I found this episode entertaining. I liked the kibitzing and banter between Richard Basehart aka the Admiral and Gia Scala aka the Russian female scientist Katy Markova. She panicked when some water drips on her back and the Admiral comes back with "could have used an imbrella" trying to inject a little levity into their dire situation. I mean after all the diving bell has been swallowed by a huge whale. Then he proceeds to explain that the pressure is so great that it's forcing the two halves together and squealing out the water. He also makes light when the Russian scientist is questioning him when she says the specie of whale that swallowed them is extinct. Nelson comes back with "perhaps he doesn't know it". (He being the whale and that he doesn't know he's supposed to be extinct.)
I love the Admirals reaction when he first looks out the port hole after they are swallowed by the whale and his reaction when Katy's sees the insides of the whale for the first time. The expression is priceless.
Another scene that I really like from this episode is when Kowalski is in the diving bell working and Admiral Nelson asks him if he would be willing to go down in the bell...as it stands. Kowalski's expression changes from smiling to serious as he nervously swallows hard before he asks, "are you asking me...or telling me, sir?" Harry responds smiling "just asking." After a cursory check Kowalski says he would. Then Harry tells Katya that he will be piloting the bell when she goes down for the first time.
After they are swallowed by the whale she comes back with "next time she will pick a more experienced pilot" after Harry apologizes as his piloting skills are a bit rusty.
I could go on and on but this would wind up being a book. This was Basehart's episode. David Hedison and the Seaview with her crew played supporting roles to Basehart and guest star Gia Scala.
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (TV Series)
Jonah and the Whale (1965)
User Reviews
Review this title11 Reviews
Bible verse quoted twice
jdcoates3 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is a lot of fun but ridiculous and predictable from the title. For a reason that only serves move along the plot, a lady Russian scientist is on the Seaview. Admiral Nelson and the Russian scientist enter a diving bell and descend to the ocean floor to investigate a damaged Russian science lab, which is also on the ocean floor. This happens to take place during a "massive whale migration," which per the writers means that the whales are in a frenzy as a migrate, and dangerous. Anyway, a sperm whale ala Moby Dick swallows the diving bell and both the scientist and Admiral Nelson are in the belly of the Beast.
While waiting forrescue, ,Admiral Nelson tries to encourage the Russian Scientist to hope for rescue by quoting Jonah 2:6 from The Bible, "I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.(KJV)"
The Russian scientist isn't buying it and remains pessimistic about the chance of rescue. Admiral Nelson continues to encourage the skeptic by stating that Jonah must have been telling the truth because he was called "Jonah son of Amitia, which means truth." He continues saying that "He must have been pretty good at his job otherwise the Lord wouldn't have sent him to try to save the corrupt City of Niniva."
Admiral Nelson really knows his scripture!
The whale settles on the bottom of the ocean and falls asleep. Three divers from the seaview swim to the bottom of the ocean in only scuba gear - the writers must have forgotten that earlier in the same episode there was dialogue about the dangerous pressure at the bottom of the ocean and how they needed the diving bell to survive - anyway,... the three divers swim into the mouth of the sleeping whale and begin to wdd through muck and junk to get to the diving bell in the belly of the whale. All three divers get into the diving bell but not before attaching a cable to the top of the diving bell, which is attached to a big pulley inside the Seaview.
The whale begins to awaken at this point. The Seaview uses the pulley that yank the diving bell safely out from the stomach of the whale through its mouth, to safty. ( the whale was not injured) The whale swims off obviously having had enough of this nonsense and the diving bell gets back to Seaview safely.
In the epilogue, when everyone is safe other crew persons or questioning the Russian scientist about her experience. She slyly looks over at Admiral Nelson and quotes Jonah 2:6 and without actually winking, all but winks at Admiral Nelson. Question credits.
While waiting forrescue, ,Admiral Nelson tries to encourage the Russian Scientist to hope for rescue by quoting Jonah 2:6 from The Bible, "I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.(KJV)"
The Russian scientist isn't buying it and remains pessimistic about the chance of rescue. Admiral Nelson continues to encourage the skeptic by stating that Jonah must have been telling the truth because he was called "Jonah son of Amitia, which means truth." He continues saying that "He must have been pretty good at his job otherwise the Lord wouldn't have sent him to try to save the corrupt City of Niniva."
Admiral Nelson really knows his scripture!
The whale settles on the bottom of the ocean and falls asleep. Three divers from the seaview swim to the bottom of the ocean in only scuba gear - the writers must have forgotten that earlier in the same episode there was dialogue about the dangerous pressure at the bottom of the ocean and how they needed the diving bell to survive - anyway,... the three divers swim into the mouth of the sleeping whale and begin to wdd through muck and junk to get to the diving bell in the belly of the whale. All three divers get into the diving bell but not before attaching a cable to the top of the diving bell, which is attached to a big pulley inside the Seaview.
The whale begins to awaken at this point. The Seaview uses the pulley that yank the diving bell safely out from the stomach of the whale through its mouth, to safty. ( the whale was not injured) The whale swims off obviously having had enough of this nonsense and the diving bell gets back to Seaview safely.
