Irwin Allen Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American television, documentary and film director and producer with a varied career who became known as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genre. His most successful productions were "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972) and "The Towering Inferno" (1974). He also created several popular 1960s science fiction television series, such as "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", "Lost in Space", "The Time Tunnel", and "Land of the Giants". Irwin Allen was born in New York City, the son of poor Jewish immigrants from
Lost in Space job for its "Lost in Space" appearance, while space monster costumes would be reused on "Voyage" as sea monsters. The clear round plastic pen holder used as a control surface in the episode "The Derelict" turned up regularly throughout the show's entire run both as primary controls to activate alien machinery (or open doors or cages), and as background set dressing; some primary controls were seen used in episodes such as Season 1's "The Keeper (Parts 1 and 2)", "His Majesty Smith", and Season 3's "A Day At The Zoo", and "The Promised Planet". Spacecraft models, were also routinely re-used.