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Mysterious Island (1961)
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Thu May 20, 2021 10:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A trulely fantastic film!

Just imagine what could have been accomplished with just a few more bucks in the budget!

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri May 21, 2021 8:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I'm sure Harryhausen and Schneer worked hard to squeeze every dime out of their meager budget. And we're all so delighted with the results that it's hard to imagine how it could be improved in any major way by a somewhat larger budget — expect perhaps a more impressive Nautilus interior.

Of course, if Ray could be persuaded to include a few of the scenes he'd planned but wasn't able to do, that would be wonderful! Very Happy

That said, what improvements would you suggest the make?

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Pow
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PostPosted: Fri May 21, 2021 1:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would have loved to have seen a longer scene with the nautiloid cephaloped, Bruce. It has always been one of my favorite RH creatures; it was also a darn scary creation to me.

Perhaps the sunken pirate vessel could have come to rest in that marvelous looking undersea city of Atlantis or Lemuria. Ray referred to it with both of those terms.

So now the new scene would have our intrepid undersea party having to do battle with the creature amidst the ruins of an ancient city.

In general, I'd have liked to have had more stop~motion scenes and creatures show up. The one's the movie has are splendid. However, there are only 4 such sequences.

For instance, we know that the giant crab, bees, and nautiloid cephaloped are the results of the brilliant Captain Nemo. What else did he experiment with on the island?

The phororhacos was an ancient dinosaur and not one of Nemo's projects. So how did its ancestors manage to survive on MI all these centuries . . . long before Nemo ever arrived?

Were there other such dinos inhabiting the MI?

If so, that could have led to more dino scenes with different dinos.

Also, Herbert Lom made such a terrific Captain Nemo that I'm always saddened at his death and wish he had escaped with the rest of the party. I know it runs counter to the classic Jules Verne nove . . . but I still always root for the good captain anyway.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 3:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Excellent suggestions, Mike! Very Happy

Concerning the giant bird, I'd have to disagree with you that it was not one of Nemo's experiments in food production. After all it was the "other" monster which the castaways enjoying dining on, the crab being the first.

I prefer the idea that it's just a normal island which was populated by several of Nemo's experiments. It's more consistent with the story's premise.

As for it being a prehistoric bird, regardless of what Ray based his design on, the story itself favors an "edible" interpretation, for the reasons I mentioned above.

Besides, this is one of my favorite scenes in the film. Very Happy






Obviously Nemo isn't just "breeding" animals to increase their size, he's tinkering with their DNA. Breeding would take too long and require Nemo to keep large groups of captive animals! Confused

With that in mind, I submit that Nemo modified the genes of a parrot to "reverse it's evolution", thus producing a large, tasty bird very similar to the phorusrhacos.


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After all, it's "bad story telling" to just ignore the strong central premise which states that Nemo is dedicated to ending world hunger . . . and then simply stick in an unexplained prehistoric bird on the island — which just happens to taste delicious! Laughing

One the other hand, I actually prefer the idea that the nautiloid cephaloped is just a rare (but natural) denizen of the deep.






A giant nautilus creature wouldn't really make a very good food source. You'd have to feed the damn thing thousands of fish just to keep it alive until it was large enough kill and eat!


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It makes more sense for us to just eat all the fish we'd feed to the nautiloid cephaloped! Shocked
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

IMDB has several interesting trivia items for this production. Very Happy
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~Producer Charles H. Schneer claimed that he chose this story after reading an article stating that Jules Verne's "Mysterious Island" was the most-looked-at book at public libraries.

Note from me: I tried to read the novel in the early 1980s, but since it didn't hold a candle to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (which I love) or the movie version of Mysterious Island I don't think I even finished it. Sad

~ Columbia wanted James Mason to reprise his role as Captain Nemo from " 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ".

Note from me: As good as Mason was in the Disney classic, I don't regret the substitution of Herbert Lom as Nemo. He was excellent!






