One of the nice things about being a little older is that I can remember the first time I saw movies like this and not think of them as schmaltzy or tacky. They were the state of the art in special effects (thanks to the likes of Ray Harreyhausen) and they were absolutely captivating. With computer generated creatures, we have gone so far beyond these things, but when I go to a Harry Potter movie or a Lord of the Rings movie (wonderful films), I look at the faces of the kids. There seems to be no wonderment at all. We have been fed such a constant diet that we don't look beyond the magic. This is a great story with wizards and heroes and mythical monsters and skeletons fighting. I know the Sinbad stories from the Arabian Nights and there is a lot of borrowing from every avenue of folklore and mythology. They really don't follow the book. But when I was in seventh grade, I couldn't care less. This is a quest and they made the getting there a real treat.
149 Reviews
A Delightful Adventure with Cyclops, Dragon, Magician, Magic Lamp and Jinni
claudio_carvalho29 October 2010
While sailing with Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant) to Baghdad to their wedding, Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) finds the Colossa Island and anchors his vessel to get supplies for the starving crew. Sinbad and his men help the magician Sokurah (Torin Thatcher) to escape from a Cyclops that attacks them, and Sokurah uses a magic lamp with a boy jinni to help them; however, their boat sinks and he loses the lamp. Sokurah offers a small fortune to Sinbad to return to Colossa, but he does not accept and heads to Baghdad. The citizens and the Caliph of Baghdad (Alec Mango) are celebrating the peace with Chandra, and they offer a feast to the Sultan of Chandra (Harold Kasket). Sakurah requests a ship and crew to return to Colossa but the Caliph refuses to jeopardize his countrymen. However, the treacherous magician shrinks the princess and when the desperate Sinbad seeks him out, he tells that he needs to return to Colossa to get the ingredient necessary for the magic potion. But Sinbad has only his friend Harufa (Alfred Brown) to travel with him, and he decides to enlist a doubtful crew in the prison of Baghdad, in the beginning of his dangerous voyage to Colossa to save the princess and avoid the eminent war between Chandra and Baghdad.
This is the first time that I have watched "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", a delightful adventure with Cyclops, dragon, magician, magic lamp and jinni. The special effects are fantastic for a 1958 film and I have really loved this movie. It is intriguing to see the magician foresee the destruction of Baghdad, with wrecked buildings and women and children murdered. In the end, I have had the sensation that I have lost something in my childhood missing this pleasant and entertaining movie when I was a child. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Simbad e a Princesa" ("Sinbad and the Princess")
This is the first time that I have watched "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", a delightful adventure with Cyclops, dragon, magician, magic lamp and jinni. The special effects are fantastic for a 1958 film and I have really loved this movie. It is intriguing to see the magician foresee the destruction of Baghdad, with wrecked buildings and women and children murdered. In the end, I have had the sensation that I have lost something in my childhood missing this pleasant and entertaining movie when I was a child. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Simbad e a Princesa" ("Sinbad and the Princess")
Classic fantasy adventure from the 50s.
BA_Harrison24 December 2006
After his wife-to-be, Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant), is shrunk by an evil magician, Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) undertakes a perilous journey to a mysterious monster inhabited island, in an attempt to restore her to full size (and who can blame him-she's a total babe and wears the kind of outfit most red-blooded men wish they could get their woman into).
Almost fifty years on, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad may seem dated (particularly for those only familiar with CGI monsters) but, in my opinion, it still has the power to captivate and amaze. With Ray Harryhausen's wonderful stop motion effects (which include a cyclops, a dragon, a snake-woman, a giant two-headed bird and an animated skeleton) and a timeless magical tale of swashbuckling heroics, director Nathan Juran delivers a classic slice of fantasy cinema.
A cracking opening gets straight to the action with Sinbad and his men encountering bad-guy Sokurah when their ship is blown off course and ends up at the island of Colossa. The wicked magician is being chased by a cyclops, but is rescued by Sinbad and his men, who help him to safety aboard their vessel. Sokurah wishes to be returned to the island in order to get his hands on a magic lamp (now in the possession of the cyclops), but Sinbad is headed for Bagdad where he is to be married to the gorgeous Parisa, and ain't nothing going to stop him from tying the knot. Nothing, that is, 'cept for his woman being reduced to the size of a small doll.
Not realising that Sokurah is to blame for her diminutive stature, Sinbad is conned into returning to Colossa, where the nasty magician says he can create a potion which will return Parisa to normal.
Great fun from start to finish, The 7th Voyage is packed full of great scenes (my favourite being the Cyclops preparing a tasty snack--spit-roasted sailor) and is perfect fare for fantasy-loving kids and adults alike. And, if you like this, seek out the Golden Voyage of Sinbad, which I think is even better.
Almost fifty years on, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad may seem dated (particularly for those only familiar with CGI monsters) but, in my opinion, it still has the power to captivate and amaze. With Ray Harryhausen's wonderful stop motion effects (which include a cyclops, a dragon, a snake-woman, a giant two-headed bird and an animated skeleton) and a timeless magical tale of swashbuckling heroics, director Nathan Juran delivers a classic slice of fantasy cinema.
A cracking opening gets straight to the action with Sinbad and his men encountering bad-guy Sokurah when their ship is blown off course and ends up at the island of Colossa. The wicked magician is being chased by a cyclops, but is rescued by Sinbad and his men, who help him to safety aboard their vessel. Sokurah wishes to be returned to the island in order to get his hands on a magic lamp (now in the possession of the cyclops), but Sinbad is headed for Bagdad where he is to be married to the gorgeous Parisa, and ain't nothing going to stop him from tying the knot. Nothing, that is, 'cept for his woman being reduced to the size of a small doll.
Not realising that Sokurah is to blame for her diminutive stature, Sinbad is conned into returning to Colossa, where the nasty magician says he can create a potion which will return Parisa to normal.
Great fun from start to finish, The 7th Voyage is packed full of great scenes (my favourite being the Cyclops preparing a tasty snack--spit-roasted sailor) and is perfect fare for fantasy-loving kids and adults alike. And, if you like this, seek out the Golden Voyage of Sinbad, which I think is even better.
If you have forgotten what being a child was like, watch this and unlock some of that magic.
uds32 June 2002
Arguably, Harryhausen's finest moment. I can't off the top of my head nominate one that was better! It had it all, adventure, fantasy, heroics, monsters, and Harryhausen's stop-frame wizardry that puts half the CGI effects right out of business.
I too, saw it as a child and along with JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD and CLASH OF THE TITANS, bought it years later and played it to standing room only, in our lounge throughout the kids childhood. Lucky aren't they?
