The worlds of Irwin Allen
A career overview of an influential film and television producer
Though I am placing this article in the TV section, it could as well have fit into the Film section. So why TV? Two reasons.
First, I started off planning this to highlight Allen’s work in television, only later deciding to turn it into a piece about his career.
Second, while it could be argued that his biggest hits were movies, a case could be made that his shows were more influential than his films. I would tend to lean in that direction.
Either way, Allen’s career is a fascinating one that was dominated by science-fiction and fantasy, making this project a natural Sci-Friday entry.
THE EARLY YEARS
Born Irwin Cohen on June 12, 1916, Allen’s parents were a poor Jewish couple from Russia who settled in America before his birth.
After studying advertising and journalism, the young Allen moved to Hollywood in 1938 where he became a magazine editor. Within a year, he had his own radio show on KLAC which ran for over a decade.
The popularity of his program led to him starting a syndicated gossip column that was published in 73 newspapers around the country.
This popular column was turned into a TV show—the first celebrity talk show ever produced for the small screen—similarly titled Hollywood merry-go-round for KLAC-TV. Interestingly, the show was hosted by the unrelated Steve Allen, who became a lifelong friend and would achieve greater fame with The Tonight Show.
After a brief stint as a literary agent, Irwin Allen was hired by RKO Studios.
CONQUERING HOLLYWOOD
His first films were modest and hinted nothing of the direction he would later take. You can sense Allen was still trying to find his path, as he experimented with various genres.
Robert Mitchum starred in “Where danger lives” (1950), a low-budget crime film directed by John Farrow. This was followed by two Groucho Marx comedies: “Double dyanmite” (1951) and “A girl in every port” (1952).
Renowned marine biologist Rachel Carson released her second book “The sea around us” in 1951, which became a bestseller. Allen read it and became enamored with it. RKO purchased the rights, wanting to turn it into a documentary. Allen wrote the adaptation and made his directorial debut with this project, which was released two years later.
Carson was famously appalled by the result, which switched the focus to human interest rather than the effect men have on sea life. Regardless, the film became Allen’s first hit and won him an Academy Award for ‘best documentary feature.’
It is worth noting that “The sea around us” marked the first time Allen used stock film footage, which would become one of his trademark moves.
The 1954 thriller “Dangerous mission”—starring Victor Mature, Piper Laurie, and Vincent Price—was his last job at RKO. He then moved to Warner Brothers where he wrote, produced, and directed “The animal world” (1956).
Though often labeled as a documentary, this film about the evolution of life was fictionalized and included stop-motion sequences by Ray Harryhausen. Noted special effects technician Willis O’Brien also contributed to the project. Despite the strange format, this introduced monsters (dinosaurs) to the producer’s roster, setting the stage for what was to come.
His third feature as a director was the epic “The story of mankind” (1957) loosely based on a novel of the same name. It relied heavily on stock footage from older Warner films and featured cameos by the Marx Brothers, Hedy Lamarr, Vincent Price, Dennis Hopper, and many other stars of the time. This introduced another of Allen’s trademark moves: using a star-studded cast.
His films of this era were clearly influenced by Cecil B. DeMille, perhaps never more so than with his next project, 1959’s “The big circus.” Starring Victor Mature, Red Buttons, Peter Lorre, and Vincent Price, it was a colorful extravaganza reminiscent of DeMille’s “The greatest show on Earth” that harked back to Allen’s childhood fascination with carnivals and circuses.
In 1960, Allen moved to 20th Century Fox, where he adapted Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The lost world” for the big screen. Willis O’Brien, who also worked on this project, was reportedly disappointed when the producer decided not to use stop-motion animation. Instead, he used lizards and alligators to play the dinosaurs.
His second film for the studio, “Voyage to the bottom of the sea,” was inspired by Jules Verne’s famous “20,000 leagues under the sea.” It became one of the biggest box office hits of 1961 and would later serve as the basis for a series of the same name.
Though also inspired by Verne, his next film “Five weeks in a balloon” was a flop and led to Allen taking a decade-long break from film-making, switching his focus to the small screen.
REACHING THE PEAK
When Irwin Allen returned to television, he did so with a bang.
His first production was Voyage to the bottom of the sea, which reused many of the sets and costumes from his 1961 film, as well as stock footage from older movies—including some of his own. The show, which ran for four seasons on ABC (1964-68), was an instant hit despite using a different cast.