In the epilogue, when everyone is safe other crew persons or questioning the Russian scientist about her experience. She slyly looks over at Admiral Nelson and quotes Jonah 2:6 and without actually winking, all but winks at Admiral Nelson. Question credits.
Try to look at the special effects through 1960s lenses.
planktonrules19 September 2017
"Jonah and the Whale" is the first show of the second season of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"...and the first color episode as well. Apart from that, it's not among the better episodes in the series.
The show begins with a couple Russians working with Admiral Nelson on a diving bell (more specifically a bathysphere). However, in a freak accident, one of them is killed when an enormous Sperm whale smashes into the device. Fortunately, it's NOT the hot Russian lady. No, it's up to her to try out the bathysphere along with the Admiral. This time, an accident with a whale occurs again...and this time they are both eaten by the whale! So, it's up to the crew of the Seaview to try to save the pair.
Overall, this is just an okay episode...which is a bit surprising considering it's the premier episode of the season. Not bad but the special effects (which were decent for 1965) haven't aged well.
The show begins with a couple Russians working with Admiral Nelson on a diving bell (more specifically a bathysphere). However, in a freak accident, one of them is killed when an enormous Sperm whale smashes into the device. Fortunately, it's NOT the hot Russian lady. No, it's up to her to try out the bathysphere along with the Admiral. This time, an accident with a whale occurs again...and this time they are both eaten by the whale! So, it's up to the crew of the Seaview to try to save the pair.
Overall, this is just an okay episode...which is a bit surprising considering it's the premier episode of the season. Not bad but the special effects (which were decent for 1965) haven't aged well.
4th Best Episode of the Series
StuOz24 July 2010
The diving bell, with Admiral Nelson in it, is trapped inside a living whale.
This episode and year three's Terrible Toys were Irwin Allen's favourite episodes of Voyage/Sea! Production values in this season opener had been improved from the first season and this is motion picture television of the best kind, in fact, at the same 20th Century Fox studio, the massive budget movie Fantastic Voyage (1966) was being produced on another sound stage and Jonah comes over as a more entertaining humans-trapped-in-giant-thing show!
The Jerry Goldsmith score is even better than many of his film scores, Richard Basehart shines even more than usual and his sexy co-star in the Diving Bell is outstanding. The script is perfect. What more could you want?
One tiny problem exists in the form of Stu the surfer/seaman making a couple of painfully bad jokes about the whale but I can forgive that. Screen entertainment does not get much better than Jonah And The Whale!
This review is the first of 78 colour Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode reviews. I hope some posters even consider responding to my reviews as I intend to make the IMDb the new home of Voyage/Sea. Enjoy!
This episode and year three's Terrible Toys were Irwin Allen's favourite episodes of Voyage/Sea! Production values in this season opener had been improved from the first season and this is motion picture television of the best kind, in fact, at the same 20th Century Fox studio, the massive budget movie Fantastic Voyage (1966) was being produced on another sound stage and Jonah comes over as a more entertaining humans-trapped-in-giant-thing show!
The Jerry Goldsmith score is even better than many of his film scores, Richard Basehart shines even more than usual and his sexy co-star in the Diving Bell is outstanding. The script is perfect. What more could you want?
One tiny problem exists in the form of Stu the surfer/seaman making a couple of painfully bad jokes about the whale but I can forgive that. Screen entertainment does not get much better than Jonah And The Whale!
This review is the first of 78 colour Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode reviews. I hope some posters even consider responding to my reviews as I intend to make the IMDb the new home of Voyage/Sea. Enjoy!
The Whale, Gia Scala and the Holy Bible's quoting!!!
elo-equipamentos31 March 2019
I didn't remember if l watch the second season of Voyage due my TV home was still on black & white, so from now on l'd consider as unheard, now in color this episode could be as weirdest episode ever seen, but it was wrong word, bizarre is more appropriate to justify such insanity by the writers who made this silly screenplay, sorry for them, the simply idea to an already extinct giant whale swallow an iron vessel is beyond of any reasonableness, and worst quoting a biblical passage which l never heard about, my fault indeed, the high point if we can call as is the still breathtaking Gia Scala (The Guns of Navorone) who could forget that acting, Gia makes us forget all mess over such folly things, let's forget it for a while, good moment will comes ahead, l hope so in the next one, l 'll stay tuned!!
Resume:
First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7
Resume:
First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7
A whale of a tale
ShadeGrenade19 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
'Jonah And The Whale' opened Voyage's second season. and was the first made in colour. 'Admiral Nelson' and Russian scientist 'Katya Markova' ( Gia Scala ) are exploring the sea in a bathysphere when they are unexpectedly swallowed whole by a whale. Luckily, there are no others around else a rescue mission would have been impossible ( how do you tell whales apart? ). While Nelson and Katya exchange some well-written dialogue incorporating Biblical quotes, Crane ( David Hedison ) works out a rescue plan.
