An Edinburgh (in fact, many of the people in the crowd scenes were students of Edinburgh University) professor (James Mason who replaced an ailing Clifton Webb) and assorted colleagues as his pupil (Pat Boone), a woman looking for her husband who disappeared various years earlier during a voyage follow an explorer's trail down an extinct Icelandic volcano to the earth's center. This is the classic adaptation (1959) by Henry Levin with great cast such as James Mason as Lindenbrook, Pat Boone, Diane Baker and Arlene Dahl as a wealthy widow. This is a classic sci-fi film, and any serious fan of sci-fi movies would be a fool to miss it. Bernard Herrmann provides a crashing music score, and the set design is absolutely tremendous. On the whole, the performances are good (Boone is a little too clean-cut, as usual, but he does all right) and the special effects are excellent for their time. The film is well-paced and thoroughly entertaining. The foolhardy team begin their descent among the craggy crevices of an Icelandic glacier, and as they make their way into the bowels of the earth they make many a wondrous discovery, from mammoth-sized mushrooms to fearsome prehistoric monsters.
Determined to venture down the same route, Lindenbrook puts together an ambitious expedition consisting of his nephew Alec (Pat Boone), widow Carla Goetaborg (Arlene Dahl), silent but loyal guide Hans (Peter Ronson), and a duck named Gertrude. A Scottish scientist, Prof Oliver Lindenbrook (James Mason) discovers that a fellow scientist recently tried to find a route to the centre of the earth. However, the makers have done a great job in tackling this enormously challenging source material. It must have been quite an ambitious undertaking in 1959 to try to make a film set predominantly in a mysterious, unexplored underground realm populated by fantastic creatures and filled with a host of weird 'n' wonderful sights. 9/10īased fairly faithfully on a classic sci-fi novel by Jules Verne, Journey To The Center Of The Earth is an inventive, splendidly-realised, smartly acted film. It was magical to me as a child, it's still as magical to me now I'm in my advancing years, wonderful indeed. Support comes from Pat Boone, Arlene Dahl, Peter Ronson and star of the show Gertrude The Duck. Lead acting duties fall to the irrepressible James Mason as Lindenbrook, perfectly cast as he nails all the traits of this dyed in the wood professor. While I must also mention that location footage shot in the beautiful Carlsbad Caverns adds to the dynamic feel of the picture. The sets, the sound, and the special effects were all nominated for academy awards, and sure enough all may well seem tame by todays bloated standards, but this is 1959 and let your mind be back to that time and you surely will be taken in by this joyous experience. I'm sure the likes of Spielberg & Lucas were nodding in approval back in the day.
Journey to the center of the earth 1959 movie#
Lost cities, prehistoric lizards, underground oceans, crystal caves, sand mines, murder, sabotage, and on it goes for just over two hours of delightful movie making, it even has time for a bit of cheeky sexual tom foolery for the knowing adult. There are no hidden agendas here, no wry social commentary or satirical edginess, it is pure fantastical entertainment that wants you to enjoy its science heart whilst you have a blast following this group into the wondrous unknown.
The journey is sure to be fraught with danger and little do they know that their trip will take in many unchartered wonders.both good and bad! As adventure films go, Journey To The Center Of The Earth has few peers, it's a wonderful film based around the Jules Verne story of the same name. Lindenbrook leads an expedition towards the center of the Earth via an extinct Icelandic volcano.
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