It Came from Beneath the Sea Page #2

Struck submerged object, X- ray.

Damage minor. Putting

into Pearl for repairs.

Have it coded and

passed on to Operations.

Aye, aye, sir.

And just hope that

that's the end of it.

NARRATOR:
But that was

only the beginning.

When Commander Mathews

brought the atomic submarine

into Pearl Harbor for repairs,

the Defense Department found

itself confronted with a problem

beyond the scope

of Navy manuals.

What was the nature of

that nameless substance

found caught in the

damaged diving planes?

A substance so strange, so

inexplicable and alarming

that the best minds in the nation

had to be called upon

to solve the problem.

Behind the guarded door

where the secret lay hidden,

and for the first time in

their lives, three people met.

Couldn't be a mistake.

You think so,

Professor?

It's tissue, all right.

Where'd it come from?

Some living creature.

You mean all that hunk came

from one living creature?

That's right.

You mean that's not all one

animal? There's more to it?

A great deal more.

Well, it would be

dead now, wouldn't it?

I doubt it.

Must be pretty big.

Enormous.

Doctor, what kind of a sea

beast would be that large?

What do you call it, so I

can stop calling it "it"?

I have no idea.

Nor have I.

Well, how do we find out?

That will take time and research.

I'll wire the university right

away to get a leave of absence.

The Navy will take care of that,

Doctor. You can get started immediately.

How about you,

Professor?

Working with Dr. Carter is

every marine biologist's dream,

but my school needs me.

You can get along

without me, I'm sure.

Can we, Doctor?

No.

Forgive my ignorance, Doctor,

but what makes her so unique?

Professor Joyce is

head of Marine Biology

at the Southeastern

Institute of Oceanography.

I would say she's probably the

outstanding authority on marine biology,

with the possible exception

of Vanderhume himself.

Then we'll get him.

Before you start looking,

I may as well tell you

Vanderhume is dead.

Oh.

Professor Joyce.

Yes?

I'll have to ask you

to stick around.

Why, Commander?

Because the...

The Navy would appreciate it.

I'm sure the Navy's able

to get along without me.

Well, now, Dr. Carter

seems to think otherwise.

Dr. Carter's perfectly

able to speak for himself.

I'm speaking for him.

I'm expected at a board of

regents meeting on Tuesday.

It's about the appropriations

for our coming academic year.

Are those appropriations

that important?

To my school, very much so.

You know, Professor Joyce, this thing

that may be running loose in the Pacific,

that could be important, too.

I'm sure of it.

Perhaps not in the way you think.

I'm a scientist, Commander.

I don't have to be reminded that your

objectives are not necessarily my own.

Our objectives have nothing to

do with the situation, Miss Joyce.

The Navy will see to it

that you're not penalized

for your absence from the institute.

Arrangements will be made.

Well, I feel like I'm being drafted.

You are.

NARRATOR:
It was still too early for

the world to know what was going on

behind that closed door.

Only a handful of men in high

places heard reports of progress made

(PHONE RINGS) and waited

impatiently for the final conclusion.

Mathews speaking.

Oh, yes, Admiral.

Hold on a minute, sir.

They're still making tests, sir.

There's nothing really

conclusive to tell you.

I'll call you the minute anything happens.

Yes, sir. Good night, sir.

NARRATOR:
During 12 days and

nights nothing was certain.

You people work hard.

It's our job.

I didn't realize

how hard.

What are you trying

to do? Apologize?

In a way.

It's not necessary.

I think it is.

Let me explain something to you.

A, I have been privileged to

classify an unknown sea specimen.

B, I have the honor of working with

the great John Carter of Harvard,

the inventor of analytical biology.

And, C, my mind just isn't attuned to

discuss things on your level, Commander.

I don't think you're being

entirely fair, Miss Joyce.

Look, I have been working

for almost two weeks now

without a decent night's sleep.

I'm tired!

I read your book

on marine biology

and your plankton theory

in tracing surface currents.

Strictly in the line

of duty, of course.

I'm sorry, Commander.

Well, I'll tell you, I'll forgive

you if you call me Pete.

All right, Pete, but you have

to let me get back to my work.

Why don't you take a break?

I have a reason.

The Navy always has a

reason. That's right.

All right, maybe you're right.

Tell me,

he's a pretty nice guy, isn't he?

He's wonderful.

You're pretty fond

of him, aren't you?

Fond?

Why, he's magnificent.

He's a brilliant scientist.

His techniques are creative.

What are you driving at?

Oh, I just thought I'd clear the atmosphere.

Oh, you mean romance.

(CHUCKLES)

Now you tell me something, Commander.

Pete.

All right. Pete.

When you're driving that

atomic submarine of yours,

do you have much time for romance?

Well, even if I did admit

I had the time,

where would I find

the opportunity?

You know, women aren't

allowed aboard a submarine.

Poor boy.

I thought the Navy was

equipped for every emergency.

For the record, are you tied up?

I see what you mean.

That mean you're not?

A girl has to have some

secrets, doesn't she?

Do you have the results

of the iodide solution?

What?

What's the matter, Leslie?

Don't you feel well?

Well, I don't know.

I guess it's just lack of sleep.

You'd better get some rest.

No. No, I'll be all right.

Here are your results.

NARRATOR:
On the evening

of the 13th day,

Dr. Leslie Joyce was taking

the results of her last test.

John! John, I think you'd

better take a look at this.

What's going on?

There's no doubt about it now.

No doubt about what?

Thanks to Professor Joyce, we've

discovered the nature of your monster.

What a gal.

John!

Naval Intelligence.

Admiral Burns, please.

Well, Admiral, it's happened.

Carter and Joyce

have got news for you.

Yes, sir.

Very well, sir. I'll tell them.

An assistant secretary of the

Navy, Mr. Robert David Chase

is coming out here,

and Admiral Norman

wants to be in on it, too.

He's the commander-in-chief

of the entire Pacific area.

He'll see us the first

thing in the morning.

Here, gentlemen, is your villain.

It'd take an enormous number of

those to disable a Navy submarine.

Or just one of enormous size, Mr. Chase.

There's a squid on exhibit in the

American Museum of Natural History

just under 100 feet in length.

It came from the waters

off the coast of Maine.

Our Navy has never encountered

one of those marine monsters before.

How do you account for that?

They only live at the extreme

depths of the sea, Admiral.

They almost never come up

unless they're disturbed.

Disturbed?

By what?

Hydrogen bombs.

H - bombs have been blamed for

every freak accident that's happened

since, up to and including

marine monsters being disturbed.

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