However, my personal choice for Nemo in 20K Leagues would be Tyrone Power.







~ Ray Harryhausen has related the story of watching a cut of the film with composer Bernard Herrmann. In a sequence involving a giant bird, Herrmann told Harryhausen that he was going to score it with "Turkey in the Straw" (he was only kidding).

Note from me: I've heard a version of Turkey in the Straw that would almost have worked (with editing) for the big bird, but of course Herrmann's piece is flawless. Very Happy

But just for fun, here's a rousing version as well.


_____________ Turkey in the Straw


__________



~ The film was green-lit partially because Swiss Family Robinson (1960) was a huge success.

Note from me: Wonderful movie, Swiss Family Robinson, and I've been meaning to order it — so I did, just a few minutes ago. Cool

~ The scene with the giant bird was from the original draft of the script, which was to have had prehistoric monsters rather than giant oysters and crabs.

Note from me: I have theorized on this thread that the only way Nemo could produce the crab, the bird, and the bees would be with genetic engineering. That said, one thing he could have done was create a de-evolved version of the kind of bird that the phorusrhacos eventually became, thus producer a large, edible bird.



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~ The stone brook that the men discover on the island is the very same location (in Spain) that the crew in "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" drink from with red wine running through it.

Note from me: It would have been funny (but kinda pointless) if the film crew had tinted the stream red again so one of the characters could say, "Hmmm . . . I wonder why the water is red?"

Then later on, in the cave, Sgt. Pencroft could say, "I went back that stream. I found out (* hick! *) why it's red!"






~ Michael Craig greatly enjoyed making the film but not working with director Cy Endfield, whom he described as "useless"

Note from me: I wonder why Mr. Craig was so dissatisfied with Cy Endfield's direction. Confused

~ At 41:37 Mr. Spilitt says "a man could write an inspired novel in a place like this" an obvious nod to Jules Verne.

Note from me: Ironically, it was an inspired novel which created the "place like this", rather than the other way around. Very Happy

~ Using the sextant the survivors found, Captain Cyrus Harding establishes the Mysterious Island as 1,800 miles from New Zealand at 36 degrees South latitude and 153 degrees West longitude. That point is approximately 7,000 miles from Richmond, Virginia where the story starts in a Civil War prison. That means the first five traveled 7,000 miles in the hot air balloon.

Note from me: That's an interesting fact, assuming it's correct — but it wasn't a hot air balloon, it was a helium filled balloon. Rolling Eyes

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scotpens
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
Concerning the giant bird, I'd have to disagree with you that it was not one of Nemo's experiments in food production. After all it was the "other" monster which the castaways enjoying dining on, the crab being the first.

Judging by the bird's general appearance, its movements, and the music that accompanies it, I'd say we're meant to assume it's some kind of overgrown chicken.

Bud Brewster wrote:
On the other hand, I actually prefer the idea that the nautiloid cephalopod is just a rare (but natural) denizen of the deep.

That was my impression.

Bud Brewster wrote:
Note from me: That's an interesting fact, assuming it's correct — but it wasn't a hot air balloon, it was a helium filled balloon. Rolling Eyes

I assume you mean hydrogen. The existence of helium wasn't known until 1895, and helium was first used as a lifting gas for airships in World War I.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

scotpens wrote:
Judging by the bird's general appearance, its movements, and the music that accompanies it, I'd say we're meant to assume it's some kind of overgrown chicken.

Well, Harryhausen has stated that the "prehistoric bird" was a holdover from the original idea that dinosaurs would inhabit the island. So we need a way to blend the "enlarged food animals" with the presence of an extinct species — rather than just forgive it for being illogical.

And a good science fiction story should take into account the fact that Nemo's genetice engineering experiments could do more than just fatten up a chicken. Very Happy

Bird DNA that has been modified to reverse evolution is a more interesting concept than a KFC meal that can feed 50 people! It adds an additional science concept to a science fiction story.
Very Happy

scotpens wrote:
I assume you mean hydrogen. The existence of helium wasn't known until 1895, and helium was first used as a lifting gas for airships in World War I.

