Voyage
to the Bottom
of the Sea

Henry Kulky
as Chief Jones

Click Here for Henry
Kulky's Bio

Click Here for Henry
Kulky's Filmography

     I became a fan of Henry Kulky the very first time I saw him in Hell and High Water, or whichever one of those World War II movies it was I first saw him in. Like John Wayne, Kulky always played pretty much the same character--himself. And that was fine with me, because I liked his mug, and for that matter, still do. I liked his hulking, tough, indomitable, yet sweet and kind ways. As Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea stand-in, dialogue coach and extra Ray Didsbury put it, "Henry was, in the vernacular of today, a big teddy bear. Not terribly bright, dreadful at remembering his lines and picking up his cues. Could have been a far better actor, but still was one hell of a nice guy who would
do anything for anyone."

     In reality Kulky didn't have to be a good actor, because, as with the aforementioned Wayne, it was sufficient that he just be himself. Yes,--it required patience from his co-workers, but like magic, after the director pulled all he could out of Kulky (it usually took more than just one take) and the editor cut up the footage, Henry Kulky was pretty darned effective as Seaview's lovable Chief of the Boat.

     He may not have been what professionals would call "a good actor," but after the work was in the can and the show edited, he was delightfully effective on screen, if not on the set. "Absolutely," says Ray Didsbury. "Henry's performance was facilitated by the director and the film editor. His big problem was remembering lines, so the director always protected himself with singles so he could cut away to another actor and then shoot Henry over and over until he got it right."
     Given all of this, I tip my cap to a man, who, as Ray Didsbury put it, " . . . was a real sweetheart in a business where they are few and far between," and who, in my opinion, was an inherently effective actor--Henry Kulky.

Mike Bailey


Black & white photos
courtesy of
Stephanie Kellerman

Return to Cast Central Return to Main Page

"Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" ® is a registered trademark of Irwin Allen Properties, LLC. © Irwin Allen Properties, LLC and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.