David Hedison, who had co-starred in “The lost world,” initially turned down the part. But Allen insisted and the actor finally changed his mind when he learned that Richard Basehart would be involved.
The show follows the adventures of the crew of the futuristic nuclear submarine, the Seaview. Led by Admiral Harriman Nelson (Basehart) and Captain Lee Crane (Hedison), they explore the depths of the ocean and encounter various threats ranging from sea monsters and underwater civilizations to espionage and sabotage.
The following season, Allen launched a second series and, once again, hit the jackpot.
Lost in space, which ran for three seasons and starred Guy Williams of Zorro fame, was meant to be a science-fiction version of “The Swiss family Robinson.” But the plots soon focused more on the young Will (played by Bill Mumy), his robot, and the villainous Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris). At a cost of nearly $700,000, “No place to hide” was the most expensive pilot ever produced at the time.
In this show, the Robinsons are stranded in space after their ship is sabotaged by a mysterious stowaway. As they journey through the unknown, they encounter a variety of strange aliens, dangerous environments, and bizarre cosmic phenomena. As if that wasn’t enough, they also have to deal with Smith’s twisted schemes and work together to find a way back to Earth.
As a side note, I have to mention that this show was remade three times. First as a feature film in 1998 starring William Hurt, Mimi Rogers, Matt LeBlanc, and Gary Oldman. Next was a failed pilot (“The Robinsons: Lost in space”) in 2004 for the WB, directed by John Woo, and starring Jayne Brook, Brad Johnson, and Adrianne Palicki. Finally, as an interesting and modern retelling for Netflix that ran for three seasons (2018-21) and starred Toby Stephens, Molly Parker, Maxwell Jenkins, and Parker Posey as a reimagined female version of Dr. Smith.
While the previous two shows were still on the air—and not willing to rest on his laurels—, Allen created yet another show. The time tunnel relied heavily on stock footage that was seamlessly blended with new filmed sequences featuring James Darren and Robert Colbert.
The two leads play scientists Tony Newman and Doug Phillips who become lost in time after an experiment with a top-secret government time machine goes wrong. As they travel through various periods of history, Tony and Doug encounter famous figures and events, and must navigate dangerous situations while trying to find a way back to their own time.
Despite the show’s popularity, it was canceled after a single season (and 30 episodes) when Irwin Allen refused to cut the budget for the show after the network asked him to.
Finally, in 1968, six months after all his other shows had gone off the air, Allen created Land of the giants for ABC. This was before the age of CGI, so the crew had to build giant props, which made it the most expensive show of its time. The actors often had to perform their own stunts (especially in the beginning) and always needed to be in top shape.
The story was about the passengers of a plane who become trapped on a mysterious planet where everything is giant-sized. As they struggle to survive in this dangerous new world, they encounter giant creatures, towering buildings, and a host of other strange phenomena. With the help of a friendly giant scientist, they must work together to find a way back to Earth while also avoiding the dangers posed by the planet’s hostile inhabitants.
In March 1970, after only two seasons, Land of the giants was cancelled. And while Irwin Allen tried to launch more series, his proposed pilots (The man from the 25th Century in 1968 and City beneath the sea in 1971) failed to convince.
Without completely abandoning television (there would be two more unsold pilots in the mid-70s, a short-lived The Swiss family Robinson adaptation, and some made-for-TV movies), Allen turned once again his attention toward the big screen.
MASTER OF DISASTER
When we think of the 70s, we often associate the decade with disco, the shag hairstyle, and furniture with bold design and colors. Film buffs will also think of blaxploitation, the rise of B-movie moguls Roger Corman and Charles Band (who both surfed on the birth of VHS)... and, of course, the disaster film phenomenon.
While the genre wasn’t exactly new (“King Kong,” “The day the earth caught fire,” and various Titanic retellings come to mind), it enjoyed enormous success in the new decade. And it all started in 1970 with “Airport.” One movie, however, is not enough to create a trend. And if “Airport” lit the match, it was Allen’s “The Poseidon adventure” (1972) and “The towering inferno” (1974) that set the world on fire.
Helmed by British director Ronald Neame and based on a novel by Paul Gallico, “The Poseidon adventure” was a star-studded epic about a capsized ocean liner and its passengers’ struggle for survival.
