Irwin Allen Television Productions, 1964-1970 Book

Irwin Allen Television Productions, 1964–1970
A Critical History of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants
Jon Abbott 

For many fans of science fiction, Irwin Allen is one of the all-time greats, a creative genius responsible for some of the genre’s classic productions. A volatile, dominating personality, Allen wavered between a spare-no-expense attitude and parsimony. Moving from the big screen to television in the mid–1960s, Allen brought most of his crew including writers, actors, directors and composers with him. While his shows did not address societal wrongs or philosophical issues, they were as Allen intended them to be—commercial entertainment produced with an eye for showmanship and special effects.
Between 1964 and 1970 Allen produced (and sometimes wrote and directed) Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants. This is a complete guide to all four series: their history, their personnel and all of the episodes. It examines Allen’s “house style,” his use of stock shots and the overall continuity of his productions—a feature due in great part to the fact that he retained most of his staff throughout his film career. The main body of the work consists of episode guides to each of the four series. Episodes are presented chronologically with a brief synopsis and information regarding the writer(s), director and guest cast. In addition, comments and criticism, notable trivia, published interview quotes, and information on guest players’ other work are provided. Irwin Allen regulars such as Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Michael Ansara and the Marx brothers are all discussed.

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 352
Bibliographic Info: 19 photos, bibliography, index