."  Lang asked for Seaview. Crane, thinking it might be a trick to get Seaview into their waters, suggests he go in and bring Lang out and rendezvous at a place Crane himself picks. Night--the Flying Sub piloted by Nelson flies over the area. Crane parachutes out of the floor hatch exit and onto a plowed field. A poor crippled beggar moves himself on a wheeled cart. He wears a large hat---it is Crane who plays mute when what appear to be police arrive. The police don't care if he cannot talk--they pick him up and put him in the back of a police van...and drive off.

 

Act Two

The police bring Crane to the hideout of spies...they are the resistance movement. Among them are a male and a female. The woman is named Su Yin. Crane has to get feeling back in his legs. He won't shake hands with Lang. The bomb is at the bottom of the sea off the coast and placed so that it will destroy other countries. Seaview will have to stay out of this country's territorial waters but meet the junk that will carry Lang, Su Yin, and Crane via a terrible smuggler. The threesome row in a small boat to the junk. The smuggler wants one thousand Hong Kong dollars--which is 180 U.S. dollars. Lang complains he is worth more. There are lots of junks in the harbor but soon a patrol boat chases their junk. They can't risk heading them into Seaview or allow the U.S. to be involved. Cannons fire. Crane asks Lang's help in setting up a return fire machine gun but a blast knocks them all down. Su Yin dies telling them to go--the smuggler will turn Crane in. Crane gives her one last look and leaves at Lang's pleading. Another shell blows up the entire junk.

 

Act Three

Crane finds Lang on a piece of wood drifting in the ocean..part of the junk. Seaview is on the surface. Nelson looks in the scope but it is Chip who sees them. Sharkey gets a diving party to get them in. Seaview surfaces (?). Lang tells them to deactivate the bomb protection devices, bring up the bomb to Seaview, and then deactivate the bomb itself. Lang tells them all the world should disarm, including the U.S. President. 400 miles out, 500 miles down. Lang briefs Nelson: if the bomb goes off 100 more miles east--no place on Earth will be safe. He thought the weaker powered Premier would make all disarm. Nelson calls him stupid, "Not one man, not one nation should have control over the Earth!"  The bomb has heat seeking torpedoes, anti metal paint over the diving gear will help avoid the metal sensors. Lang and Nelson go to the bomb and avoid the TV sensor mines which are 150 yards around the bomb set up. A high frequency sound to repel fish goes off. Electric eyes can set off mines. Lang uses a mirror to deflect the eyes. Nelson catches falling wrench tool Lang accidentally dropped. He takes a unit out Lang opened up and deactivates the mines and sensors. Crane has Sharkey  send down a cable and they bring the bomb up to the missile room on Seaview. Lang cuts a remote triggering device, "Now, no one can detonate this bomb...but me..This makes me the most powerful man in the world."  The bomb is now hooked to his control. The World Disarm Congress, working to disarm will get some peace. Lang wants them to do it now and orders them to move Seaview 100 miles east--which will destroy the whole world if the bomb goes off there. Lang orders Sharkey to get him a chair. Nelson tells Connors: they must pretend to go along. Men bring Lang a vidscreen where the World Disarmament Chairman tells him they have considered his demands and made him President of the Congress and will abide by his rulings. Seaview is now the capital of the world and man's destiny will be Lang's to shape.

 

Act Four

Lang tells them they have 24 hours to disarm. Nelson explains everybody prays for disarmament and for an end to war but they cannot put other countries at risk. Lang talks of the language of power. Sharkey talks to Riley, who is guarding Lang's door to the missile room. Sharkey tells him Lang won't do it--he really wants someone to talk him out of it. Riley tells him about a guy that  wanted to jump...and did. Sharkey enlists Riley's help to go in and jump Lang. Before they can, Chip orders Riley to stop and has to physically push Sharkey against the wall, threatening him with arrest if he pulls anything like this again. Chip says, "We'd all like to get our hands around Lang's throat but this isn't the way."

In his room, Nelson tells Crane just the opposite--they have to make him push the button. The ignition rod has to burn through to the detonator---this will give them a few minutes to try to disarm it. Crane calls Riley to corridor four. Crane and Nelson go in to Lang. Nelson tells him they rejected Lang's ideas. Crane attacks Lang, who pushes the button. Alarms go off and the others-Riley, Chip, and Sharkey come in. Nelson works to stop the bomb, blocking the ignition firing rod with a slate with 3 seconds to spare. Nelson says, "If the rod doesn't burn through, we'll be okay."  The rod seems to burn through and there is a large burst.

 

Tag

Nelson takes the proton cylinders out of the device, they gut the bomb and launch it out the diving tube hatch. They survive the detonation with only some damage to the joints. They will not be able to travel back to port below the surface until repairs are made. Nelson wonders about Lang--he wanted to destroy the world to save it. He hopes they put Lang on trial and put him away not for his motives but for his methods. Crane smiles, "Peace but not at any price."  Nelson says, "Exactly."

           

REVIEW: Great story, fantastic acting from Cassavetes and Basehart, good morale, and nice overall pace--acts one, two, three, and four seem so very different from each other and fast paced, that it is difficult to lose interest. It's very easy not to like Lang--his cal;ous attitude to the girl's death and his self centered pompousness as well as the fact that he collaborated with the enemy makes it difficult to sympathize with him. Yet this is what the cast and crew were going for rather than Robur the Conqueror from MASTER OF THE WORLD and Capt. Nemo from 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, both of whom possessed some fine attributes. Lang's plan to totally disarm is commendable but unfortunately not viable, even today.