When it was made, Voyage had yet to sink into the mire of monsters and aliens which ultimately harmed its reputation. I was amused by the description of this episode as 'unbelievable'. So are all the other episodes of the series! It might have had more impact though had 'The Ghost Of Moby Dick' not been made the year before. The SFX are good by the standards of 60's television, and ought not to be compared with what is being made now. Terry Becker makes his debut as 'Sharkey', a replacement for Henry Kulky's 'Curley Jones' who passed away during the making of Year 1. The only bum note is Jerry Goldsmith's theme, which sounds like it was written for a horror movie. Thankfully, Paul Sawtell's iconic theme would be reinstated. Gia Scala adds glamour. Her best known movie role was in 'The Guns From Navarone'.
A decent episode then. But the best was yet to come.
When it was made, Voyage had yet to sink into the mire of monsters and aliens which ultimately harmed its reputation. I was amused by the description of this episode as 'unbelievable'. So are all the other episodes of the series! It might have had more impact though had 'The Ghost Of Moby Dick' not been made the year before. The SFX are good by the standards of 60's television, and ought not to be compared with what is being made now. Terry Becker makes his debut as 'Sharkey', a replacement for Henry Kulky's 'Curley Jones' who passed away during the making of Year 1. The only bum note is Jerry Goldsmith's theme, which sounds like it was written for a horror movie. Thankfully, Paul Sawtell's iconic theme would be reinstated. Gia Scala adds glamour. Her best known movie role was in 'The Guns From Navarone'.
A decent episode then. But the best was yet to come.
Theme song
pgrindol-608046 October 2021
The ambitious second season premiere of Allen's sci-fi classic
garrard6 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
After a solid season of black and white episodes, ABC and producer/creator Irwin Allen brought the second season of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" in with color, a new theme and score by Jerry Goldsmith, and a new auxiliary craft, the Flying Sub. These changes hinted at the changes that would take the fairly straightforward drama of season one into some of the more outlandish premises that would "surface" in this and the remaining two seasons.
"Jonah and the Whale" gets its storyline loosely from the Biblical story, this time trapping Admiral Nelson (Richard Basehart) and a visiting Russian scientist (Gia Scala) inside the belly of a whale.
The episode sports some nifty scenes of the whale swallowing the diving bell, containing the admiral and the scientist, as well as of the re-designed Seaview as it trails the whale in order to rescue the pair.
Basehart and Scala make the unbelievable plausible and David Hedison's "Captain Crane" is stalwart as he commandeers the efforts to save the life of his commander and mentor.
Though the Goldsmith theme would be jettisoned by the second episode of year two, most of the score would find itself incorporated in the series for the duration.
"Jonah and the Whale" gets its storyline loosely from the Biblical story, this time trapping Admiral Nelson (Richard Basehart) and a visiting Russian scientist (Gia Scala) inside the belly of a whale.
The episode sports some nifty scenes of the whale swallowing the diving bell, containing the admiral and the scientist, as well as of the re-designed Seaview as it trails the whale in order to rescue the pair.
Basehart and Scala make the unbelievable plausible and David Hedison's "Captain Crane" is stalwart as he commandeers the efforts to save the life of his commander and mentor.
Though the Goldsmith theme would be jettisoned by the second episode of year two, most of the score would find itself incorporated in the series for the duration.
Standard Irwin Allen silliness
robert375015 December 2020
The episode is reasonably entertaining if you suspend disbelief of the ludicrous premise. I can't get past that, though. Why would a whale want to swallow a big steel ball? Why is its gut so well lit? Etc. etc. Yeah, I know, dramatic license and all that. Still, I can't, er, swallow it all.
very exotic story line and expensive sets
oscar-3515 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, 1964. *Spoiler/plot- Jonah and the whale. 1965. A joint mission between the Soviets and Admiral Nelson to study deep sea living shelters and working in deep depths has an emergency with whale migrations through the test area.
*Special Stars- Richard Baseheart, David Headison.
*Theme- Crews with teamwork can solve any problem, no matter how dire.
*Trivia/location/goofs- This episode was shot using 20th Century Fox's re-used film sets for their big budget feature film, 'Fantastic Voyage.'
*Emotion- A very exotic story line and expensive sets for elevating it's huge production values. Never attempted by this TV show series before this. Very satisfying for their season 'opener' show. One not to be missed.
*Based On- 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea' feature film.
*Special Stars- Richard Baseheart, David Headison.
*Theme- Crews with teamwork can solve any problem, no matter how dire.
*Trivia/location/goofs- This episode was shot using 20th Century Fox's re-used film sets for their big budget feature film, 'Fantastic Voyage.'
*Emotion- A very exotic story line and expensive sets for elevating it's huge production values. Never attempted by this TV show series before this. Very satisfying for their season 'opener' show. One not to be missed.
*Based On- 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea' feature film.
Someone forgot to tell them it's in color
MiketheWhistle3 September 2018
A reviewer said to look at this thru 1960s special effects, but even for the 1920s it was horrible. It would have been more tolerable if the ep was in b&w which I think may have been the disconnect that their special effects people did not know it was in color. I know I've seen similar special effects in b&w and with understanding it was passable. If I look beyond the special effects, the premise of being swallowed by a whale is simply too unbelievable.
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