If you love submarines and in particular those from the USN then you are just going to love this news.

The Silent Service television series is available on DVD.

You might ask yourself what is “The Silent Service” television series?
The Silent Service was a 1957-1958 syndicated anthology television series based on actual events in the submarine section of the United States Navy.

The Silent Service was narrated by Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykers, who retired from the Navy in 1949 after twenty-two years of service. He began each episode with this refrain: "Tonight, we bring you another thrilling episode of Silent Service stories, of warfare under the sea."

Many of the episodes focused on the history of specific submarines, including:

• USS Sculpin (SS-191) ;
  
• USS Nautilus (SSN-571), the first atomic submarine ;
  
• USS Tang (SS-306) ;
  
• USS Perch (SS-176) ;
  
• USS S-38 (SS-143) ;
  
• USS Tirante (SS-420);
  
• USS Bergall (SS-320) ;
  
• USS Spearfish (SS-190);
  
• USS Triton (SS-201) ;
  
• USS Wahoo (SS-238), and ;
  
• USS Gato (SS-212), subject of the series finale.
  

Actors appearing on The Silent Service included Russell Johnson, cast three times in the role of the character "Beach". DeForest Kelley and Leonard Nimoy appeared in two episodes each as Lieutenant Commander James Dempsey and as Sonarman, respectively. Jerry Paris and Liam Sullivan each guest starred twice. Eric Morris appeared in nineteen episodes identified only as "Soldier".

Other guest stars included Joe Conley, Mike Connors, Lawrence Dobkin, Ron Hagerthy, Adam Kennedy, Paul Richards, Bing Russell, Craig Stevens and Stuart Whitman.

Then you may also ask yourself where can I get these DVD’s?
Twenty one episodes of The Silent Service TV episodes (1957 – 1963) are now available in DVD format to members of the past and present submarine world and not to the general public.

They can be obtained at USS Sealion website.

The website is at http://www.usssealion.com.

We understand that each episode is about 20-25 minutes in length with the advertisements taken out, and come as 3 episodes per DVD. Quality is good to excellent considering they are Black & White from 45 years ago.

The DVD’s available are outlined below:

Silent Service DVD, Volume #1
RE-255 – 474 The Sealion Story
RE-255 – 459 The Seahorse Story
RE-255 - 457 Two David's & A Goliath

Silent Service DVD, Volume #2
RE-286 – 520 The Tinosa Story
RE-255 – 454 Tirante Plays A Hunch
Pilot Program The Jack At Tokyo

Silent Service DVD, Volume #3
RE-286 – 531 The Tautog Story
RE-255 – 451 Tigrone Sets A Record
RE-286 – 505 The Bergall’s Revenge

Silent Service DVD, Volume #4
RE-286 – 507 The Aspro Story
RE-255 – 448 The Spearfish Delivers
RE-255 – 455 Tang VS Truk

Silent Service DVD, Volume #5
RE-255 – 471 The Gar Story
RE-255 – 515 The Triton's Christmas
RE-286 – 503 Archerfish Spits Straight

Silent Service DVD, Volume #6
RE-286 – 527 Nautilus And The Nuns
RE-286 - 523 Pargo’s Lucky Seventh
RE-255 – 450 The Batfish Scores

Silent Service DVD, Volume #7
RE-286-538 The Squalus Story
RE-286-516 Hawkbill's Revenge
RE-255-466 The Seadragon Story


What about the price
Please note that that the pricing is per "suggested donation" and we understand that all "suggested donations" go toward the upkeep of the USS Sealion SS 315.


What about copyright?
For those consumed with the nuances of copyright law here is the situation outlined on the USS Sealion website in respect of the DVD’s for your information and I quote:

“At this point, and after some 26 years of effort, we have no clear cut release from any "supposed" copyright owner (NBC, Paramount, Sony, GE, ad naseum) of these episodes and that is why it reads "suggested donation" for the dollar amounts below. This is also why you don't see these for sale on eBay nor to the "general" audience per se at this time. We're hoping to bury the issue (probably along with me) by the year 2011 and get them to USSVI at that time... Since a "cease and desist letter” from NBC (12 years ago) we had the New York Post defend our actions with their editorials (and they're owned by GE which owns NBC = lots of fun over the years). NBC would not, nor could not prove ownership and would not release their right "if any" as our attorney tried to get them to do - so we all wait while the great men these stories tell of are dying out at an exponential speed”

Background on The Silent Service sourced from Wikipedia.