The Life of Ray Harryhausen (Part Four): Latter Film Successes

Harryhausen maintained his success with the films The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1959) and Mysterious Island (1960), but none have had such a substantial impact as Jason and the Argonauts (1963), which is almost universally perceived to be his greatest accomplishment. From a technical standpoint, it’s not difficult to see why, although much of the animation’s versatility could possibly be attributed to the movie’s overall direction. Although Harryhausen had considered adapting stories from mythology a decade in advance of this feature, he did not develop this concept until they had begun shooting for Mysterious Island.

There are many notable instances in this film. For example, the gargantuan Talos statue was animated so that he had slow movements in order to convey his towering height, while the hydra is slithery and serpent-like. Each and every animated model bears its own behavioural and physical characteristics, which is possibly why this film is praised more so than his others. The sequence featuring the skeleton warriors was particular excruciating, having taken more than four and a half months to photograph. It was sadly not a box office success, but it has since appreciated in value and become a classic of the fantasy genre. For more information on this film, click here: Monster Month Review: Jason and the Argonauts (1963).

Harryhausen’s next feature was First Men in the Moon (1964), notable for being the only film he worked on that was shot in widescreen (Panavision). Interestingly, one of the skeletons used in Jason was used once more in this film. The film is also notable for being the last for which Ray’s father made armatures. He passed away soon after sending the models to his son. The next significant film Harryhausen worked on was One Million Years BC. (1966), for Hammer Film Productions. The models used included a brontosaurus, an allosaurus, pterodactyls and a triceratops. It is the only film in which Harryhausen juxtaposed real creatures, such as lizards, with stop-motion models.

Clash of the Titans (1981)

After 1969’s The Valley of Gwangi failed to attract the attention of audiences, Harryhausen and Schneer returned to Sinbad with The Golden Voyage of Sinbad in 1973 and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger in 1977. The gateway into Hyperborea in the latter was intended as a tribute to the gates in Willis O’Brien’s King Kong (1933). Harryhausen’s final feature was Clash of the Titans (1981), arguably one of his very best. Like Jason, Clash of the Titans was heavily influenced by mythology, and contained a variety of animated mythical creatures, including the Kraken, Pegasus the flying horse, and, most famously, Medusa – regularly cited as one of Harryhausen’s greatest animated models. Only one large model of Medusa (used for close-ups) was armatured, while two armatured figures of the Kraken were used. Harryhausen later retired in 1984. For more information on Clash of the Titans click here: Monster Month Review: Clash of the Titans (1981).

Image Sources:

Clash of the Titans. [DVD] (2010) Warner Home Video, Burbank, California.

Jason and the Argonauts. [DVD] (2010) Sony Home Entertainment, Culver City, California.