Premise:
Re-creations of true-life submarine adventures
*Russell Johnson appeared on 3 episodes of
"The Silent Service"
Trivia:
During its initial run, "The Silent Service" was broadcast on two different New
York City channels.
An episode would first be shown on WRCA, channel 4.
Then, six days later, that same episode was re-shown on WPIX, channel 11. [TA]
############ The Silent Service ##############
############### Archive Copies ###############
##############################################
From: Malcolm McDonald (mcdon41@bellsouth.net)
26 December 2007
The USS Bowfin Museum and Mini-theater is located near the USS Arizona Memorial
in Honolulu, HI. It has about 50 of the TV series, "The Silent Service".
The following is from their website concerning the episode on the USS Bowfin
(SS-287) and one of its officers, John Raney Bertrand. Incidentally, Bertrand
also wrote the manuscript for the episode.
See below: Indoor Exhibits Mini Theatre The Mini-Theater Features Submarine
Videos
NBC-TV granted USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park permission to feature its
1960s
classic television series "The Silent Service" in the Park's new mini-theater,
which was built with grants from the Robert E. Black Memorial Foundation and the
Atherton Family Foundation and opened in November 1994. Bowfin Park has more
than
50 episodes of this classic TV series in its collection. These 30-minute
submarine
adventures are based on actual WWII patrol events and intertwine authentic WWII
film footage with dramatized scenes. Some of the names and facts have been
changed
to protect the classified missions, but each episode retains the adventure of
the
actual war patrol. Although the USS Sawfish (SS-276) was the submarine used for
filming these adventures, several different submarines' war patrols were relived
through this series. This classic collection includes an episode featuring USS
Bowfin (SS-287) on her second war patrol under the command of LCDR Walter T.
Griffith.
The episode portrays the story of officer John Bertrand (photo, right) and his
experiences and fears as a new officer. It is based on a manuscript titled
"The Seasick Texas Submariner," written by Bertrand himself. Bowfin Park's
Mini-Theater features a 78-inch-wide screen and seats approximately 40 visitors.
The Bowfin episode is shown every hour on the hour from 0900 to 1600, and
episodes
featuring USS Tang (SS-306) and USS Wahoo (SS-238) are alternately shown on the
half
hour from 0930 to 1630. Officer John R Bertrand
Dr. Bertrand served as president of Berry College, near Rome, Georgia, from 1956
to 1980.
I remember watching the Bowfin episode at a college mid-week student assembly in
1960
and feeling the extreme sense of pride that our college president had served so
honorably in "The Silent Service". He was a real Texas gentleman and a superbly
effective leader.
From: Malcolm McDonald (mcdon41@bellsouth.net)
26 December 2007
