there's nothing out there - 'just the..' - 'the oil tower.' (felicia) 'that's ridiculous. tower's only a platform in an oil shaft.' is it? maybe that's what they want us to believe. felicia, do you have a boat? my father used a rowboat. the hansen's rowboat. good. a rowboat is what i need to get there. thank you. - you gotta take me with you. - no, no, no. oh, but, mr. muller.. it's out of the question, do you hear? [water sloshing]

lot of pipe and junk. mm-hmm. well, let's just look it over. (man on pa) 'hello, ms. lavimore, mr. muller. come in.' shh. well, felicia, let's not keep the gentlemen waiting. mr. muller, i'm scared. scared? nothing more scary than going down in the basement of eaton's department store. i hope we're on the right elevator for hardware and garden supplies. and my ears. 'keep swallowing, ms. lavimore'' 'the pressure will be equalized by the time you reach bottom.'

[thud] 'one moment, please.' 'your gun, mr. muller.' 'in here, please.' gun? 'the one the scanner shows in your shoulder holster.' oh, oh, ooh, that gun, huh?

well, i sure do recognize that face. 'yes, it's the same man you fished out of the water.' he's having a heck of a time gettin' buried, ain't he? 'i'm afraid he never will be.' 'it was dr. ross' personal destiny' 'to be in a side corridor when a hydro-wall collapsed.' 'dr. ross's remains will be incinerated and disposed of'

and.' 'but here's dr. foster.' 'he's going to bring you here to me. ' [dr. foster laughing] 'hello, there.' welcome to our valhalla beneath the sea. well, that's what we like, ain't it, honey? a happy man. [laughs] this way, please. alright, laugh it up and keep on your toes i'm gonna jump our fat friend as soon as i get a chance. oh, hey, ain't this where that ross fella caught it, doc? here? oh, yes, so it is, mr. muller. a terrible thing to happen to the old boy. listen, if it's not too painful reminiscing for you what really happened to-- that, we never really know. but if you ask me ross was doing routine maintenance on the hydro-system. hydro-system? crystallized hydro gas. maintains a counter-pressure against the ocean floor all around us.

he hydro pipe by accident. oh, naturally, of course. it's in the same class as tnt. 'why, 30 seconds with the valve open' 'it probably built up enough pressure' to shatter, blowing out the ocean wall. [laughs] 'don't, mr. muller.' 'you're under constant observation. don't be a fool.' 'and stay alert, dr. foster. please.' yes, sir. [sighs] come in, please. mr. lockridge, where's my.. gabe! what are you doing here? all the responses check out to 5 micro level, mr. lockridge.

by all means, gabe. gabe! why are you carrying that gun? whatever happened to that nice gabe melcroft i was going to spend the rest of my life with? oh, it's the same man. the light's just a little different down here. i'm glad you're here. after tonight, you'll understand. (man on pa) '0 minus 50 minutes.' daddy! [sobbing] no, no, felicia. don't cry. i'm fine. fine! (lockridge) you see, my dear. your father is an honored and most helpful guest, that's all. i think dr. lavimore and his daughter might like to conduct their little reunion in his quarters. but first, doctor, would you be kind enough

thank you. now, mr. muller. how shall we improve this shining hour? a little entertainment perhaps? nothing i like better, vince. remarkable. you're far from being a stupid man. you're stupidity's much too authentic. and i don't believe your name is harvey muller. how would you like it if i went around telling everybody ally vince lockridge. [snickers] this is what we laughingly refer to as potting shed. would you like to see the merchandise we gift-wrap here? oh, sure would, sure would. i got an aunt, aunt libby. got a birthday coming up soon. (napoleon) 'what's all the fuzzy stuff they're packing around?'

ies' 'developed by dr. lavimore.' well, now, that ain't the kind of a gift anyone really needs. it's a gift i happen to feel the world needs very badly. but then a gift is merely a gift until it's delivered, is it? (lockridge) 'this is the vehicle we use to make deliveries.' (solo) 'well, i really got to hand it to you, vince.' 'you really get great tv reception down here.' 'like cape kennedy, ain't it?' that is situated approximately 60 yards from here. me principle as the polaris missile. (man on pa) '0 minus 45 minutes.' vince, ain't rocket-firing kind of a government monopoly? wouldn't they kick up a fuss if they caught wise to what you do? at this moment, a barge is being anchored directly overhead. 'a truly magnificent display' 'of fireworks will be shown from that barge.' 'and the culmination of that display..' you know what the culmination will be?

