Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
The pilot episode - "11 Days to Zero"


    Get set to step back to 1963 and onto the 20th-Century Fox studio lot for a look at the filming of Irwin Allen's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea pilot episode.  The color photo below comes courtesy of the Quincy Crossroads Collection, to which Mike's VTTBOTS Zone is indebted.  It offers a step back in time and a color window on the pilot's production.

A warm day's walk on the ice... A rare color production shot from the Voyage Pilot, 11 Days to Zero.  When the artificial snow started to fall (see black and white photo below,) the horizon receded, depth perception was fooled, and suddenly, we were in the frigid, dangerous Arctic along with the men of Seaview.
The fake snowflakes fall and a sound stage becomes the Arctic..
All of a sudden, it just seems colder.
My gosh, Lee, what if this thing falls over?      Although broadcast in black and white on ABC in September, 1964, this one-hour program was filmed in color with a nice fat budget that showed.     Hey down there, is it cold enough for you?
   Above, another rare behind-the-scenes photo showing an unusual angle on Seaview's conning tower.  In addition to cast regulars Richard Basehart and David Hedison, a casually dressed technician can be seen in the forefront of the photo and the stage perimeter at the top right. 
                      
   Here, camera crew on booms set up to shoot the scene.  Many more photos like these were taken during the filming of Voyage's expensive pilot episode.  Prior to viewing the film, ABC execs were hesitant to believe Irwin Allen could pull it off.  After the screening, they rose and applauded - a rarity.


Pilot show 1

Pilot show 2

Pilot show 3

Future page.

Future page.

Future page.


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