Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

Fantasy, Film 0

UK, 1963
99m 25s (UK – PAL video); 99m 27s (UK – PAL video); 99m 35s (UK – PAL video); 104m
35mm, Eastmancolor, 1.37:1 (negative ratio); 1.85:1 (intended ratio)
mono, English

A British fantasy film directed by Don Chaffey. Production began on 13 September 1961 1Variety 1 November 1961 p.21

Plot Summary

Jason, who has been prophesied to one day assume the throne of Thessaly, is told of a fabled Golden Fleece and gathers together a band of adventurers to set sail in his ship, the Argo, to retrieve it. The Argonauts are protected by Hera, queen of the gods and they battle many mythological creatures (harpies, the giant bronze statue of Talos, the hydra, a skeleton army).

Credits

* = uncredited

Crew
Directed by: Don Chaffey
© MCMLXIII [1963] Morningside Worldwide Pictures
Columbia Pictures Corporation presents a Charles H. Schneer production
Produced by: Charles H. Schneer
Associate Producer: Ray Harryhausen
Production Executive: John Dark
Screenplay by: Jan Read, Beverley Cross
Poem: The Argonautica by Apollonious Rhodios *
Assistant Director: Dennis Bertera
Continuity: Phyllis Crocker
Photographed by: Wilkie Cooper
Camera Operator: Harry Gillam
Editor: Maurice Rootes
Eastmancolor by Pathe
Music by: Bernard Herrmann conducting The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Musical Directors: Bernard Herrmann, Mario Nascimbene [both uncredited]
Sound Recordists: Cyril Collick, Red Law
Sound Editor: Alfred Cox
Westrex Recording System
Creator of Special Visual Effects: Ray Harryhausen
Model Scultor: Arthur Hayward *
Title Designer: James Wines
Production Designer: Geoffrey Drake
Art Directors: Herbert Smith, Jack Maxsted, Tony Sarzi Braga
Locations: England; Paestum, Salerno, Campania, Italy; Palinuro, Salerno, Campania, Italy
Unit Managers: Leon Lenoir, Jimmy Komisarjevsky, Paul Maslansky
Fight Choreography: Ralph Faulkner *
Swordfight Arranger: Ferdinando Poggi *

Cast
Todd Armstrong as Jason
Nancy Kovack as Medea
Gary Raymond (Acastus)
Laurence Naismith (Argos)
Niall MacGinnis (Zeus)
Michael Gwynn (Hermes)
Douglas Wilmer (Pelias)
Jack Gwillim (King Aeetes)
Honor Blackman (Hera)
John Cairney (Hylas)
Patrick Troughton (Phineas)
Andrew Faulds (Phalerus)
Nigel Green (Hercules)
John Crawford [Polydeuces] *
Aldo Cristiani [Lynceus] *
Ferdinando Poggi [Castor] *
Douglas Robinson [Eupaemus] *
Davina Taylor [Briseis] *
Bill Gudgeon [Triton] *

Cast Gallery

Todd Armstrong as Jason
Nancy Kovack as Medea
Gary Raymond as Acastus
Laurence Naismith as Argos
Niall MacGinnis as Zeus
Michael Gwynn as Hermes
Douglas Wilmer as Pelias
Jack Gwillim as King Aeetes
Honor Blackman as Hera
John Cairney as Hylas
Patrick Troughton as Phineas
Andrew Faulds (left) as Phalerus
Nigel Green as Hercules
John Crawford as Polydeuces [uncredited]
Aldo Cristiani as Lynceus [uncredited]
Ferdinando Poggi as Castor [uncredited]
Davina Taylor as Briseis [uncredited]
Bill Gudgeon as Triton [uncredited]

Alternative Titles

Jason and the Golden Fleece – shooting title
Jason en de Argonauten
Jason en de Duistere Machten
Jason en de Duiveise Machten

Links

See also
Jason and the Argonauts (2000)

Extracts included in
Future Shock! The Story of 2000 AD (2015)
The Making of Jurassic Park (1995)
Screen Test: 16 June 1972
Special Effects: Anything Can Happen (1996)

References

Periodicals

  • Castle of Frankenstein no.10 p.38
  • Castle of Frankenstein no.11 p.42
  • The Daily Cinema no.8871 (3-4 February 1964) p.5 – note (General Releases – North London)
  • The Daily Cinema no.8874 (10-11 February 1964) p.5 – note (General Releases – North London)
  • Halls of Horror no.27 p.24 – note
  • Mad Movies no.1 (June 1972) p.unpaginated – credits, review
  • Shivers no.29 p.14 – review
  • Variety 1 November 1961 p.21 – credits (Hollywood production pulse)

Books

  • The 100 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen by Richard Crouse pp.127-129
  • The Armchair Odeon: The Collector’s Guide to the Movies by Denis Gifford p.36
  • Bernard Herrmann, Hollywood’s Music-dramatist by Edward Johnson pp.18, 36
  • The Columbia Checklist: The Feature Films, Cartoons, Serials and Short Subjects of Columbia Pictures, 1922-1988 by Len D. Martin p.160
  • Columbia Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1928-1982 by Michael R. Pitts pp.120-121
  • The Encyclopedia of Epic Films by Constantine Santas, James M. Wilson, Maria Colavito, Djoymi Baker pp.299-301
  • Epic Films (2nd edition) by Gary Allen Smith pp.133-134 – illustrated credits, review
  • Feature Films, 1960-1969: A Filmography of English-language and Major Foreign-language United States Releases by Harris M. Lentz III p.228
  • A Heart at Fire’s Centre: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann by Steven C. Smith pp.117, 223, 255-256
  • Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.230 – credits
  • Sixties Shockers by Mark Clark and Bryan Senn pp.248-249
  • The Stop-motion Filmography by Neil Pettigrew pp.367-380
  • The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy by David Pringle (general ed.) pp.64-65 – credits, review
  • Uneasy Dreams: The Golden Age of British Horror Films, 1956-1976 by Gary A. Smith pp.137-138
  • Variety Science-Fiction Movies by Julian Brown (ed.) pp.60-61 – illustrated credits, review
  • The World of Fantasy Films by Richard Myers p.68
Categories: Fantasy, Film


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