Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)

Walter Pidgeon: Adm. Harriman Nelson

Photos 

Quotes 

• Admiral Nelson : Alvarez, are you saying - that man must accept destruction even though it's in his power to avert it?

  Alvarez : It's not for us to judge, Admiral. Freeze!

  Admiral Nelson : Not to judge, maybe, but we can reason. If God ordains that man should die without a fight, then why does he give us the will to live?

• [last lines] 

  Admiral Nelson : Full speed for home, Lee.

  Capt. Lee Crane : Aye, aye, sir.

• Admiral Nelson : Well, Lee, it's been a long, tough haul from conception to execution, but, my boy, we've done it.

  Capt. Lee Crane : *You've* done it, sir. You know, it bears out what you taught us at Annapolis: that "The wild dreams of today are the practical realities of tomorrow."

  Admiral Nelson : I'm glad you remembered one of my more temperate quotes. Some of our colleagues haven't been quite so diplomatic.

• Lt Cathy Connors : I'm to blame, sir. I started it all.

  Admiral Nelson : I have no doubt of that.

• Admiral Nelson : This - toy of mine is a demanding lady.

  Dr. Susan Hiller : Aren't we all.

• Admiral Nelson : I'm not gonna wait and watch the world burn to a crisp.

• Admiral Nelson : This planet is impaled on a roasting spit, slowly but inexorably being seared and blistered by the fire in the sky. If the Van Allen Belt continues to burn, the world will burn with it. And no one can doubt that civilization as we know it will disintegrate if the temperature should rise to 175 degrees. Now, in the last five days, the recorded temperature rise has been two degrees every 24 hours. If that rate is maintained - our planet has a life expectancy of about three weeks. Therefore - therefore, if we are to avoid cremation we must act at once.

• Admiral Nelson : The missile will arc along the burning belt. As it detonates, it will seed the flames with an overdose of radiation 'causing the belt to explode outward into space. To simplify it, take a toy balloon. A little too much air, and poof. No balloon. A little too much radiation, and...

  Dr. Zucco : Poof! No world! Insanity! Insanity! This lunatic scheme will destroy us all.

• Admiral Nelson : Let's hope this works.

  Comm. Lucius Emery : I wouldn't count on it.

• Capt. Lee Crane : Sir, may I ask why you blacked out the news?

  Admiral Nelson : A matter of morale, Captain. No news is better than bad news.

  Capt. Lee Crane : I can't agree, sir. This is no time to cut the men off from the world.

  Admiral Nelson : There may be no world at all if we don't start making news instead of listening to it.

• Admiral Nelson : Hello? Hello? This is submarine Seaview. Can anybody hear us? Hello?

• Admiral Nelson : That fire in my cabin was deliberately set.

  Capt. Lee Crane : Begging your pardon, sir. Romano.

  Lt (j.g.) Danny Romano : Fire detail found a cigar burning on the floor, sir.

  Admiral Nelson : Meaning I was smoking in bed?

  Capt. Lee Crane : Apparently, sir.

• Admiral Nelson : Just one thing more. Our world faces its darkest hour but I am convinced that, with God's help, my plan will succeed and the world will survive. That is all.

• Admiral Nelson : Why, you goldbricking pip-squeak!

• Admiral Nelson : She'll blow!