Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Del Monroe VTTBOTS publicity photo.

A brief interview with Del Monroe.  Conducted by Joel Eisner from Irwin Allen Sci Fi Journal, #13, circa 1981.  From the collection of John and Diane Kachmar. 


Q:  What is your favorite Voyage Episode?
A:  I'd say they were all my favorites. It really was the first thing I'd ever done as an actor. So, of course, I was excited about being part of this whole business of film-making.  If there were any  favorites, I probably say the ones I was most involved in. The ones that I had the biggest part.
Q:  How well did you get along with the Voyage cast?
A:  We all got along great.  There were no problems at all.  Paul Trinka, who played Patterson, he and I were probably the best of friends.  I was closer to him than anybody in the cast. because we both started out together in that show doing the same size parts.  We shared a dressing room together.  We sort of had a lot of things in common. We became good friends.  I was very fond of Paul.    

Paul Trinka and Del Monroe from one of them jungle episodes
Paul Trinka and Del Monroe

Q:  Was there anything about your role on Voyage you would have liked to change if you were given the chance?
A:  Every once in a while, I see some of the old reruns, and of course, being that it was the first thing I'd ever done, I can see where I'm indicating and over-acting and doing a lot of things I wouldn't do today.  You are talking about a show we did 17 years ago, so I hope I've improved as an actor.  So I guess there are some scenes I would like to change.
Q:  Do you remember any funny or unusual moments during filming?
A: I can't think of anything right now.
Q: Which episodes did you prefer, the serious dramas or the monster ones?
A:  I answered that question earlier. I enjoyed doing them all, really.
Q:  Have you seen any members of the cast
since the show ended?
A:  No, I haven't.  I talked to David Hedison on the phone a couple of times and of course, I've seen Richard Basehart on TV, he works quite frequently.
Q:  How did you like working for Irwin Allen?
A:  I liked working for Irwin Allen.  Irwin Allen was very kind to me.  He kind of gave me my initial start in the business.  I didn't have much to do with Irwin because of the role I was cast in and the size of the  role didn't require me to come in contact with him too much. So I didn't have much dealings with Irwin.
Q:  Is it true you were supposed to be Inspector Kobick on Land of the Giants instead of Kevin Hagen.
A:  I guess that's the role.  I know I was asked to do a part, a continuing part on Land of the Giants.
I didn't want to do it and I understand that they did get Kevin Hagen for the part.
Q:  Do you have a favorite role?
A:  No.
Q:  Is there any particular reason you were the only cast member held over from the Voyage movie?
A:  Well, I wasn't the only member of the movie cast was held over.  There was also an actor by the name of Mark Slade, who was doing a character called Malone. We did the pilot together and about half a dozen segments in the first year.  Then he got the chance to do a much bigger part on the series Gomer Pyle.  So he bowed out
of Voyage and went ahead with Gomer Pyle.
Q:  Did you like doing the Time Tunnel episode THE KIDNAPPERS?
A:  Yes I did.  I enjoyed that.  I didn't care for all that make-up because it was uncomfortable.  It was a stretch.  I like doing anything that gets into character or any type of a role that is far removed from myself.  That for me is a challenge and a stretch as an actor, and I enjoy getting into those types of things.
Q:  What did you think of Irwin Allen's other shows, Lost in Space, Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants?
A:  I thought his Time Tunnel, as far as I was concerned, was the best of the three.
Q:  Is there a Voyage out take reel?
A:  No, there is not, that I know of.
Q:  Did you do all your stunts or did you have a double?
A:  I did most of my stunts.  I did have a double who did most of the high falls and some of the more dangerous
stunts.  Basically, the fights and the falls and that type of thing, I did most all of those myself.  I was younger, I could do those things then.
Q:  How did you like working with all the special effects used on the show?  Were you or anyone hurt during the filming with all the explosions?
A:  It was fun.  That type of thing is like a little kid around 4th of July.  That was fun.  I can't think of anyone
really being hurt badly.  There was always glass and  someone getting a little piece of glass near the eye or cause some excitement or maybe a slight cut.  Nobody really got hurt that I know of.
End.
         Fairly current publicity shot, Del Monroe.

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