(man on pa) '0 minus 40 minutes.' i'm sure your organization has briefed you on all these details, mr. muller. you keep talking about organizations there, vince. did you mean the grange or the 4-h? you remind me of dr. lavimore when we first brought him here. he kept protesting, until we paid a little visit to our conversation room. conver what? i didn't quite catch it. it's a room equipped with very interesting apparatus. ght call it a mental centrifuge. a device for separating fact from fantasy. oh!, that's where we're going now? yes, mr. muller. that's where we're going. you see, if our rocket-launching proves successful finding out what your organization is becomes an academic matter. but if not, the informa--

[dramatic music] [alarm continues] i'm disappointed in you. i thought you'd given up that prisoner of zenda escape nonsense. [music continues] how do you close the door, vince? - how do you close the door? - don't be an idiot. don't pull that lever! the door closes for good. you colossally stupid fool. you're dead, you know that? i wouldn't go so far as to say that. i figure i've got the head man here.

n pa) 'mr. lockridge. dr. martin's waiting for you.' gabe? dr. martin will handle the launching alone. mr. muller is holding me hostage in the first-aid room. 'go put plan a into effect at once.' 'dr. martin will take full charge.' goodbye, gabe. good...goodbye, mr. lockridge. 'gabe, one thing more.' how much oxygen do we have left? for the two of you, at a normal rate of respiration about 18 minutes.

so that's what plan a is, huh? complete abandonment by colleagues and buddies. you can't understand that, can you? the old moralities based on the value of the individual's life die hard. well, my life is now worth as little as yours. when a man joins our organization he agrees that whenever he makes a mistake that endangers the project, he becomes expendable. from the outside. i advise you to relax. (man on pa) '0 minus 30 minutes.' 30 minutes left, huh? well, according to slide rule charlie out there that leaves us about 17 minutes to hang around here. you're not gonna get a chance to see that balloon go up. are you, vince?

(man on pa) '0 minus 15 minutes.' and so, we precipitate a clash that destroys both countries. i guess both countries are honeycombed by rotten decay. - revenge seems still there. - re-emerge like neptune.. - you got two minutes left. - ...from the floor of the sea.. thought you'd like to know. ...ready to take over. re-organize the world

bravo, bravo. what a pity i won't be around to see the big day. i guess dr. martin, he'll be able to handle things. yes, he will, because i planned and built this organization well. or gabe. there's a smart boy. yes, he is. he was completely uneducated when i found him and i taught him. i trained him. i brought him to his full potential. you can't needle me into breaking. why should i break? 'my life is fulfilled.' in minutes, my plan will be in operation. but you won't be around to take the bows. 'that's not important.' [breathing heavily] as far as you're concerned, it never will have happened. 'because you'll be dead, nce.' 'you'll be dead.'

it's your own personal way of being blotted out. 'of committing suicide, as you'll be dead, vince.' you'll be dead. gabe. gabe! (man on pa) '0 minus 13 minutes.' seal off the firing area. 'gabe.' please. please. 'please.' mr. melcroft, seal off the firing area. [breathing heavily]

mr. lockridge! mr. lockridge! mr. lockridge! where's the rocket, gabe? you're not going to like this, gabe. you broke club rules, disregarding plan a leaving your post, acting like a human being. what do you think they'll do to you? him die? mr. lockridge. (man on pa) '0 minus 10 minutes.' - where are you going? - gotta get him out of here. no, he'll die. we got to get a doctor. doctor? but...martin, foster, they'll kill him. dr. lavimore won't. he's funny that way. he's coming around. he'll be alright.

help me stop that rocket from being launched. why should i? what future is there for you and vince if you don't? but it can't be done. at 0 minus, all controls are locked into automatic. there must be a destruct button even in a place as this. sure there is, but the corridor leading into it has been sealed. nothing can be done. what's the name of that gas that caused ross' section to blow out? (gabe) 'hydro. why?' alright, suppose we turn up the hydro valve like ross did it'll blow the walls out and bring the ocean floor down. gabe...help me. - how do you feel? - a little shaky. but fit enough for what has to be done. don't try anything ill-considered. (man on pa) '0 minus 3 minutes.' they'll be looking for us. maybe we'll find someplace to hide. no, there's no need to run. i should've realized there are ways to reinstate ourselves with the committee. let me guess.

u and gabe put up. right? and a bullet for each of us. i told you, you weren't stupid. stand over there, please. no, mr. lockridge. it's just one of the necessary sacrifices of war, gabe. sure, gabe. easy come, easy go. what's a man? dr. lavimore? he's just a quack. felicia? she's last year's model. you get rid of her, right? you called for help, and they helped you. you almost died. stand aside. don't you understand? - get out of my way. - no, mr. lockridge. [gunshot] (man on pa) '0 minus 1 minute 30 seconds.' he's dead. mr. lockridge? gabe, show us that hydro valve. mr. lockridge? gabe, we need your help. this isn't any time for feeling.

there it is. [grunting] more. - shall we? - this way.

fatal! [dr. martin gasping] [dr. foster screaming] [fireworks whistling]

that's neat, isn't it? it looks like the whole ocean's on fire. aw, come on, edie. that's the oldest gag in the world. they do it all with some kind of chemical. big deal, they're not gonna have any moon shot tonight. probably never even planned to, con artist. come on, let's get heading back.

well, i guess we better shove off, too. [grunts] hey. just what's going on here? well, i'll tell you, officer. about three quarters of an hour ago ms. lavimore and myself rowed out to the texas tower.

?? >> here's adventure! ?? here's romance! here's o. henry's famous robin hood of the old west...