User Reviews

In "Cradle of the Deep", Dr. Janus (John Anderson), appeals to the scientific nature of Admiral Nelson in regards to a close proximity discovery of the "meaning of life", hoping that the very foundations of evolution lie in the ocean floor of a very turbulent section of the ocean, called the Vena Seamount, where submarines are known to find their resting place (prematurely).

A junior officer, Clark (Paul Carr), lost an older brother on the Sea Lion and insists that Admiral Nelson (after his objections were met with disregard by Captain Crane) turn the Seaview around and not set course for the Seamount. The entire episode has Crane seriously against the mission to go to the Seamount, but Nelson, convinced by Janus that the discoveries for aggressively "speeding up evolution" with an energy device could reap benefits substantially for humankind, hears none of it. While the tests regarding the evolution of protozoa into an organic lifeform by Janus' mentor (he dies during a test at the beginning of the episode when the energy device suffered a malfunction) are deemed a success, the results give way to a fast-growing creature gradually weighting down the Seaview, certain to doom the sub if it isn't destroyed and cast aboard. The unstable ocean floor, giving way to "quakes", soon causes the Seaview to suffer outer hull damage against hilly terrain when the instability moves the sub to and fro. Not only that, but the creature evolving is sucking away oxygen, with the nitrogen remaining, producing a situation further causing trouble for the Seaview as Chip and his bridge crew fell victim to loopy intoxication keeping the sub coursing in circles instead of towards a safe destination!

As usual with the terrific first season of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, "Cradle of the Deep" includes plenty of complications for those on board the Seaview. A creature of slow-accelerating growth (but growth nonetheless) not only sucks oxygen, but there's an officer falling prey to mental instability, structural damage to the Seaview and those damned quakes making matters worse. You have that struggle between monumental history-making discovery and the safety of a submarine crew, with those in charge and the expectations of a scientist going head-to-head. Because Anderson delivers a not-prone-to-elevated-reactions performance, even as his grand breakthrough is threatened, the episode, to me, comes off a lot better. Scientists too often are prone to histrionics, given way to ambivalence in regards to lives around them being at stake in favor of what could benefit the science they so covet and hold dear. Anderson's scientist does fight for his discovery, but Janus isn't absent the entanglements of the crisis presented to the crew of the Seaview. And, in the end, he helps Nelson end the threat (with a detriment to his own life), so perhaps this episode is refreshing in that regard. Some emphasis was provided to the character of Clark, cracking up and persistent that the Seaview avoids, at all costs, the ocean graveyard so many submarines call home. Carr has some emotional fireworks with Basehart and Hedison, as Clark presents his case to the higher-ups, his pleas (he even plots a different course when relieving Crane, who was in need of rest, a decision perhaps certain to ruin his career) and heated back-and-forth eventually landing him in the brig! The lifeform is basically an inflatable creature, not particularly impressive-looking…it is the situation itself that will earn the suspense, not the "monster of the week." After so much basis on evolution in the screenplay's dialogue, the closing with scripture read from the Bible by Nelson left me a bit surprised...it was unexpected. I imagine this decision left many in the scientific community (even with atheists of today) groaning.

The Seaview heads for very dangerous waters creating tension for seaman Clark (Paul Carr).

Three points get taken away from this episode because Dr Janus is a very tedious character, the blow-up creature looks terrible, the hour is sometimes missing punch and the music score is just not right for such a tale.

But we get these wonderful pre-Poseidon Adventure moments where Clark talks of his concern about going into dangerous waters, the almost amusing scene where the control room seamen seem "drunk" (a touch of Mchales Navy?) and Basehart/Hedison get some good lines.

In some ways, Cradle Of The Deep is almost a pilot for what was to come in the colour seasons...but the colour years are better than this.

This is a most boring episode in my opinion. So boring in fact that I chose to comment on the technical aspects like military rank and special effects. I get that they are in a special exclusive organization and not in the US Navy, but why would the ranks go from 5 star admiral to a commander which is less then a captain's rank (that's like 5 ranks difference)? Also, the special effects in this are the worst I've ever seen in this show's run. Granted I'm not much of a season one expert as they were not shown in reruns in the 70's when I occasionally caught this as a kid, but one would think the sfx would be better in the first season, not the case at all here. I recognize the doctor John Anderson in a few other schlock sci fi, and I immediately recognized Paul Carr as a crazy junior officer since he was a favorite of mine on the pilot of Star Trek (first, or close to it, televised crew death on Star Trek). I can imagine submarine veterans watching this at first with excitement and then laughing out loud at the stupid underwater action. 5 of 10, it's good in a bad way but really a waste of time to view now unless for a personal nostalgia. One other point, this Star Trek had some similar story lines just one year later that worked out much better.