Oops, I didn't do my homework. I wondered if it was helium or hydrogen, but I didn't look it up. Lazy writing . . . Embarassed
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I spent two days improving the screen shots from my DVD for the initial posts that started this thread.

I discovered, to my dismay, that I'd made the images too dark and too colorless. I also hadn't boosted the sharpness as much as I should have. Sad

But that's all been fixed now, and I hope a few members of All Sci-Fi will take a look at the first post on page one of this thread and enjoy the improved images. Cool





And it wouldn't hurt my feeling if a few of you folks would mention how impressed you are. Hey, what could it hurt, eh? Confused

Bud

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Pow
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome sauce, Bud!!! Pix look fantastic!
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Morbius
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 14, 2022 9:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2022 5:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

__________________________________________________

Thanks for the kind words, guys! Very Happy

I hope that my post will inspire a few new thoughts, and perhaps a whimsical comment or two — like, what about a new TV series which combines the silliness of a certain TV series with the imagination of this movie.

Something like, Gillian's Mysterious Island.

After all, the idea comes with it's own built-in "Beth Rogan" character!



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Pow
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2023 1:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just last night several of us watched the wonderful 1960 Walt Disney movie Swiss Family Robinson on All Sci-Fi.

When I was looking up data about the film, I noticed that it was budgeted at $4,000,000. Made me curious as to what Ray's MI budget was, since both films came out not too far apart.

The estimated budget for MI was $2,000,000 — half as much as what SFR cost. I wonder what having another $2,000,000 for his MI movie would have allowed Ray to do visually. Could that much more money have allowed him to execute the stop-motion plant segment he had planned in per-production? More creature scenes? Better matte paintings?

In any event, both MI & SFR are spectacular to view, and I cannot say one looks significantly better than the other, in spite of the differences in their respective budgets.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 15, 2023 5:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

______________________________________________

Great posts, Pow! I love both movies — and I never realized how similar they are!

Here's what I mean. Very Happy
______________________________________________

Both movies present a group of people who weather a terrible storm and then find themselves stranded on an uncharted island!

Both groups then band together to build unique habits that will keep them be safe from the local wildlife!

In Swiss Family Robinson they build an amazing treehouse to protect them from the threat of a vicious tiger.

In Mysterious Island the ground occupies a cave to protect them from numerous threats by the strange animals on the island.

In Swiss Family Robinson the family is threaten by a group of pirates who want to recapture a female prisoner.

In Mysterious Island the group must protect themself and their female companions from pirates who previously stranded a crewman on the island.

In Swiss Family Robinson the exciting climax is a colossal battle between the family and the pirates who storm their stronghold. But the pirates are defeated by the clever preparations made by the family!

In Mysterious Island] the castaways are saved by an ingenious underwater explosion which was engineered by Caption Nemo to sink the pirate vessel!
______________________________________________

These two movie would make a perfect double feature which presented amazing adventures!

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PostPosted: Sun Oct 15, 2023 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good comparisons about the similarities between Mysterious Island & Swiss Family Robinson, Bruce. I always felt that Turner Classic Movies should have played Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; followed by Ray's Mysterious Island.

Charles Schneer asked Kenneth Kolb to write the screenplay for Mysterious Island. According to Ray, "in the original Verne story there was a dog called Top, which we wanted to keep in to fight with the phorohocus. Kenneth killed the dog off early (in the story) since dogs are a nuisance in a picture like this. Dogs are unpredictable, and on a picture where everything has to be predicted, they are definitely not good news."
______________________________________________

Sidebar: Sorry esteemed one; you are wrong on this issue. If dogs are so "unpredictable," how come Lassie was able to run successfully on television from 1954 to 1973? The formula is that you hire a top notch trainer and dogs. In some cases, you'll find that the dog will be a better actor (and less trouble) than the human ones you employ. The dog wouldn't be required to appear in every single scene any more than all the actors were in every scene together. My other advice is that you don't ever kill off the dog. Far too heartbreaking for we dog lovers. We'll never get over such a scene, we'll never forgive you. Yes, it was absolutely pivotal to Disney's Old Yeller, heartbreaking as that marvelous movie was. However, Mysterious Island need not repeat such a tragedy if they did have a dog as a member of the cast.

