Sea Hunt 4 - 1960 - dell - Ivan Tors

Created by Ivan Tors, Sea Hunt starred Lloyd Bridges as retired US Navy Frogman Mike Nelson and aired from 1958-61. Although the series predated the Spy Craze and is more an action/adventure program, the success of Sea Hunt proved that there was a market for stories detailing the dangerous exploits of military experts and worldly men of action. A number of episodes dealt with espionage related situations and it wouldn’t be long before the premieres of Danger Man in 1960, The Avengers in 1961, and finally Dr. No in 1962 before the Spy Craze went into full force.
Sea Hunt strove for realism in all aspects, and Ivan Tors’ production company handled underwater filming for Thunderball. Other Sea Hunt alums with Bond connections include underwater cinematographer Lamar Boren (Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker), Ricou Browning (underwater sequence director for Thunderball and Never Say Never Again), and underwater stunt diver Big John McLaughlin (Goldfinger, Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, Never Say Never Again).