Anyone ever hear of a TV show way back when called Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea? It's coming soon to DVD. In season two the first episode is called 'Jonah and the Whale' I loved this episode as a kid....(Airdate: September 19, 1965) Here's the info off the web from the bottom of the sea site:
This episode takes Voyage into unchartered territory when, with Admiral Nelson and a Soviet scientist on board, the diving bell is swallowed whole, like a lozenge, by a giant migrating whale. Crane sets rudder in pursuit and ends up on an amazing journey right into the anesthetized beast's mouth. The story of the engulfing and eventual disgorgement of the bell makes for colorful action, an episode unprecented in its scope and production values for a science-fiction oriented television series.
Trivia: ABC’s censors warned Irwin Allen about creating the inside of the whale’s stomach. "There must not be an overly strong visceral effect. Please use caution and discretion with the depiction of giant membranes and stomach veins."
Mark Says: When you see an episode like this, you realize how drab adventure programs had been up to this point in television. Here’s a show about a giant whale swallowing a diving bell, with divers crawling through its stomach, and pulling off a thrilling rescue. Not exactly The Lawrence Welk Show! The sheer ability of Irwin Allen and his crew to pull this one off is admirable. In addition to a good script and Jerry Goldsmith’s thrilling score, is the believable conflict of ideologies between Nelson and Dr. Markhova. The passage of time has taken a slight toll on some special effects - for instance, the whale’s stomach membranes are clearly comprised of plastic bags. On the other hand, the monstrous jaws and the whale’s spiny throat canal still look creepy. A definite classic.
And the link:
http://www.vttbots.com/ep_guide_season2_1.html