Around the World in Eighty Days (1956)

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

Jules Verne (novel)
James Poe (writer) ...

Release Date:

1959 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Romance

Tagline:

See everything in the World worth seeing! Do everything in the World worth doing!

Plot:

Adaptation of Jules Verne's novel about a Victorian Englishman who bets that with the new steamships and railways he can do what the title says.

Plot Keywords:

Salvation Army | USA | Victorian Era | On The Road | Bouncer

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

David Niven	...	Phileas Fogg
Cantinflas	...	Passepartout
Finlay Currie	...	Whist Partner
Robert Morley	...	Ralph
Ronald Squire	...	Reform Club Member
Basil Sydney	...	Reform Club Member
Noel Coward	...	Hesketh-Baggott
John Gielgud	...	Mr. Foster (as Sir John Gielgud)
Trevor Howard	...	Denis Fallentin
Harcourt Williams	...	Hinshaw
Martine Carol	...	Tourist
Fernandel	...	French Coachman
Charles Boyer	...	Monsieur Gasse
Evelyn Keyes	...	The Flirt
José Greco	...	Flamenco Dancer (as Jose Greco)

Also Known As:

Around the World in 80 Days (USA) (alternative spelling)
Michael Todd's Around the World in 80 Days (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

167 min (35 mm version) | 183 min (with overture and exit music) | UK:135 min (25 fps) (video version) | USA:175 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Perspecta Sound encoding) (35 mm magnetic prints) (1956) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo (Mag-optical) (35 mm prints) (1956) | Mono (optical) (35 mm prints) (re-release prints)

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | West Germany:6 (f) | Norway:A | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:Approved | USA:G (1983)

Filming Locations:

5 Lower Grosvenor Place, Westminster, London, England, UK

Company:

Michael Todd Company

Trivia:

Over a dozen airline companies provided service to the actors and technicians on this film as they flew from Hollywood to the locations overseas. These included such major companies as Pan Am and TWA, as well as foreign companies such as Middle Eastern and Pakistan Air. Private pilot Paul Mantz also provided airline accommodations for producer Michael Todd.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When the Sioux are preparing to burn Passepartout at the stake, trees can be seen in the surrounding area. In 1872, there were no trees in outstate Nebraska, aside from those in forts and towns.

Quotes:

Monsieur Gasse, Travel Agent: Monsieur! You are now addressing the second most celebrated balloonist in Europe.
Phileas Fogg: And who is the first?
Monsieur Gasse, Travel Agent: He is not available. He was, uh, buried last Tuesday.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Phil Silvers Show: Bilko Goes Round the World (#2.26)" (1957)

Some Sequences Are Enjoyable & Satisfying, But An Uneven Movie Overall

With a project this ambitious, it probably should not be much of a surprise if some of it works very well while other portions are less effective. It's the kind of grand-scale movie that is so often highly acclaimed in its own day, regardless of what weaknesses it might have. It does have some very satisfying and entertaining sequences, yet overall the quality is uneven.

There's no question that much of Jules Verne's story readily lends itself to the screen, and a somewhat less indulgent production might have made for a pretty good movie. A number of the sequences just go on a little too long, neither advancing the story nor providing much in the way of entertainment or thematic content. The story in itself is an interesting one, and the film works best when it stays on track.

It's fun, of course, just to watch and try to catch all the cameo appearances. A few of them seem to have been forced into the script just to boost the total, but others work well. It's also enjoyable to see the footage from Méliès's "Trip to the Moon", although after that the prologue ends up dragging on a little too long.

There's more than enough here to make it worth seeing, and it is usually enjoyable - it's just that it's too long and sometimes a little too much, and a less lavish approach would probably have made it better.