The cyclops was the ultimate magic and I only wish my children could have seen the original theatrical screening with which television cannot compete. The film is still there but the sense of impending wonder (sitting there in a blackened theater) cannot be replicated on the small screen.
What a legacy to leave the world!
I too, saw it as a child and along with JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD and CLASH OF THE TITANS, bought it years later and played it to standing room only, in our lounge throughout the kids childhood. Lucky aren't they?
The cyclops was the ultimate magic and I only wish my children could have seen the original theatrical screening with which television cannot compete. The film is still there but the sense of impending wonder (sitting there in a blackened theater) cannot be replicated on the small screen.
What a legacy to leave the world!
A Soft Spot for a Childhood Favourite
JamesHitchcock5 January 2021
I have long had a soft spot for "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad", and Ray Harryhausen's work in general, ever since I was taken, as a child, as part of a friend's birthday treat, to see the film on a double bill with "Jason and the Argonauts". This would have been in the early seventies, nearly a decade and a half after it was first released in 1958, but in those days children's films seemed to have a longer shelf-life than they do today, and it was quite common for cinemas to wheel out the familiar old classics every school holiday. (My friend's birthday fell in July, so his parties normally included a trip to the movies).
The plot concerns a beautiful princess who has been shrunk to a height of only a few inches by an evil magician. She can only be restored to normal by a magic potion, the ingredients for which can only be obtained by a hazardous voyage to a distant island. Step forward the heroic Sinbad, who has fallen in love with the princess. Once on the island he and his crew must face many dangers, including a cyclops, a dragon and a roc, a gigantic two-headed predatory bird.
This isn't really the sort of film you go to for the acting, so it doesn't really matter that neither the handsome Kerwin Mathews as Sinbad nor the lovely Kathryn Grant (aka Mrs Bing Crosby) as Princess Parisa were the sort of actors who were ever likely to receive Oscar nominations. What matters is that both looked and sounded right in an Arabian Nights fantasy movie.
Monsters were Harryhausen's stock-in-trade, and the monster scenes were filmed using Dynamation, the widescreen stop-motion animation technique which he created. He later worked on two more Sinbad films using the same technique, "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" from 1973 and "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" from 1977. I have never seen "The Golden Voyage", but by 1977 (the same year as the original "Star Wars") Harryhausen's work, and stop-motion animation in general, was starting to look a bit retro in the age of CGI.
For me, however, the retro look is part of the charm of this sort of film, and we have to remember that in 1958 it was not retro at all, but cutting-edge film technology. It may look old-fashioned today, but "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" still retains its ability to transport the audience into a world full of wonders. And that is the whole point of films like this. 7/10
The plot concerns a beautiful princess who has been shrunk to a height of only a few inches by an evil magician. She can only be restored to normal by a magic potion, the ingredients for which can only be obtained by a hazardous voyage to a distant island. Step forward the heroic Sinbad, who has fallen in love with the princess. Once on the island he and his crew must face many dangers, including a cyclops, a dragon and a roc, a gigantic two-headed predatory bird.
This isn't really the sort of film you go to for the acting, so it doesn't really matter that neither the handsome Kerwin Mathews as Sinbad nor the lovely Kathryn Grant (aka Mrs Bing Crosby) as Princess Parisa were the sort of actors who were ever likely to receive Oscar nominations. What matters is that both looked and sounded right in an Arabian Nights fantasy movie.
Monsters were Harryhausen's stock-in-trade, and the monster scenes were filmed using Dynamation, the widescreen stop-motion animation technique which he created. He later worked on two more Sinbad films using the same technique, "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" from 1973 and "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" from 1977. I have never seen "The Golden Voyage", but by 1977 (the same year as the original "Star Wars") Harryhausen's work, and stop-motion animation in general, was starting to look a bit retro in the age of CGI.
For me, however, the retro look is part of the charm of this sort of film, and we have to remember that in 1958 it was not retro at all, but cutting-edge film technology. It may look old-fashioned today, but "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" still retains its ability to transport the audience into a world full of wonders. And that is the whole point of films like this. 7/10
Dragons, cyclopses, and genies, what more could you ask?
bkoganbing5 December 2017
I saw this film first when I was 11 years old and seeing it 59 years later hasn't diminished me enthusiasm. This is some of Ray Harryhausen's best work and first with classical characters as opposed to futuristic science fiction.
Playing Sinbad is Kerwin Matthews who seemed to like doing these films, he was so often cast in them. He's getting ready to marry Princess Kathryn Crosby and that's something for even a sea captain to marry into the royal family.
But when they're blown off course and come to an island where magician Torin Thatcher headquarters and shares it with a cyclops, a giant flying roc bird and a fire breathing dragon Thatcher keeps to protect his lair it's trouble. Thatcher has possession also of a magic lamp with a boy genie Richard Eyer who like Pinnochio wants to be a real live boy.
Watching The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad really takes me back to when I was 11 years old. You can still thrill at my age to what Harryhausen does with those monsters. An 11 year old of any age can still thrill to the dragon and cyclops duking it out while our hero escapes with his lady love.
Thatcher's a villain that will give you nightmares. He's pure evil, the kind you applaud when he gets his.
After almost 60 years The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad is still a great family film with whole cloth heroes and the darkest of villains.
Playing Sinbad is Kerwin Matthews who seemed to like doing these films, he was so often cast in them. He's getting ready to marry Princess Kathryn Crosby and that's something for even a sea captain to marry into the royal family.
But when they're blown off course and come to an island where magician Torin Thatcher headquarters and shares it with a cyclops, a giant flying roc bird and a fire breathing dragon Thatcher keeps to protect his lair it's trouble. Thatcher has possession also of a magic lamp with a boy genie Richard Eyer who like Pinnochio wants to be a real live boy.
Watching The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad really takes me back to when I was 11 years old. You can still thrill at my age to what Harryhausen does with those monsters. An 11 year old of any age can still thrill to the dragon and cyclops duking it out while our hero escapes with his lady love.
Thatcher's a villain that will give you nightmares. He's pure evil, the kind you applaud when he gets his.
After almost 60 years The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad is still a great family film with whole cloth heroes and the darkest of villains.
Fun flesh and fantasy which is how the sword and sandals from Italy should have been.
mark.waltz15 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
There's more to an exotic Arabian adventure than the flashing of skin and the flexing of muscles, and with Kerwin Matthews as a very Caucasian Sinbad, the results are silly fun that has achieved a cult status through the special effects and genius of Ray Harryhausen. Whether it be the one-eyed cyclops, the leashed dragon that all of a sudden gets loose or the two headed giant new born baby chick, this is filled with exotic creatures that only a special mind could create. There's also a skeleton army, an evil magician who turns on his so-called friends and a little boy Genii who longs to be free. A beautiful princess (Kathryn Grant) shrinks to the size of a barbie doll, and to bring her back to size, Sinbad and his crew (which includes the traitor magician) head back to the island of the cyclops whose body seems to be made of clay and impenetrable from anything sharp that would cause bleeding.
