Hello Down There
| Hello Down There | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by |
Jack Arnold Ricou Browning |
| Produced by |
George Sherman Ivan Tors |
| Written by |
John McGreevey Frank Telford |
| Story by |
Ivan Tors Art Arthur |
| Starring |
Tony Randall Janet Leigh Jim Backus Ken Berry Roddy McDowall Charlotte Rae |
| Music by | Jeff Barry |
| Cinematography | Clifford H. Poland Jr. |
| Edited by | Erwin Dumbrille |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date | June 25, 1969 |
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Hello Down There (re-released in 1974 as Sub-A-Dub-Dub) is a 1969 American comedy-adventure film from Paramount Pictures, produced by George Sherman and Ivan Tors, directed Jack Arnold and Ricou Browning (underwater sequences), and starring Tony Randall and Janet Leigh. The screenplay was written by John McGreevey and Frank Telford. Its 1974 re-release was part of the "Paramount Family Matinee" series.
Plot
Fred Miller (Tony Randall) must prove that his new design for an underwater home is viable by convincing his family to live in it for 30 days. His son and daughter (Gary Tigerman and Kay Cole) are members of an emerging pop rock band (Richard Dreyfuss and Lou Wagner) whom they invite to live with them during the experiment. Their temporary home, which Miller dubs the "Green Onion," is 90 feet below the surface of the ocean and is filled with super-modern appliances and amenities for house-wife Vivian (Janet Leigh), all designed by Miller. A hole in the floor provides direct access to and from the sea.
The group are soon joined by a live-in seal named Gladys and a pair of dolphins (Duke and Duchess), which stay close at hand and fend off unwanted sharks. They are confronted by many obstacles including a rival designer (Ken Berry) from Undersea Development, Inc. who begins to cause problems.[1]
Meanwhile, the band's single has gotten the attention of record executive Nate Ashbury (Roddy McDowall), who decides to sign them sight-unseen. He takes the liberty of booking them for an important television performance on The Merv Griffin Show without first communicating with them. After learning that they are inaccessible under the sea, he proves that the show must go on and that he will go to great lengths to reach them. They get their airing on television, but the U.S. Navy is put on alert by the sounds of music coming from the sea. A naval fleet is dispatched to investigate what must surely be a Communist plot!
Cast
- Tony Randall as Fred Miller
- Janet Leigh as Vivian Miller
- Jim Backus as T.R. Hollister
- Ken Berry as Mel Cheever
- Roddy McDowall as Nate Ashbury
- Charlotte Rae as Myrtle Ruth
- Richard Dreyfuss as Harold Webster
- Kay Cole as Lorrie Miller
- Gary Tigerman as Tommie Miller
- Lou Wagner as Marvin Webster
- Bruce Gordon as Adm. Sheridan
- Frank Schuller as Alan Briggs
- Arnold Stang as Jonah
- Harvey Lembeck as Sonarman
- Merv Griffin as Himself
- Henny Backus as Mrs. Webster
- Pat Henning as Reilly
- Jay Laskay as Philo
- Bud Hoey as Mr. Webster
- Charles Martin as Chief Petty Officer
- Frank Logan as Captain
- Andy Jarrell as Radioman
- Lora Kaye as Secretary
Production
Hello Down There was filmed from October to December 1967, with interior scenes shot at Ivan Tors Studios (now known as Greenwich Studios) in Miami, Florida. The underwater sequences were photographed at Ivan Tors Underwater Studios in The Bahamas.
Music Soundtrack
"Hello Down There" and "Little Goldfish" are two songs on the film's soundtrack. Unfortunately, the soundtrack cannot be purchased separately. A search of OST displays it, but links to the music are not found on Amazon's website.[2] A search of iTunes comes up with only the film being for rent or sale.[3] The soundtrack is listed in its entirety at the IMDB,[4] giving credit to the performers as "Harold and the Hangs Up" (Harold is the name of the boy, played by Richard Dreyfuss, who is the lead singer of the fictional band portrayed in the film).
| Song Name | Lyrics By | Music By | Performed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Hello, Down There" | Jeff Barry | Jeff Barry | Jeff Barry |
| "I Can Love You" | Jeff Barry | Jeff Barry | Harold and the Hang-Ups |
| "Hey, Little Goldfish" | Jeff Barry | Jeff Barry | Harold and the Hang-Ups |
| "Glub" | Jeff Barry | Jeff Barry | Harold and the Hang-Ups |
| "Just One More Chance" | Sam Coslow | Arthur Johnston | Harold and the Hang-Ups w/Tony Randall |
Video releases
Hello Down There was released February 22, 2005 on Region 1 DVD by Paramount Pictures. The film was again made available on June 25, 2013 as a "burn-on-demand" DVD-R through the online Warner Bros. Archive Collection. It can also be ordered on streaming video from Amazon.com.