HELLO DOWN THERE (1969)
This is an odd one; sort of a
Jetsons meets
Sealab 2020 meets
The Partridge Family kinda thing.
Tony Randall is a scientist that, unbeknownst to his family and boss, designs and builds a futuristic underwater home as a response to the imminent population crisis. The boss is annoyed to find that his funds have been used for this project and threatens to dismantle the home, unless Randall can find a family to live in it for a month to prove its viability. Randall of course volunteers his own family and ostensibly-funny hijinks ensue. (They're not really funny).
So this isn't great and I wouldn't recommend it, but it's fun to talk about anyway. To wit:
*It's directed by Jack "
Creature from the Black Lagoon" Arnold, with underwater scenes directed by the Gillman himself, Ricou Browning. Reunion!
*The cast is loaded with recognizable faces of the era. Jim Backus is the boss, Janet Leigh is the wife, Roddy McDowall is record producer Nate Ashbury (get it?), and smaller roles are played by Charlotte Rae, Ken Berry, Harvey Lembeck, and Merv Griffin as himself.
*Randall's teenage son and daughter are members of a rock group known as Harold and the Hangups. Harold is played by Richard Dreyfuss on vocals and bass. Things get meta when Dreyfuss has to assist Randall during a shark attack.
*It is no doubt 100% coincidence that a film from 1969 features a submarine that is yellow.
So...yeah. This film's idea of humor is along the lines of "There's a seal in the living room! LOL!" The whole thing feels like it could've been a pilot for a sitcom. A lame sitcom that I wouldn't have watched. Again, the fact that it exists at all is more interesting than the act of actually watching it. If I had to find something positive to say, I'd point out that the retro-futuristic set design might appeal to fans of that aesthetic.