While "Jason and the Argonauts" is a far more fantastic spectacle, this is still highly enjoyable from start to finish, colorful and exciting. Torin Thatcher is a great villain, with Richard Eyer very cute as the cursed genii who can only be rescued by having the lamp thrown into a lake of fire. The sets are exotic and always exciting, and the costumes lavish and colorful. A battle with the cyclops has many of the men enclosed in a bamboo cage in preparation for the cyclops to barbecue over a fiery pit, and the baby chicks aren't there for the petting. After life inside an egg, these two headed birds are hungry, and anything that smells like food is ripe for the pecking.
Still early in the era of these kind of sword and sandal adventures, they hadn't gotten cheesy to the point of pure silliness, and as obviously un-Arabic as they are, Matthews, Grant and the rest of the ensemble (with perhaps the exception of Thatcher) do what they can to make their characters avoid being silly caricatures. Matthews manages to be strong and heroic without being cocky, and Grant is a force of nature in her own right. Thatcher isn't one dimensional, although by the end, you'll be anxious for him to get his well deserved come-uppance. Sure, some of the dialog is clichéd and the stop motion animation might seem dated compared to the type that's on screen now, but it's simple fun, and unlike the movies of this genre today, you won't have a headache when it's all over.
While "Jason and the Argonauts" is a far more fantastic spectacle, this is still highly enjoyable from start to finish, colorful and exciting. Torin Thatcher is a great villain, with Richard Eyer very cute as the cursed genii who can only be rescued by having the lamp thrown into a lake of fire. The sets are exotic and always exciting, and the costumes lavish and colorful. A battle with the cyclops has many of the men enclosed in a bamboo cage in preparation for the cyclops to barbecue over a fiery pit, and the baby chicks aren't there for the petting. After life inside an egg, these two headed birds are hungry, and anything that smells like food is ripe for the pecking.
Still early in the era of these kind of sword and sandal adventures, they hadn't gotten cheesy to the point of pure silliness, and as obviously un-Arabic as they are, Matthews, Grant and the rest of the ensemble (with perhaps the exception of Thatcher) do what they can to make their characters avoid being silly caricatures. Matthews manages to be strong and heroic without being cocky, and Grant is a force of nature in her own right. Thatcher isn't one dimensional, although by the end, you'll be anxious for him to get his well deserved come-uppance. Sure, some of the dialog is clichéd and the stop motion animation might seem dated compared to the type that's on screen now, but it's simple fun, and unlike the movies of this genre today, you won't have a headache when it's all over.
A Dazzling Odyssey!
BaronBl00d30 March 2000
Captain Sinbad must save a miniature princess and the peace between two kingdoms in this monumental adventure film from producer Charles Schneer and director Nathan Juran. Sinbad must get the shell of the legendary Roc's egg on Colossa Island as an ingredient for evil magician Sokurah's potion that will bring the princess back to size. Along the way, we are treated to glimpses of cyclops, a dragon, a fighting skeleton, a snake woman, and some of the greatest stop-motion animation techniques to grace the screen. Ray Harryhausen does a splendid job with his animation and makes this film a true joy to watch. The acting is very good overall; Kerwin Matthews plays a very agile and affable Sinbad, Richard Eyer(from The Invisible Boy) plays a sad genie, and Torin Thatcher is superb as the villainous magician bent on supreme power. A magical voyage indeed!
Stop-Motion F/X Rule!
flickershows18 April 2004
Remember the genre-defining stop-motion animation in the original 'King Kong'? The filmmakers of 'The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad' did. This film has some of the coolest stop-motion F/X you'll see in any movie. It also has some of the very worst dialogue ever spoken into a microphone. This is not the DVD to rent if you want good acting (there is very little of that) or snappy banter (there is absolutely none of that). Torin Thatcher---as the wicked magician, Sokurah---is the only actor to escape this swashbuckler with any thespianic dignity. Kerwin Mathews' approach to Sinbad is an absolutely unremarkable effort, but you won't want to see this movie for the title character anyway.
The man who SHOULD have been given headlining status was the immortal Ray Harryhausen. A maestro of the obsolete stop-motion technique, Harryhausen was most acclaimed for 'Jason And The Argonauts' (with its epic multi-character skeleton/man sword fight), which came out 5 years later. In 'The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad', he treats us to the sight of a cyclops, a dragon, a giant 2-headed bird, an evil skeleton, and other elaborate creatures. It's the details that count when you're animating figurines one frame at a time. I'd swear the cyclops is grinning & licking his lips when he lashes a hapless intruder to a spit and attempts to roast him over a fire. And you can feel the awesome power at work when the cyclops battles the dragon during the film's exciting climax. Great stuff!
But don't go hunting for this DVD unless you understand that the still-impressive F/X are (along with Bernard Herrmann's oft-imitated score) about the only pluses in this movie. But what pluses! Who cares if Nathan Juran's direction of his actors and the Ken Kolb screenplay made me laugh out loud? The crazy creatures make up for that silliness. If you want to see how Harryhausen paved the way for 'Jurassic Park', 'Star Wars', and 'LOTR', rent this DVD. You'll even get to see a series of documentaries on the disc, with a lengthy piece highlighting most of the F/X master's work.
The man who SHOULD have been given headlining status was the immortal Ray Harryhausen. A maestro of the obsolete stop-motion technique, Harryhausen was most acclaimed for 'Jason And The Argonauts' (with its epic multi-character skeleton/man sword fight), which came out 5 years later. In 'The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad', he treats us to the sight of a cyclops, a dragon, a giant 2-headed bird, an evil skeleton, and other elaborate creatures. It's the details that count when you're animating figurines one frame at a time. I'd swear the cyclops is grinning & licking his lips when he lashes a hapless intruder to a spit and attempts to roast him over a fire. And you can feel the awesome power at work when the cyclops battles the dragon during the film's exciting climax. Great stuff!
But don't go hunting for this DVD unless you understand that the still-impressive F/X are (along with Bernard Herrmann's oft-imitated score) about the only pluses in this movie. But what pluses! Who cares if Nathan Juran's direction of his actors and the Ken Kolb screenplay made me laugh out loud? The crazy creatures make up for that silliness. If you want to see how Harryhausen paved the way for 'Jurassic Park', 'Star Wars', and 'LOTR', rent this DVD. You'll even get to see a series of documentaries on the disc, with a lengthy piece highlighting most of the F/X master's work.