The producer initially had trouble gathering the funds as no studio wanted to fully back the five-million-dollar venture. Fox put in half while Allen eventually managed to raise the rest. It ended up the highest-grossing film of 1973, earning over $125 million worldwide. It also won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards (out of nine nominations).
For his follow-up movie, Allen wanted to adapt Richard Martin Stern’s novel “The tower” but discovered the rights had already been sold to Warner Bros. He decided instead to work with a similar novel: “The glass inferno” by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson. After buying the rights, however, he convinced Fox and Warner to join forces. This was the first time two major studios made a film together, splitting the costs. The script used elements from both books, crediting all three authors.
The story is about a fire that breaks out in a skyscraper in San Francisco during its grand opening celebration. The film follows the efforts of the fire chief (played by Steve McQueen) and the building’s architect (Paul Newman) as they try to save lives and contain the blaze. The movie features an all-star cast and is known for its spectacular special effects, which were groundbreaking for their time.
The film was dedicated to “those who give their lives so that others might live—to the fire fighters of the world” and, despite some inaccuracies and the picture’s tendency to sensationalize the disaster, many thanked the producer (even sending him their helmets) for bringing attention to the importance of fire safety and prevention, and for highlighting the crucial role that firefighters play in keeping communities safe.
It was the highest-grossing movie of 1974, and won two Golden Globes and three Academy Awards, among many others.
With these two films, Allen was once again compared to the great Cecil B. DeMille. It is worth noting that he directed all the action sequences for both of them and that his overall contribution to the genre earned him the “Master of Disaster” nickname.
In 1976, he moved back to Warner Bros. where he produced an action film starring motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel in “Viva Knievel!” (1977), a horror/disaster flick titled “The swarm” (1978), and two final disaster films: “Beyond the Poseidon adventure” (1979) and “When time ran out” (1980).
When his last three feature films bombed at the box office, it effectively ended his theatrical film career.
His final projects were the Code red TV show (1981-82), the disaster TV movie “Cave-in!” (1983), a musical mini-series version of Alice in Wonderland (1985), and the made-for-television courtroom drama “Outrage!” (1986).
Because of his declining health, Irwin Allen retired in 1986. He died from a heart attack five years later, on November 2, 1991.
ONE MAN’S LEGACY
Though Irwin Allen’s disaster films had a clear influence on other movies of the genre, I would argue that his work in television was much more influential overall.
Voyage to the bottom of the sea helped popularize the ‘undersea adventure’ niche, influencing later shows such as SeaQuest DSV and movies like “The Abyss.”
Lost in space was a major influence on the hit TV series Battlestar Galactica, which featured a similar premise of a group of space colonists struggling to survive in a hostile universe.
The time tunnel influenced later time travel shows like Quantum leap and Timeless, which explored similar themes of altering history and the consequences of changing the past. It likely also influenced Sliders, even if that show wasn’t about time travel per se.
Finally, Land of the giants influenced later films that explored the concept of miniature humans in a blown-up world, such as the “Honey, I shrunk the kids” franchise and “Innerspace.”
Overall, Irwin Allen’s TV shows helped to popularize the science-fiction genre and paved the way for many of the hit shows and films we know and love today.
—
Have you watched any of Allen’s shows or movies?
Which is your favorite?
Let us know in the comments!
—
Share your thoughts in the comments! I would love to hear them.
If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to forward it to your friends or to share it on social media.
And don’t forget to like by clicking the little heart below this post ;)
Thank you!
—
Text (c) 2023 by Alex S. Garcia.
Header image: a montage of title screens from Allen’s most popular shows.
Other images: see captions for details.
I think that of those mentioned, I enjoyed The Poseidon Adventure most, though I definitely remember watching re-runs of Lost in Space when I was very young. One day, while watching Lost in Space, my brother, who is nearly 10 years older than me, brought a friend to the house. They walked in to the living room where I was enjoying my show and they turned the channel to some basketball game. With tear in my eye and a wavering voice, I turned to my brother's friend and asked, "Why do you come here?!" Eventually, it became a joke that we laughed about for years to come.
Alex, this is well done. Upon learning more about Allen's work, I want to put him up there in the same category as Roddenberry or maybe Ridley Scott, in terms of influence on the genre. What a machine!
The end of his career kind of makes me sad, though.