The Ordeal of the S-38

Here is a television show Bobby appeared on in 1957!  It has to do with submarines in WWII.

I really enjoyed watching Bobby in this show.  Of his adult roles so far that I’ve seen, he presented himself here as lighthearted and expressive, which mirrors what I believe Bobby was probably like in person.

He plays a “Bob Fletcher” here, one of the navigators for a submarine that’s come to peril in enemy waters.  He does so with conviction.

In regards to Bobby’s personal life when he made this film, he is wearing a wedding band so we can deduce he was married at the time of filming (he married in March of 1957, so it makes sense).  Marilyn would also have been pregnant (they had Dan in August of 1957) or had already had the baby, so I imagine this might have been a relatively happy time for Bobby.  He certainly had few enough of those periods as an adult, so it’s nice to think about those times when he probably was content.

Favorite Moment:  When Bobby and the captain are playing cards, and he looks up and winks, the corners of his mouth lifting in that adorably impish smile.