An exciting and hugely enjoyable fantasy adventure treat
Woodyanders18 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Courageous sailor Sinbad (an appealingly earnest Kerwin Matthews) embarks on a perilous quest to break a spell put on his beloved fair maiden Princess Parisa (ravishing brunette beauty Kathryn Grant) by cunning and wicked powerful magician Sokurah (grandly played with lip-smacking aplomb by Torin Thatcher). Nathan Juron's strong, robust direction maintains a steady pace throughout and stages the action set pieces with considerable rip-snorting brio. Ray Harryhausen's marvelously vivid and lifelike stop-motion animation creatures include a ferocious gigantic Cyclops, a vicious two-headed giant bird beast, an angry fire-breathing dragon, an exotic four-armed snake woman, and, best of all, a lethal sword-wielding skeleton who fights Sinbad at the film's incredibly exciting conclusion. Kenneth Kolb's smart, colorful script has a few nice gritty touches (Sinbad's crew is largely made up of hardened criminals and the Cyclops puts a screaming man on a splint over a fire so he can cook and eat him). Richard Eyer delivers a charming performance as a sad imprisoned little boy genie. Bernard Herrmann's lively, rousing, flavorsome score, Wilkie Cooper's rich, vibrant color cinematography, and the engagingly sincere tone are likewise on the money excellent and impressive. A real delight.
A wonderful fantasy adventure from the golden age of cinema
Leofwine_draca13 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This was the first of the Ray Harryhausen fantasy epics, wonderful films packed with loads of special effects in the form of monsters and weird beasts (JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS and THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD combine with this, in my mind, to make a great trilogy - just don't bother with SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER, as it doesn't have the same feel to it). To me, it seems like a pretty influential film, especially on the Italian industry who went on and inserted loads of mythological monsters into their peplum films in the early '60s.
Once the plot gets started, the pacing is fast and the film is packed with loads of different special effects, some good, some not so good. Back projection is used quite extensively and in a realistic way. Once the princess is shrunk down to miniature size they use the old mixture of gigantic sets and back projection to create the illusion, and it works. The only effect to the film's detriment is, I feel, the magic lamp. The scenes of the annoying boy-genie emerging from the lamp were probably done as best they could be but I still think they look pretty awful. Kerwin Matthews is the square-jawed hero, and has the correct attributes (fitness and charisma) for a leading man in this type of film. Playing the bad, bald magician is Torin Thatcher, who does so well in the role that he was brought back as the villain in JACK THE GIANT KILLER (another great film which incidentally re-teamed him with Mattews). Kathryn Grant I found to be quite an unattractive love interest, and Richard Eyer, as the boy genie, is just plain irritating.
Elsewhere, we have plenty of great locations, colourful cinematography, and a wonderful stirring score from Bernard Herrman which helps to draw out the magical and fantastic feel of the film. As is always the case with Harryhausen, his special effects are the best thing in the film, and they do not disappoint here at all. The first to pop up is a "snake woman", a very exotic looking creation. Then we have one of his cyclops monsters, which often pop up in films such as this and always provide a great menace. Also appearing are a huge green fire-breathing dragon, a two-headed giant bird and, for the piéce de resistance, a sword-wielding skeleton who fights with Sinbad. This skeleton is excellently animated and looks like a dry-run for the finale of JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS. The film is packed with action and many battle scenes. Mutinies are attempted, monsters fight with other monsters, humans battle monsters, and a whole load of the cast get crushed, burnt or slashed to death along the way. All of the action sequences are exciting to watch, even if some of the punches are thrown a little too wide for my liking. THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD is a wonderful fantasy adventure from the golden age of cinema, and a real delight for children and adults alike.
Once the plot gets started, the pacing is fast and the film is packed with loads of different special effects, some good, some not so good. Back projection is used quite extensively and in a realistic way. Once the princess is shrunk down to miniature size they use the old mixture of gigantic sets and back projection to create the illusion, and it works. The only effect to the film's detriment is, I feel, the magic lamp. The scenes of the annoying boy-genie emerging from the lamp were probably done as best they could be but I still think they look pretty awful. Kerwin Matthews is the square-jawed hero, and has the correct attributes (fitness and charisma) for a leading man in this type of film. Playing the bad, bald magician is Torin Thatcher, who does so well in the role that he was brought back as the villain in JACK THE GIANT KILLER (another great film which incidentally re-teamed him with Mattews). Kathryn Grant I found to be quite an unattractive love interest, and Richard Eyer, as the boy genie, is just plain irritating.
Elsewhere, we have plenty of great locations, colourful cinematography, and a wonderful stirring score from Bernard Herrman which helps to draw out the magical and fantastic feel of the film. As is always the case with Harryhausen, his special effects are the best thing in the film, and they do not disappoint here at all. The first to pop up is a "snake woman", a very exotic looking creation. Then we have one of his cyclops monsters, which often pop up in films such as this and always provide a great menace. Also appearing are a huge green fire-breathing dragon, a two-headed giant bird and, for the piéce de resistance, a sword-wielding skeleton who fights with Sinbad. This skeleton is excellently animated and looks like a dry-run for the finale of JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS. The film is packed with action and many battle scenes. Mutinies are attempted, monsters fight with other monsters, humans battle monsters, and a whole load of the cast get crushed, burnt or slashed to death along the way. All of the action sequences are exciting to watch, even if some of the punches are thrown a little too wide for my liking. THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD is a wonderful fantasy adventure from the golden age of cinema, and a real delight for children and adults alike.
Harryhausen+Herrmann Magic
EdgarST18 June 2006
When I was a kid, the experience of watching "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" started my admiration for the music of Bernard Herrmann, and confirmed my love for fantasy cinema (and stop-motion animation), in an unconscious way. Before this, I had seen "It Came from Beneath the Sea" (1955), a B&W movie in which an octopus created by Ray Harryhausen climbed the Golden Gate Bridge... But this time Harryhausen's creatures were in full color, the exotic story was inspired by tales from the "Arabian Nights", and the magic was enhanced by Herrmann's score. The film had princess Parisa reduced to less than four inches, cyclops running crazy, a dragon, a bird with two heads, an evil magician called Sokura, a boy genie, and the celebrated skeleton duel, but I was mainly impressed by Sokura's act of magic during the Sultan's ball, crossing a snake with Parisa's aide (actress Nana de Herrera, who looked weird even before the transformation.) The Harryhausen-Herrmann collaboration originated two more Sinbad movies, and other favorites, as "Mysterious Island", "Jason and the Argonauts" and "The 3 Worlds of Gulliver", but "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" is number one in my list of the collaborators' films. There is a moment in "Star Wars", which is a direct quotation of the movie: when Luke Skywalker and princess Leia cross above an abyss, as when Sinbad and Parisa escape from Sokura's lair.
