Fred Miller (Randall) has a vision for the home of the future: a completely self-sufficient underwater house. He builds a working model, 3 miles off the coast and 90 feet below the surface. His boss, T.R. Hollister (Backus), believes it is a waste of money and wants the project scrapped. However, if Fred and his family can live in the house for 30 days, he will allow the model to remain and Fred can keep his job.
Fred convinces his wife Vivian (Leigh), an author who is afraid of water, to give it a try. Their children, Lorrie (Cole) and Tommie (Tigerman), are in a band and are eagerly awaiting word about a potential record deal with eccentric millionaire Nate Ashbury (McDowall). They only agree to join the experiment if the rest of their band, Lorrie's boyfriend Harold (Dreyfus) and his drummer brother Marvin (Wagner), can come along so they can record a bew demo for Ashbury. But they have to keep the house, called green onion, a secret.
Meanwhile, Fred's rival, Mel Cheever (Berry), also has an underwater model: HOD that dredges the ocean floor for precious metals. Hollister loves the idea and sends Cheever to prove it works. If he is successful, he will get Fred's job. And the Navy is stumped by the sonar readings when the band performs, suspecting advanced technology from . Can the family survive a month underwater, with sabotage, sharks, and a hurricane?
A light and silly family film (rated G) that doesn't take itself too seriously or ask too much of it's audience.
The Good:
The underwater scenes, directed by Ricou Browning, are beautiful.
The songs, by Jeff Barry, are catchy and infectious: "I Can Love You" and "Glub" are standouts and play a few times during the film.
It is a great cast, including a you Richard Dreyfuss as Harold, the lead singer of the group. Nobody does pompous like Jim Backus, and he is great here. Roddy McDowall is over the top as Nate Ashbury, and is just the right amount of crazy here. Ken Berry is good at slapstick and big reactions, which he puts to good use as Cheever. Comic actors Harvey Lembeck and Arnold Stang have small but memorable roles as the Navy sonarman and Cheever's assistant Jonah, respectively.
The dolphins, named Duke and Duchess in the film, and seal, named Gladys in the film, steal the show, both getting laughs and saving the day.
The Bad:
The acting is campy and the story ridiculous, it's not a deal-breaker (and works), as long as you don'texpect too much. Janet Leigh is reduced to screaming and reacting. The song "Just One More Chance", performed by Tony Randall, is cringey.
Other Comments:
-Cameo by Merv Griffin, as himself.
-Kay Cole, who plays Lorrie, went on to originate the role of Maggie in the original Broadway production of "A Chorus Line."
-Jim Backus' wife, Henny Backus, has a small role as Mrs. Webster.
-This film is mindless fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it and it's toe-tapping soundtrack.
Hello Down There (1967) 97 minutes
Director: Jack Arnold
Starring: Tony Randall as Fred Miller
Janet Leigh as Vivian Miller
Roddy McDowall as Nate Ashbury
Jim Backus as T.R. Hollister
Ken Berry as Mel Cheever
Charlotte Rae as Myrtle Ruth
Kay Cole as Lorrie Miller
Richard Dreyfuss as Harold Webster
Lou Wagner as Marvin Webster
Gary Tigerman as Tommie
Arnold Stang as Jonah
Harvey Lembeck as Sonarman
Merv Griffin as Himself