Ray commented that, "Gary Merrill, who was divorcing Bette Davis at the time, was a joy to work with. He was always playing practical jokes and thoroughly enjoying himself, and perfect for the cynical Spilett."
______________________________________________

Sidebar: Next to Herbert Lom's performance, Gary's was my second favorite. Spilett may not have always been the most honorable character, but he was fun to watch.

The film used seven matte paintings.

Harryhausen was never really happy with the matte shot that was the upper section of the island, which was combined in the lower part of the Spanish beach. Ray found it too fantastic (in a bad way). Ray added the gulls and smoke from the volcano to give the whole thing life and movement.

Another disappointing matte painting for Ray was the one used for the long shot of the Granite House.

S'Agaro beach in Spain was used for the shooting of the film.

The crabs were purchased live at Harrods Food Hall. "However, I have to confess that after we had all the shots in the can, we did sit down and have the crustaceans for supper, conscious of the fact that we were eating the stars of the scene. This is, I can assure the reader, the one and only time I have eaten the actors. Hitchcock would have approved." RH

The phororhacos is introduced into the movie as it leaps from the left-hand side of the screen, over the camera and onto the beach. This simple action of jumping into the scene introduces the creature in a dramatic way and can add surprise or shock. Ray used this technique wherever appropriate in his films, and it has been a favorite action of his.

A 7-foot model was used for the sinking and then the raising of the pirate ship.

The ship sections were constructed on land and then floated out into the bay on large oil drums to be sunk in the correct location. All the actors' parts for the underwater scenes were played by expert divers. Ray suffers from claustrophobia, so he was unable to watch the underwater scene being filmed.

Prior to the undersea creature being the nautiloid cephalopod; an octopus, clam or giant oyster protecting a huge pearl were considered, but all were thought to be a little too cliched.
______________________________________________

Sidebar: A very good call by Ray. None of those would have been as spectacular looking as the nautiloid, which remains one of my top 10 Harryhausen creatures.

"I have to confess that the shells for the helmet and breathing gear was my idea. I am reluctant to own up to this, as people seem to find them amusing. Of course, they were completely impractical, but I hoped audiences wouldn't think about such things." Ray Harryhausen.
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Sidebar: I really liked the look of the helmets and breathing gear. It gave the film a true steampunk flavor to it.

"The film was released in the U.S. in August of 1961 and in the U.K. the following year. Most of the reviews were generally favorable, but the film didn't exactly live up to expectations. I feel it could have had a smoother storyline, and, as always, there are sections which, given the opportunity, I would change. As the film stands, it is, I believe, one of our better pictures."
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It is indeed Mr. Harryhausen one of the finest movies you have ever made.

Ray very much enjoyed working with director Cy Endfield. "He was one of those rare directors who could handle drama, action and effects, knowing how the whole thing is going to fit together. It was Cy who devised the idea of nemo growing food for the world." RH

"Bernard Herrmann's score was masterful in its approach to counterpointing the action in the most effective way. Although the score is not my particular favorite, it is certainly one of his best, being full of atmosphere, particularly during the balloon sequence." Ray Harryhausen.
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I love this wonderful score by BH; I'm surprised Ray doesn't also even though he does give it high praise.

"Filming Mysterious Island was a delight: everything seemed to come right with the cast and crew, and overall I had few difficulties with the animation." RH

Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life by Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2023 12:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

______________________________________________

A magnificent post, Mike! It's a perfect blend of facts from your reference book and opinions expressed by you. You included many facts about the movie which I didn't know. Very Happy

Thanks!

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