Fast-moving family entertainment and shot in Spain with amazing creatures created by Ray Harryhausen
ma-cortes17 January 2022
The seventh voyage of Simbad¨ (1958) by Nathan Juran boasts a fine cast as Kerwin Mathews as the valiant hero , Richard Eye as the Genie , Torin Thatcher as the villain magician and Kathryn Grant (Crosby) as the unfortunate heroine . It is a riveting and exciting fantasy-adventure full of special effects created by means of stop-motion technique by expert professional Ray Harryhausen . Here Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) seeks to restore his fiancee (Kathryn Grant) from the midget size , six inches in height , to which an evil magician (Torin Thatcher) has reducted her . Our brave hero must battle a huge Cyclops , a sword-wielding skeleton , a Roc or Terror Bird , a dragon and other dangers to restore his bride-to-be to her normal size . See these incredible scenes before your unbelieving eyes !. The Sheer Magic of DYNARAMA Now Re-creates the Most Spectacular Adventures Ever Filmed! . Out of the age of wonders - one of the most wonderful motion pictures of our time! . 8th Wonder of the Screen!
In this fascinating movie there are emotions , mythology , adventures , fantasy , swashbuckling and it's pretty amusing . The fun movie contains some of the best stop-motion animation - Dynamation- ever created by the master in this craft , Ray Harryhausen. This great craftsman Ray Harryhausen can once again claim credit for the unusual and marvelous mythical creatures springing to life . Ray Harryhausen works his animation magic around a well-developed though little important plot and engaging acting by the real actors . As Kervin Mathews is nice as the hero who battles an evil magician who has reduced the Princess , the gorgeous Kathryn Grant . The picture belongs a trilogy , produced by Ray Harryhausen and Charles H. Schneer , along with ¨Golden voyage of Simbad¨ (1973) by Gordon Hessler with John Philip Law , Tom Baker and Caroline Munro and ¨Sinbad and the eye of the tiger¨(1977) by Sam Wanamaker with Patrick Wayne , Jane Seymour . Colorful and brilliant cinematography in technicolor by cameraman Wilkie Cooper shot on location in Spain : Alhambra palace, Granada, Granada, Andalucía, Caves of Arta, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Torrent de Parais, Palace Generalife, Palma, Majorca , Balearic Islands, Sa Conca Beach, S'Agaró, Castell-Paltja d'Aro, Girona, Catalonia, Spain , Manzanares el Real, Madrid. Including breathtaking scenarios and impresive settings by production designer Gil Parrondo . Furthermore , great and rousing musical score by the classic composer Bernard Herrmann , Alfred Hitchcock's regular. The motion picture was professionally directed by Nathan Juran . Rating : 7/10. Well worth watching . Don't watch this one for the screenplay , which almost doesn't exist , otherwise , big fun .
Other pictures about the great hero Simbad are the following ones : ¨Sinbad the sailor¨ (1947) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr , Maureen O'Hara and Anthony Quinn ; ¨The Golden voyage of Sinbad¨ (1973) by Gordon Hessler with John Phillip Law , Caroline Munro , Tom Baker , Douglas Wilmer , Martin Shaw ; ¨Sinbad and the eye of the tiger¨(1977) by Sam Wanamaker with Patrick Wayne , Taryn Power , Jane Seymour , Patrick Troughton ; ¨Sinbad of the seven seas¨ by Enzo G Castellari with Lou Ferrigno and John Steiner and the cartoon movie ¨Simbad the legend of seven seas¨ (2003) produced by Dreamworks , a combo of computer generator and hand-drawn animation by Patrick Gilmore and Tim Johnson with voices from Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta Jones .
In this fascinating movie there are emotions , mythology , adventures , fantasy , swashbuckling and it's pretty amusing . The fun movie contains some of the best stop-motion animation - Dynamation- ever created by the master in this craft , Ray Harryhausen. This great craftsman Ray Harryhausen can once again claim credit for the unusual and marvelous mythical creatures springing to life . Ray Harryhausen works his animation magic around a well-developed though little important plot and engaging acting by the real actors . As Kervin Mathews is nice as the hero who battles an evil magician who has reduced the Princess , the gorgeous Kathryn Grant . The picture belongs a trilogy , produced by Ray Harryhausen and Charles H. Schneer , along with ¨Golden voyage of Simbad¨ (1973) by Gordon Hessler with John Philip Law , Tom Baker and Caroline Munro and ¨Sinbad and the eye of the tiger¨(1977) by Sam Wanamaker with Patrick Wayne , Jane Seymour . Colorful and brilliant cinematography in technicolor by cameraman Wilkie Cooper shot on location in Spain : Alhambra palace, Granada, Granada, Andalucía, Caves of Arta, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Torrent de Parais, Palace Generalife, Palma, Majorca , Balearic Islands, Sa Conca Beach, S'Agaró, Castell-Paltja d'Aro, Girona, Catalonia, Spain , Manzanares el Real, Madrid. Including breathtaking scenarios and impresive settings by production designer Gil Parrondo . Furthermore , great and rousing musical score by the classic composer Bernard Herrmann , Alfred Hitchcock's regular. The motion picture was professionally directed by Nathan Juran . Rating : 7/10. Well worth watching . Don't watch this one for the screenplay , which almost doesn't exist , otherwise , big fun .
Other pictures about the great hero Simbad are the following ones : ¨Sinbad the sailor¨ (1947) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr , Maureen O'Hara and Anthony Quinn ; ¨The Golden voyage of Sinbad¨ (1973) by Gordon Hessler with John Phillip Law , Caroline Munro , Tom Baker , Douglas Wilmer , Martin Shaw ; ¨Sinbad and the eye of the tiger¨(1977) by Sam Wanamaker with Patrick Wayne , Taryn Power , Jane Seymour , Patrick Troughton ; ¨Sinbad of the seven seas¨ by Enzo G Castellari with Lou Ferrigno and John Steiner and the cartoon movie ¨Simbad the legend of seven seas¨ (2003) produced by Dreamworks , a combo of computer generator and hand-drawn animation by Patrick Gilmore and Tim Johnson with voices from Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta Jones .
"Dynarama" Effects Aside - The Boy-Genie Was Too Sucky For Words
strong-122-4788852 January 2017
Shot in the then-dazzling film-process called "Dynarama" - I remember, as a wide-eyed kid of 10, being absolutely struck with total awe while watching this cheesy Fantasy/Adventure picture from yesteryear.
With its introduction of several delightfully monstrous, stop-motion creations by effects-man, Ray Harryhausen (including a ferocious, one-horned Cyclops - Wow!) - This pre-CGI film was a child's most spectacularly exciting nightmare come true on screen.
