Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Richard Basehart, Arthur Franz, J. D. Cannon.
Classic Episode
"The
Condemned"
continued (2)

Test Hull Graphic

For a full-size view of the artwork, above right, by Thomas7g, Click here.
I wonder how the wash is doing?  

To Doc's dismay, Nelson instructs that the chamber be set to 6,000 decibars of pressure so the men can be slowly decompressed.  Falk wakes first in the dark and checks to be sure that Crane is still out. He then approaches Archer, and holding his mouth so he won't cry out, whispers at him in the dark.

Falk: You realize why I had to save us.  The four of us never would have made it.  I had to do what I did so you could continue your work--you must understand that.
Archer: I understand you perfectly, Falk.  You're afraid I'll tell how Tracy died.  I won't.  If I could bring him back by exposing you, I'd tell.  Not out of any childish sense of right or wrong, but only for the pleasure of destroying you, Falk
Falk: That's a pleasure you've denied yourself for many years, isn't it Archer?
Archer:  I've denied myself many things for science--honor, self-respect, dignity.  I can deny myself the pleasure of your destruction.
Falk: How noble of you.
No budget for razor blades.
Falk Wakes First
Rough hands? Try Jergens Lotion.

Keeping Archer quiet.
An intimate moment in the decompression chamber.

Whispering in the dark.
The three recover from decompression and oblivious to what's gone on between Falk and Archer, Crane tries to convince Admiral Nelson to make the dive with Seaview.  But Nelson wants to send the test hull down again before risking it his sub and crew.
Another dramatic shot of our favorite admiral. Basehart couldn't take a bad picture if he tired.
Are you saying I'm jealous of Bentley Falk?

Nelson: A life was lost . . . I don't want to risk even one life until I'm absolutely convinced that the system works.
Crane: You resent his headline grabbing so much, I wonder if you want the dive to succeed?
Nelson: What do you mean by that?  Are you trying to say I'm jealous of Bentley Falk?
Crane: . . .Of course not, Admiral.

Great suspicious reaction shot from Hedison.
Of course not, Admiral.


It becomes obvious that Archer has a health problem because he's seen secretly popping pills.  When he finally keels over and passes out in the shadows of the missile room, it's no surprise.

 Pop a Chocks   It's getting a bit warm in here. Falk slaps Archer back to consciousness and shoves more digitalis into his mouth.  It's apparent that he would be helpless to run the deep dive without Archer's aid.  Desperately he pleads with the other man to hang-in.
Falk: Archer--you can't die now.  You haven't done it yet.  I haven't gotten to the bottom.

Shortly thereafter, word comes through that the President wants Seaview to proceed with the dive.  Nelson is steamed at Crane for having previously sided with Falk, but most of all angry at Falk for having obviously  having gone over his head.  Seaview proceeds with the dive while Archer, as usual, oversees the equipment.  With incident (the temperature temporarily jumps past 120 degrees), Seaview successfully reaches the bottom of the sea, a depth of 36,200 feet.

Once again, photographer Winton Hoch controlling the composition.
Word from the President


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