I thought this was a cute movie. I rented it on the recommendation of a friend.
I was sitting and watching it and really enjoying myself.
And then it ended.
Not the story. The movie. All of this stuff is going on with the Navy and it's getting exciting and you have to wonder what laughs we're going to get when the Navy finds the sub...
And it stops. And the credit rolls.
Huh?
Where the heck is the end? Surely it didn't end that way.
Actually... it did. That's one of its shortcomings, imo - just when you think a big hilarious finale is coming, it cuts short. I have no idea if it was written that way or if some editor/director/studio haggling resulted in a script hack.. but yep, you saw the full ending.
The major plot was the kids getting rescued and getting the record deal, and Tony Randall getting the job contract from Jim Backus.
The navy ship that kept getting the musical signals was nothing more than Agnes Kravitz seeing witchcraft on "Bewitched".
Or John Astin in "The Spirit is Willing" when he kept seeing the ghosts.
It WAS 1968, after all.
Maybe they were planning on doing a sequel to the movie. Just a thought.
shareLol...I just made a topic about this same thing. Weird ending. It seems to me they were making a very under the radar swipe at Vietnam.
**Skin that Smokewagon and see what happens!** Tombstone
I just watched it again, and yea, the ending just ends like that, totally peculiar, but it was '69, not '68 as I previously said, and yea, I think it was nothing more than a Smothers Brothers slap at the military and the Viet Nam war.
Shame actually, kind of mars up a very good film.
I don't think it mars it, I think it's a pretty cool 'WTF??!' moment. As opposed to a stupid WTF moment..lol.
I'm just real glad to see how many folks see how good this lil mostly unknown film is :) .
**Skin that Smokewagon and see what happens!** Tombstone
It does seem to be a wee bit unknown. While Willie Wonka ('71) and Poseidon Adventure ('72) have both been remade, Hello Down There hasnt been, maybe for the better, actually.
And its always been a fave among us sibs. My niece asked me about a song her mother kept singing to her about goldfish.
Ever since tI saw this again, I am learning that Goldfish song for my act. They'll prob think it's an original! HA
**Skin that Smokewagon and see what happens!** Tombstone
I could see a remake... with the Blackeyed Peas locked in the onion. Phil Spector released to play the record exec...
shareNo, please, no remake - Hollywood does enough remakes. This one needs to be untouched. Not that it's an Oscar-winner or anything, but it's simplicity ... simplicity? not really when you recap the story line, but I digress....my point was, "Just Say No To Remakes!"
I'm watching this movie again today just because I LOVE the music in it - been singing "Little goldfish...where ya goin' to?" all day long!
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My "film society" (a group I started in the building where I used to live) watched this and we were talking about Merv Griffin when all of a sudden there was that animated "onion" with the credits next to it.
It's as if the editor (Erwin Dumbrille) just stopped and said "Well, that's close enough to ninety minutes. I'm done!"
On an unrelated note, one of our members noticed during a scene with Janet Leigh and Tony Randall, "She looks like Jamie Lee Curtis."
You don't say! LOL
"Well, for once the rich white man is in control!" C. M. Burns