But, alas - (As one might expect) - Time (yes-unforgivable time) has not been at all kind to this 1958 Sinbad, the Sailor, production. No. It hasn't.
Remembering my excitement as a fascinated child - I honestly did try to cut this 60-year-old relic some nostalgic slack - But, unfortunately - As a jaded viewer of today - I could only grade Sinbad's 7th Voyage with just an "average" 5-star rating.
With its introduction of several delightfully monstrous, stop-motion creations by effects-man, Ray Harryhausen (including a ferocious, one-horned Cyclops - Wow!) - This pre-CGI film was a child's most spectacularly exciting nightmare come true on screen.
But, alas - (As one might expect) - Time (yes-unforgivable time) has not been at all kind to this 1958 Sinbad, the Sailor, production. No. It hasn't.
Remembering my excitement as a fascinated child - I honestly did try to cut this 60-year-old relic some nostalgic slack - But, unfortunately - As a jaded viewer of today - I could only grade Sinbad's 7th Voyage with just an "average" 5-star rating.
Age has hardly dimmed the excitement, spectacle and wonder of this fantasy classic
DrLenera27 September 2004
This truly action packed fantasy is as fun nearly 50 on from the time of it's making. Out of the films that were produced by Charles H. Schneer and featured special effects by Ray Harryhausen, Jason And The Argonauts is usually named as the best [certainly that was the film where Harryhausen perfected his techniques],but Sinbad is not far behind. It's far simpler but provides just as much entertainment. Of course some of the dialogue is a little hokey, but who watches films like this for their dialogue? Dialogue here exists simply to help propel the plot forward at as fast a pace as possible.
The amount of action scenes crammed into this less-then-90 min. film is astounding, and despite this the film still retains a delightful sense of wonder, as one wonders what fantastic creation will show up next. Yes, some of the matt work looks a bit poor ,and the creatures are a little jerky, but the design and execution of the snake woman, cyclopes, rocs, dragon etc. is still astounding for the time, and some sequences, such as the battle with the the first cyclops and the duel with the skeleton, are still very exciting.
Criticisms of the acting may be partially justified, but Torin Thatcher is as menacing a villain as one can wish for, and of course there's also Bernard Herrmann's extremely inventive score. Schneer and Harryhausen would later make two further Sinbad films, and there was a semi- remake several years later, Jack The Giant Killer. All three are fun, but none have the simple purity of this classic adventure.
The amount of action scenes crammed into this less-then-90 min. film is astounding, and despite this the film still retains a delightful sense of wonder, as one wonders what fantastic creation will show up next. Yes, some of the matt work looks a bit poor ,and the creatures are a little jerky, but the design and execution of the snake woman, cyclopes, rocs, dragon etc. is still astounding for the time, and some sequences, such as the battle with the the first cyclops and the duel with the skeleton, are still very exciting.
Criticisms of the acting may be partially justified, but Torin Thatcher is as menacing a villain as one can wish for, and of course there's also Bernard Herrmann's extremely inventive score. Schneer and Harryhausen would later make two further Sinbad films, and there was a semi- remake several years later, Jack The Giant Killer. All three are fun, but none have the simple purity of this classic adventure.
It's Great! Even for the 877th Time
watercrake6 June 2002
Okay, we all have our lil' touchstones that define us, don't we? For guys growing up in the sixties I'm willing to bet a buck that most of us had G.I. Joes and Johnny Sevens, watched Combat, Lost In Space and Thunderbirds regularly on the tube, bought comics for 12 cents, can remember where we were when Kennedy was killed and had a huge, whopping crush on Ann-Margret. (Oh, wait...maybe that last one was just me). Anyway, the point is that we grew up grabbing fun things where we could find them and we held them very close to our hearts. I'm talking Baseball cards, Universal monster models, MAD Magazine and yes...'7th Voyage of Sinbad'.
I was a school patrol and the reward for us where I lived was a weekly Sunday matinee at the Paramount Theatre. What they didn't tell us then, however, was that there would only be two movies shown for the whole school year. They were: the movie that we're talking about here and 'Mysterious Island', (another fantastic kid movie). Oh, well...so what?! If you had to watch two movies through a year and you were 8 years old and you were allowed to take the bus by yourself on a Sunday afternoon downtown to sit in the balcony and fold-down your popcorn box and hurl it at the other kids on the main floor beneath us like some sort of Frisbee and you could watch giant creatures attack Sinbad and weird you out for the 877th time...hey, that's movie magic.
So, for all of you who were born in the eighties...this film DOES NOT suck...it soothes and takes me back to 1963 whenever I catch it...and I WILL watch it for the 878th time. You should give it a go at least once. Special Effects, especially in the hand of Harryhausen, were art.
I was a school patrol and the reward for us where I lived was a weekly Sunday matinee at the Paramount Theatre. What they didn't tell us then, however, was that there would only be two movies shown for the whole school year. They were: the movie that we're talking about here and 'Mysterious Island', (another fantastic kid movie). Oh, well...so what?! If you had to watch two movies through a year and you were 8 years old and you were allowed to take the bus by yourself on a Sunday afternoon downtown to sit in the balcony and fold-down your popcorn box and hurl it at the other kids on the main floor beneath us like some sort of Frisbee and you could watch giant creatures attack Sinbad and weird you out for the 877th time...hey, that's movie magic.
So, for all of you who were born in the eighties...this film DOES NOT suck...it soothes and takes me back to 1963 whenever I catch it...and I WILL watch it for the 878th time. You should give it a go at least once. Special Effects, especially in the hand of Harryhausen, were art.
"From the land beyond beyond..."
elvircorhodzic7 February 2017
THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINDBAD is a fantasy adventure film, which is remembered for impressive special effects (stop motion animation) and a pretty good soundtrack. Stories from the ancient Arab collection are always interesting.
A famous sailor plans to marry a beautiful princess. An evil magician has spoiled his plans. The magician reduces sailor fiancée to the size of her thumb. The sailor has been forced to go to an island full of mythical monsters, to find a secret, which would nullify the evil spell.
Special effects by Mr. Harryhausen represent a kind of revolution in the creation and presentation of huge animated monsters. The fight scenes are really impressive. It is difficult to create a "pleasant" illusion with giant Cyclops, a cobra-woman, a legendary bird of prey, a fire-breathing dragon and possessed skeletons. Scenery corresponded very well with the visual illusion.
Kerwin Mathews as Sinbad is famous sailor and adventurer. He is brave and fearless character. A little heroic charm would not hurt him. Kathryn Grant as Princess Parisa is a pretty candy for our eyes. However, the characterization is much better in the second part of the film (when she is shrunk). Torin Thatcher as Sokurah is the evil magician who has stolen the show in some scenes.
