# Ray Harryhausen



## dwndrgn (May 21, 2004)

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=17618


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## Brian G Turner (May 21, 2004)

My goodness! He's still alive!!


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## Foxbat (May 21, 2004)

A hero of mine. Long may he live


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## Malifex (Jan 9, 2008)

*Harryhausen question*

Can anyone put me out of my misery?

I've been trying to track down a film from my misspent youth - I thought it was one of Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad films, but having now read plot synopses of all three, it seems it isn't.

The plot involved the hero (who I _thought_ was Sinbad) fighting his way into a tower, at the top of which was the heart of a sorceror. Said sorceror (or vizier or whatever he was) couldn't be killed by conventional means, what with his heart being stored at a safe distance from his body and everything.

Does this ring any bells? Or did I dream it all? 

Steve


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## Foxbat (Jan 9, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*



Malifex said:


> Can anyone put me out of my misery?
> 
> I've been trying to track down a film from my misspent youth - I thought it was one of Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad films, but having now read plot synopses of all three, it seems it isn't.
> 
> ...


 
Yes. It does ring a bell. I don't remember what film it was but I do remember Sinbad fighting a skeleton in one of them (on a tower or spiral staircase or something similar). It might be the same movie.  I'll have to dig out my Harryhausen stuff and see if I can pinpoint it.


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## Foxbat (Jan 9, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

Hmm. After having a look, it doesn't seem to be one of the Sinbad movies but I do recognise the description you give...I just can't remember where I've seen this scene

Maybe it wasn't Harryhausen (maybe an earlier version of Sinbad or Thief Of Baghdad or something similar)?


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## AE35Unit (Jan 9, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

The Golden Fleece?


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## Malifex (Jan 9, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

Probably shouldn't have mentioned Harryhausen - looking through his oeuvre (splng?) I'm pretty sure it isn't one of his, though I think it used similar stop-motion animation.

Not familiar with The Golden Fleece, but I think this was an Arabian Nights-style story, rather than Greek mythology. Definitely wasn't Jason and the Argonauts - I know that one backwards!


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## j d worthington (Jan 9, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

No, it's not one of Harryhausen's, but I've seen it, as well. For some reason (and I don't think it's a match, though I've not seen this film in nearly 40 years, so I wouldn't swear to it) Bert I. Gordon's *The Magic Sword* comes to mind. However, it is a real film... I recall that scene (albeit not in intense detail)... but I'm coming up blank on the title at the moment (probably hit me about 3 a.m. one morning, when I really need the sleep....)


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## AE35Unit (Jan 9, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

Is 'Jason and the Argonauts' the one where, I believe a young Tony Curtis battles sword wielding skeletons? Love that film, havent seen it since..... the last time!


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## j d worthington (Jan 9, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

No... there were no "stars" in Harryhausen's films of that period... certainly none of the budgetary caliber of Tony Curtis. That was Todd Armstrong in *Jason*:

UTPress / University of Tampa

though *7th Voyage of Sinbad* also has a sword battle with a skeleton (Kerwin Mathews playing Sinbad there)...

EDIT: Okay, that was weird. For some reason, it pasted an older link there... here's the one intended:

Jason and the Argonauts (1963)


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## AE35Unit (Jan 9, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

but the skeleton battle is there right?


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## HoopyFrood (Jan 9, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

I do believe it is...with the skeletons being made from the beastie's teeth that guarded the fleece, if I remember correctly. Great film.


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## j d worthington (Jan 9, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*



AE35Unit said:


> but the skeleton battle is there right?


 
Very much so... gave Harryhausen fits, animating that darned thing. If you have a chance, you should try to look up his *Film Fantasy Scrapbook*... makes for very entertaining reading (such as the story about how Bernard Hermann nearly gave Harryhausen heart failure when he told him he was going to score the fight with the giant chicken in *The Mysterious Island* by using "Turkey in the Straw"....


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## Malifex (Jan 9, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*



j. d. worthington said:


> No, it's not one of Harryhausen's, but I've seen it, as well. For some reason (and I don't think it's a match, though I've not seen this film in nearly 40 years, so I wouldn't swear to it) Bert I. Gordon's *The Magic Sword* comes to mind. However, it is a real film... I recall that scene (albeit not in intense detail)... but I'm coming up blank on the title at the moment (probably hit me about 3 a.m. one morning, when I really need the sleep....)



Hmmmm... I don't recognise the title, but that doesn't mean you're wrong. It's on IMDB.com with the plot keywords 'Shirtless Male Bondage', but no plot synopsis - boo!


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## Foxbat (Jan 10, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

Can't find out much about these but other possibles might be: _Sinbad The_ _Sailor, Son Of Sinbad_ or _The Prince Who Was A Thief. _


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## Malifex (Jan 10, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

Perhaps it would help if I download everything I remember about this film...

Most of the action involved our hero fighting his way through the grounds of the tower where the sorceror's heart was kept, a kind of maze/garden inhabited by various monsters.

And even more vaguely I seem to remember a scene earlier on where our hero has to fight in some sort of arena. I think it was a round this point that he stabs the sorceror and discovers that he can't be killed (because of the whole missing heart business).

Ringing any more bells for anyone?

Steve


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## AE35Unit (Jan 10, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

I love Harryhausen stuff,a hero in my book!


