MYSTERIOUS ISLAND

   Film (1961). American Films/Columbia. Prod Charles H. Schneer. Dir Cy Endfield, starring Michael Craig, Joan Greenwood, Michael Callan, Herbert Lom. Screenplay John Prebble, Daniel Ullman, Crane Wilbur, based on L'ile mysterieuse (1874-5; trans W.H.G. Kingston as The Mysterious Island 1875 UK) by Jules VERNE. 100 mins. Colour.

   This is a jovial showcase for Ray HARRYHAUSEN's robust special effects, with a luxuriant musical score by Bernard Herrmann. Prisoners escape by balloon from a confederate prison during the American Civil War and are washed ashore on a remote Pacific island. They encounter a giant crab, two female castaways, a giant prehistoric bird, huge bees, pirates, a deserted underwater city, Captain Nemo (Lom) himself, with his famous submarine Nautilus and, of course, anerupting volcano.Other versions include one made by MGM in 1929. Dir Lucien Hubbard, Maurice Tourneur, Benjamin Christiansen, it starred LionelBarrymore as Count Dakkar (Nemo). The screenplay was by Hubbard; a soundtrack was added at the last moment. A Russian version, Tainstvenni Ostrov, was - surprisingly - made in wartime, in 1941. In 1951 Sam Katzmanproduced a 15-part serial for Columbia, dir Spencer G. Bennett and starring Richard Crane, Marshall Reed, Karen Randle. A little-seen French/Italian/Spanish coproduction, L'Isola Misteriosa e il CapitanoNemo, starring Omar Sharif, was briefly released as The Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo (1972) in the USA.

   JB/PN