Nothing spectacular, but some segments are very interesting.
A famous sailor plans to marry a beautiful princess. An evil magician has spoiled his plans. The magician reduces sailor fiancée to the size of her thumb. The sailor has been forced to go to an island full of mythical monsters, to find a secret, which would nullify the evil spell.
Special effects by Mr. Harryhausen represent a kind of revolution in the creation and presentation of huge animated monsters. The fight scenes are really impressive. It is difficult to create a "pleasant" illusion with giant Cyclops, a cobra-woman, a legendary bird of prey, a fire-breathing dragon and possessed skeletons. Scenery corresponded very well with the visual illusion.
Kerwin Mathews as Sinbad is famous sailor and adventurer. He is brave and fearless character. A little heroic charm would not hurt him. Kathryn Grant as Princess Parisa is a pretty candy for our eyes. However, the characterization is much better in the second part of the film (when she is shrunk). Torin Thatcher as Sokurah is the evil magician who has stolen the show in some scenes.
Nothing spectacular, but some segments are very interesting.
Harryhausen at his best
bobbaxter14 July 2006
THE 7TH VYAGE OF SINBAD is Ray Harryhausen's greatest achievement. His later films were more technically polished, but they also had tighter, more constrictive narratives. Here, he lets his imagination run wild. Harryhausen is at least comparable to Disney or Miyazaki. He is among the greatest animators of all time.
Harryhausen mastered stop-motion animation, a painstaking technique in which an articulated puppet is photographed one frame at a time and moved a fraction of an inch between shots. When the frames are projected in sequence, the illusion of motion is created. Harryhausen refined stop-motion to an art form and integrated his creatures seamlessly with the live action. His revolutionary work ushered in the age of special effects extravaganzas like the STAR WARS films.
Sure, the acting is terrible, but who cares? We don't go to fantasy movies for award-winning performances. If I want great acting, I'll watch a Bogart movie. The bizarre creatures and the fairy tale plot are the stars of this show.
Harryhausen mastered stop-motion animation, a painstaking technique in which an articulated puppet is photographed one frame at a time and moved a fraction of an inch between shots. When the frames are projected in sequence, the illusion of motion is created. Harryhausen refined stop-motion to an art form and integrated his creatures seamlessly with the live action. His revolutionary work ushered in the age of special effects extravaganzas like the STAR WARS films.
Sure, the acting is terrible, but who cares? We don't go to fantasy movies for award-winning performances. If I want great acting, I'll watch a Bogart movie. The bizarre creatures and the fairy tale plot are the stars of this show.
Fantastic Family Favourite!
TheLittleSongbird13 July 2009
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is arguably Ray HarryHausen finest achievement, it is a fantastic family treat from start to finish. Nathan Juran's direction is realised with dazzling spectacle, that is further advantaged by beautiful cinematography(particularly of Baghdad and Carlossa) and very convincing effects. I absolutely loved the clever designs of the monsters, such as the Cyclops and the Dragon, both of which are quite scary, the two-headed bird, and my favourite the warrior skeleton. Bernard Hermann's magnificently rousing score gives some weight to the really exciting scenes, and there are so many of them I can't count. The always likable Kerwin Matthews is very handsome and charming as Sinbad, even if he isn't the typical Sinbad from the other films or the stories. Kathryn Grant is beautiful beyond words as Princess Parissa, and the evil magician Sokurah is marvellously played by Indian actor Torin Thatcher. Richard Eyer is very sweet as the genie, though my only minor complaint of this brilliant movie, is that the genie's electrified voice got a little distracting. But overall, it is a hugely enjoyable film, with a 10/10. Bethany Cox.
Good Old Fashioned Fun...
filmwolf-212 June 2003
I've seen this film numerous times over the years, both on the big screen and on tv/video, and it manages to hold its own, due simply to the fact that the story is none-too complicated and the animation effects are so deftly executed by the legendary Ray Harryhausen, whose accomplishments are all the more remarkable when you consider that he animated the Cyclops, the dragon and others WITHOUT the use of CGI or other electronic technology.
I'd recently had the good fortune to attend a 45th anniversary showing of this film (with Harryhausen in attendance) and TWO theatres were packed, with men and women, ages 6 to 60. They clapped, they laughed (there are a few unintentional, yet timely laughs to be found in the film's dialogue, with its references to "...the safety of Baghdad" and "...the future of Baghdad") and they cheered when the evil sorceror met his fate. And in perhaps the best testimonial that a film could get, everyone was SMILING as they left the theatre...
I'd recently had the good fortune to attend a 45th anniversary showing of this film (with Harryhausen in attendance) and TWO theatres were packed, with men and women, ages 6 to 60. They clapped, they laughed (there are a few unintentional, yet timely laughs to be found in the film's dialogue, with its references to "...the safety of Baghdad" and "...the future of Baghdad") and they cheered when the evil sorceror met his fate. And in perhaps the best testimonial that a film could get, everyone was SMILING as they left the theatre...
Never fails to amaze
beresfordjd7 October 2005
While not so keen on Kerwin Matthews this film never palls for me. I first saw it at about age 12 and made a point of sitting thru it 3 times (in the days when you could do that). I then saw it every time it came round our local cinemas (still 2/3 times). I just loved it. As I grew up I still remembered it fondly -particularly the fantastic score by the genius Bernard Herrmann.This score is second only to Psycho in my opinion. Ray Harryhausen should have been awarded many Oscars for many films but I think his work has always been underrated. Why I prefer his stuff to CGI escapes me-maybe it is the human touch (like real drummers as opposed to drum machines) . I could see the point of a remake, but it would be cool for the remake to be stop-motion too rather than CGI. Is there anyone who could do it? Maybe Aardman in serious mode would be up to the challenge? Suspend your disbelief and become a child again. Enjoy this movie for what it is and do not try to compare it with mega-budget blockbusters. A special mention for Richard Eyer-great child actor and Torin Thatcher who is the best villain ever-he terrified me as a kid!! As an addition to my original post I now own the DVD and you know I never watch it-whats that all about? Still watch it when it appears on TV though!!
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain14 December 2011
Seeing Harryhausen's beautiful work presented in gorgeous color sequences is truly something to behold. Films like this kick modern CGI adventure films in the nuts and then urinate on the back of their heads as they are bent double in pain. Matthews is a great leading man. Straight faced, romantic, and able to command the screen. Thatcher is a wonderful villain. His creepy voice and seductive tricks make him a love and hate kind of guy. The film may be episodic like so many adventures, but this one starts early with a cyclops attack, making the return there one of more focus. The actors still manage to take center stage amid a fantastic world of effects. The dragon, cyclops, snake lady, giant birds, and skeleton warrior are more fascinating than anything out there today.