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## j d worthington (Jan 10, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*



Malifex said:


> Perhaps it would help if I download everything I remember about this film...
> 
> Most of the action involved our hero fighting his way through the grounds of the tower where the sorceror's heart was kept, a kind of maze/garden inhabited by various monsters.
> 
> ...


 
Very strongly... unfortunately, nothing that's quite bringing it through (as I said, I've not seen this film in 40 years or so...). But, given the rest of this, I'd say one of those mentioned earlier, _not_ *The Magic Sword*.... I'm thinking much more along the lines of *Sinbad the Sailor* at this point... *sigh* I've even got a copy of that damn' film, but it's off in storage.... grrrrrrrrrr.....


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## Malifex (Jan 10, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

Well, thanks anyway, j.d., for your considerable mental effort.

I'll keep checking this thread from time to time in case you have flash of inspiration...

Cheers,

Steve

PS - I am not alone - I found another thread with more half remembered details... but I'm not allowed to post links on here as a n00b :-(


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## Stone (Jan 11, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

Not a harryhausen film but the battle to the top of the tower did a ring a bell with me, *Conan the Destroyer *has something similar with a crystal tower that they ascend to fight the evil wizard and retrieve a gem i believe..


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## Malifex (Jan 11, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

Here's part of a thread on the Premiere.com forum - I'm sure we're talking about the same film:

"I, too, remembered it as a Sinbad flick -- but I've come to the conclusion since then that it was only an Arabian Nights film and not necessarily a Sinbad film.

Points I remember that you don't mention.  The tower had a circular stairway with a huge rope hanging in it -- they had to climb the stairs and then shift to the rope. Earlier, there was this huge, disembodied fist, about the side of a Volkswagen. It was protecting the tower and at one point, plopped itself down in front of the hero, blocking the way and then did a "no-no" gesture (Index finger extended, rest curled back. Very coy).

I also remember that there was a swamp they had to go through. 

This next is dimly remembered so I may be wrong on it. The whole point of the movie was to kill a magician whose soul was hidden in the top of the tower in something like a bottle. The hero and company had to go through several "regions" to get to the tower (the swamp being the last one before the tower itself). I can't recall what the other "trials" were but there were at least two other ones.

This has been driving me nuts for a couple of years. I've managed to get DVDs of all of the Harryhausen Sinbad films and would love to get a copy of this one. I suspect that it's not available on DVD."

Sadly, nobody on there knew what it was either...

Steve


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## Stenevor (Jan 11, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

Its definately a Sinbad/Arabian film, Ive seen it twice but for the life of me cant remember the title. I will have to think on it.


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## Stenevor (Jan 11, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

http://www.kiddiematinee.com/c-sindbad.html  I'm pretty sure this is it, it mentions "the tower of the evil heart".


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## j d worthington (Jan 12, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*



Stenevor said:


> http://www.kiddiematinee.com/c-sindbad.html I'm pretty sure this is it, it mentions "the tower of the evil heart".


 
Bingo! I'm almost certain you've hit it, Stenevor... not only the rest of the details given above by Malifex (the giant fist, the various regions, the stairs and then the rope, etc.), but the fact that the lead was played by Guy Williams, pretty much clinches it for me. I'd be willing to lay money that this is it.... All those details certainly brought back some wonderful memories... odd that I can recall exactly where I watched the darned thing, and see the details of the house and the room (it wasn't my home, but a friend's parents'), but not the title.... Then again, as it was on television in the afternoon (another detail I recall) I may have missed the opening due to walking home from school....

Oh, and it wasn't his soul, it was his heart... taking a page from "The Heartless Giant". If this is the right film, it's no wonder that it stuck, as it was directed by Byron Haskin at a period when he seemed to be doing quite well with low-budget but memorable fantasy films, and co-written by Guy Endore (who wrote *The Werewolf of Paris*)....

No, it doesn't look as if it's available on DVD, but it was released on VHS... and the price I'm coming up with now ain't cheap... starts at about $26 US and goes up to about $100.....


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## j d worthington (Jan 12, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

*repeated post*


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## Foxbat (Jan 12, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

Now that it's been mentioned, it comes flooding back - I agree that it was almost certainly Guy Williams that played the lead. Looks like the case might be cracked


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## Stenevor (Jan 12, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

It was the giant fist that clinched it for me. I might be wrong but I can picture it with a big studded glove on moving in a totally ridiculous manner. I would love to see it again myself, I'll check some torrent sites out for it but I dont hold out much hope.


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## Malifex (Jan 12, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*

Fantastic! That is indeed the very film - many thanks to everyone whole contributed.

And if you track down a copy, let us know...

Cheers,

Steve


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## Foxbat (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: Harryhausen question*



Malifex said:


> Fantastic! That is indeed the very film - many thanks to everyone whole contributed.
> 
> And if you track down a copy, let us know...
> 
> ...


 
I've had a thorough scour of all my usual obscure haunts for a copy of this on DVD but to no avail. As j.d. mentioned earlier, it's available on VHS (second hand) from Amazon USA and that seems to be about it for now. Please note that if you decide to buy a copy on VHS, it will be in NTSC format. 

Hopefully it may make its way to DVD sometime in the future because I, for one, would really like to see this again. I searched for about seven years before I acquired a copy of _The Time Travelers_ on DVD, lets hope we don't have to wait as long as that


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