VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA-KILLERS OF THE DEEP

 VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA 

KILLERS OF THE DEEP

Writers-William Reed Woodfield, Allan Balter

Dir-Harry Harris

 

Teaser

Nelson finds a top secret missile cylo on tape 3800--empty on the ocean floor. He calls the Secretary of Defense. Apparently a sub has picked up the nuclear missile and others. Nelson and Crane soar off in the Flying Sub to search. The Destroyer Mackline is reported in the area and joining the search as ordered by League Commander. Lee picks up a small submarine on the surface--with on national markings. As the Flying Sub circles, a missile is fired from the sub and blows up near the Flying Sub. Gas comes out and the Flying Sub shakes. Nelson grabs life preservers and a raft as the sub zooms down, humming louder and louder (via Jupiter II type sound effects). Nelson yells at Crane to jump and the Captain does but a sharp shake throws Nelson back into the Flying Sub. He falls but manages to pilot the Flying Sub upward a bit. Even so, it hits the water with a tearing force!

 

Act One

Nelson is in the water with parts of the Flying Sub all around him (ie--not very realistic parts) and he calls for Lee. He can't find him but does see the Macklin whose crew pull him up. There is a Commander Lawrence, Exec Lt. Stone, and Ensign Fraser (a nice job of acting by Patrick Wayne). In wet clothes, Nelson contacts Seaview, worried about Crane. Cylos 11 and 18 are missing. Chip will picks up the missiles still in place via Seaview. Nelson will use the Macklin to recover the stolen ones. He figures # 8 is next. They must go after the enemy sub--even if it means they may not find Crane. Crane is being watched on a periscope by an enemy sub captain. The enemy sub brings him aboard. The sub commander introduces himself as Thomas Ruiz, the small country he works for will become a larger one with a few nuclear missiles. He orders Crane to be given dry clothes. Nelson on the Macklin moves to change his wet clothes. The enemy sub rises from 150 feet to 50 feet (lots of stock footage from THE ENEMY BELOW but not the same music from that WWI submarine vs Destroyer movie). Men on the enemy sub are wearing dirty T shirts to match the footage from the movie. Crane grabs Ruiz as he readies to fire a torpedo at the Destroyer and is hit back. The torpedo seems to blow up part of the back of the Macklin.

 

Act Two

Men on the Macklin run to ready defense and retaliation (more stock). Passage Four was hit by the torpedo. Capt. Lawrence and Lt. Stone are dead. Nelson, changed, is in black clothes now. One torpedo hit mid ship and is a dud...but it may have a timer and also penetrated the bulkhead. The demolition crew is trapped in the crew's mess. Nelson gets to the dud. Crane asks the enemy to give the men a chance now that their ship is damaged. Ruiz tells Crane they are like a wounded animal and most dangerous now. Nelson has four minutes to disarm the torpedo while the Boson's Mate helps. To do this, they must stop the Macklin and reverse starboard. Nelson and the boson or boson's mate (named Wilson it seems) disarm the torpedo in the four minutes allowed. One mistake and it could have gone off. Nelson begins to figure the enemy moves correctly. Two more torpedoes fire and Nelson deactivates the torpedo in time for the Macklin to move out of their way. We hear music from the Western movie THE LAST WAGON. Crane grabs up a chair and smashes the sonar on the enemy sub and is knocked down by the First Mate. (Crane's unobservant guard is played by what seems to be a teenage boy!) Macklin bombs the sub with depth charges. Crane is on the floor unconscious it would seem as the rolls begin.

 

Act Three

Crane rolls about. The sub releases a sonar decoy--ink like oil substance. Destroyer passes very close to the sub which is silent running. Crane jumps up again and hits an alarm. Men surround, grab, and subdue him. Macklin hears the alarm. Crane is taken away by the First Mate to be locked up, chained to a valve in a storeroom. Nelson scrambles with Chip (with that same annoying sound from TIME BOMB and other episodes from this season). Chip has picked up cylo 4 with three others next to be picked up. Chip asks of Lee. Seaview can be in the area of the Macklin in 12 hours. Nelson will be at cylo 8 in 46 minutes. Crane uses his feet to get knock over a shelf holder and get a tool to get himself free. He finds the door locked but also finds a vent. Music used on THE TIME TUNNEL is used here but this music was also used in VOYAGE's first season and most likely comes from another movie. Crane crawls in the vents. The Sub sounds an alarm--hey, wait, I thought the idea was not to make noise! More stock from the German U Boat in ENEMY BELOW is used--this time the interior as men in T shirts and men with no shirts on run to ready for defense and attack. More depth charges rock the sub, nearly deafening Crane in the vents. The often used shaking sound effects can be heard very clearly in this episode, particularly in this scene. The First Mate Manolo warns Ruiz about taking this old sub down to hug the bottom to avoid the charges but is ordered to do it anyway. The pressure increases to 400 then 700 in the danger zone. We hear music from LEVIATHAN and hear creaking sounds which add to the tension. Crane bangs in the vent to give away the enemy sub position. A big stocky crewman is sent in from the sonar area to the drain to find Crane. Nelson resets the depth charges as they pick up the lower site of the sub. The sub goes ahead full but leaks occur. Nelson and the others on the Macklin see an oil slick...as if the sub has been destroyed.

 

Act Four

Nelson thinks if the sub is still going, they will wait until dark to attack. Crane is in a vent that will be used in LAND OF THE GIANTS-EVERY DOG NEEDS A BOY. He karate chops the man sent in to kill him in the vent. The sub's air supply is at a loss but they wait until dark. Men search for the trouble maker Crane but can't find him. They go to the surface as it is dark and use a periscope decoy. The forward torpedoes are fired. Nelson says, "That's the first mistake he's made."  They fire depth charges as torpedoes hit. Ruiz orders, "I want no survivors."  He wants to finish them off. Nelson tells everyone except the bridge, sonar, radio room, and gun crew to abandon ship (is there anyone else?). The crew obey using stock from ENEMY BELOW--stock of which fills most of this climax. Nelson then sends the sonar man out and, after getting more power from the engine room, the engine room crew, out. The forward gun aims at the surfaced sub, Nelson sends Frazer off ship, then steers the Destroyer at the sub. Tom Ruiz, on top the conning tower of the sub is wearing a hat similar to the hat worn by the captain of the German U Boat in THE ENEMY BELOW. The gun crew shoot at the sub, fire spreads on the Destroyer. Crane gets out of his vent into the control room which has been abandoned by the entire crew!?! He hides and gets a gun, shooting the first mate Manolo when he refuses Crane's warning. A depth charge gives Ruiz the upper hand and he and Crane fight, the gun between them. The Destroyer rams into the sub (yes, stock from ENEMY), spreading fire and leaks into it. Crane and Tom fight through this.

 

Tag

Ruiz gets the gun as water fills the room. Yet he and Crane still battle, the gun goes off between them. When Ruiz falls, Crane checks to see if he is still alive. Men from the sub dive into the burning water. Nelson calls Lee and gives him a line when Crane appears on the sub deck. Crane ties it (amid good use of music from JONAH AND THE WHALE) and climbs across to the Destroyer as the sub blows up. He and Nelson climb down netting to the life boats--again stock from ENEMY BELOW. They boats get away and a tremendous blast rips the sub and the destroyer to nothingness. Seaview: Nelson and Crane discuss the situation. A small country is paying reparations, forced to by the UN. Nelson jokes about Crane almost dying, "Look at all the trouble I'd have finding a new captain for the Seaview."  Crane says, "That won't be necessary."  Nelson laughs.