Entered film by way of Broadway in 1947, making his mark in the gritty "He Walked by Night" (1948) and proving his versatility in several international productions, notably Federico Fellini's poignant masterpiece "La Strada" (1954). He garnered secondary fame as the star of the Irwin Allen-produced "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (ABC, 1964-1968), playing a subamire captain. Basehart's second wife was actress Valentina Cortese.