Dynamic Dynamation.
hitchcockthelegend1 August 2009
Captain Sindbad and his crew land on the island Colossa and come under attack from a Cyclops. Aided by the magician Sokurah and his magic lamp, they manage to escape back on board with their lives intact. However, the lamp which contains a helpful genie, is left behind in the Cyclops' hands. Once back in Bagdad, Sokurah sets about getting a crew together to reclaim the lamp off of Colossa, but the chiefs of Bagdad refuse to sanction such action. After failing to impress all with his magic tricks, Sokurah shrinks the princess of Bagdad to the size of a hand, then craftily offers to restore the princess to normal the next day. Only trouble being that the ingredients needed for the cure are of course on Colossa. So Sinbad and his men, and the dastardly magician, set sail for an adventure that is fraught with danger...
From the land beyond beyond - From the world past hope and fear - I bid you genie now appear.
Stop-motion maestro Ray Harryhausen, for his first film in colour, delves into the mythical legend of Sinbad The Sailor. Thus, along with director Nathan Juran, putting life into the Sinbad legacy that had been viewed as a no go area after less than favourable responses to prior attempts at the legend. Though not adhering to the Persian fable source, the 7th Voyage was nothing like this one and The Rocs for instance actually appear in the 5th voyage fable, Juran and Harryhausen turn the merchant seaman of the origin into a dashing hero figure. Someone that children and adults of both sexes can easily get on side with.
Visually it's a treat, admire as Sinbad (in the form of a handsome sword swashing Kerwin Matthews) does battle with Cyclops', Rocs and a Harryhausen calling card, the Skeleton. Throw in a fire breathing Dragon, a genie of the lamp, a pretty princess (Kathryn Grant) and a devilishly creepy magician villain (the always great value Torin Thatcher) and the result is unadulterated joy. Some churlish folk will point to being able to see the lines between the real footage and Harryhausen's marvellous creatures, but quite frankly those people should be rounded up and sent to live on Colossa with all the other monsters. For to not appreciate the craft and genius on offer here is as sad as it is foolish. And with master composer Bernard Herrmann laying a brisk mystical flecked score over proceedings, it's a treat for the ears as well.
When you consider the budget afforded this production, it's high quality film making, and it's now, along with the two sequels that followed it, still being enjoyed by those of us who remember before computers controlled such magical things. 8/10
From the land beyond beyond - From the world past hope and fear - I bid you genie now appear.
Stop-motion maestro Ray Harryhausen, for his first film in colour, delves into the mythical legend of Sinbad The Sailor. Thus, along with director Nathan Juran, putting life into the Sinbad legacy that had been viewed as a no go area after less than favourable responses to prior attempts at the legend. Though not adhering to the Persian fable source, the 7th Voyage was nothing like this one and The Rocs for instance actually appear in the 5th voyage fable, Juran and Harryhausen turn the merchant seaman of the origin into a dashing hero figure. Someone that children and adults of both sexes can easily get on side with.
Visually it's a treat, admire as Sinbad (in the form of a handsome sword swashing Kerwin Matthews) does battle with Cyclops', Rocs and a Harryhausen calling card, the Skeleton. Throw in a fire breathing Dragon, a genie of the lamp, a pretty princess (Kathryn Grant) and a devilishly creepy magician villain (the always great value Torin Thatcher) and the result is unadulterated joy. Some churlish folk will point to being able to see the lines between the real footage and Harryhausen's marvellous creatures, but quite frankly those people should be rounded up and sent to live on Colossa with all the other monsters. For to not appreciate the craft and genius on offer here is as sad as it is foolish. And with master composer Bernard Herrmann laying a brisk mystical flecked score over proceedings, it's a treat for the ears as well.
When you consider the budget afforded this production, it's high quality film making, and it's now, along with the two sequels that followed it, still being enjoyed by those of us who remember before computers controlled such magical things. 8/10
There Were Giants in the Earth
wes-connors22 March 2008
Kerwin Mathews (as Sinbad) and his crew must undertake a dangerous mission, at the behest of Magician Torin Thatcher (as Sokurah). In return, the sorcerer promises to restore Mr. Mathews' shrunken fiancée Kathryn Grant (as Princess Parisa) to normal size. Among other daring feats, Mathews must retrieve an eggshell from the Roc, a giant two-headed bird. Boy Genie Richard Eyer (as Baronni) is around, when summoned, to help out...
Ray Harryhausen's special effects are the acknowledged "star"; but, most of the cast, led by the heroic Mathews and the villainous Thatcher, are perfect. The color photography (Wilkie Cooper) and soundtrack (Bernard Herrmann) are also outstanding. Overall, the film's story lacks a certain cohesiveness, however; and, the skeletal duel near the film's end was notably outdone, by the filmmakers' own "Jason and the Argonauts" (1963). Still, "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" serves up classic afternoon adventure. Especially memorable is Harryhausen's hungry Cyclops; literally, he's a creature to die for.
******* The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (12/5/58) Nathan Juran ~ Kerwin Mathews, Kathryn Grant, Torin Thatcher, Richard Eyer
Ray Harryhausen's special effects are the acknowledged "star"; but, most of the cast, led by the heroic Mathews and the villainous Thatcher, are perfect. The color photography (Wilkie Cooper) and soundtrack (Bernard Herrmann) are also outstanding. Overall, the film's story lacks a certain cohesiveness, however; and, the skeletal duel near the film's end was notably outdone, by the filmmakers' own "Jason and the Argonauts" (1963). Still, "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" serves up classic afternoon adventure. Especially memorable is Harryhausen's hungry Cyclops; literally, he's a creature to die for.
******* The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (12/5/58) Nathan Juran ~ Kerwin Mathews, Kathryn Grant, Torin Thatcher, Richard Eyer
A Cyclops, A Genie, And, Yes, Even An Evil Sorcerer
StrictlyConfidential7 May 2020
1958's "The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad" (with its creaky pre-CGI effects) is definitely one of those Fantasy/Adventure pictures (from yesteryear) that (as an adult) you are really gonna have to be willing to cut it some slack, otherwise, (in the long run) you're probably better off passing on giving this one a view.
Clearly geared to entertaining youngsters (who have very low demands on story coherency) - I'd say that the stop-motion monster effects (created by the imitable Ray Harryhausen) were, without a doubt, the real highlight of the action in this one's story.
Clearly geared to entertaining youngsters (who have very low demands on story coherency) - I'd say that the stop-motion monster effects (created by the imitable Ray Harryhausen) were, without a doubt, the real highlight of the action in this one's story.
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