The Films of Ray Harryhausen

Ray Harryhausen was one of Hollywood's most famous stop-motion animators and most influential special effects innovators. Prior to the development of computerized special effects, stop-motion animation played a key role in adventure and sci-fi filmmaking from the 1940s up until the 1980s. Of those that were skilled in this technique there were relatively few. Ray Harryhausen not only mastered the slow and delicate art of animation but he made large strides in what can be done - with a little bit of patience - using simple models and photography. 

When "Jason and the Argonauts" hit the big screen in 1963 audiences were in awe of Jason's fight against the army of skeletons. Harryhausen breathed life into those inanimate objects with bone-clattering violence. A pterodactyl silently swooping down upon a lone cave woman, a goddess taking the form of a ship's figurehead, a giant bronze statue creaking to life to wreak vengeance on the men who stole the sacred treasure of the gods, these were all memorable moments on screen that not only seemed amazing in youth but continues to astound today, even in the midst of mind-boggling CGI effects. 

George Lucas, claimed that "if it hadn't been for Harryhausen there would have never been a Star Wars". Directors Peter Jackson and James Cameron also cite Harryhausen as their inspiration and his films their incentive to pursue film-making as a career. 

This post is called The Films of Ray Harryhausen because, although he was not an auteur filmmaker and his role in the movies that he made could not be confused with that of the director, he did much more than his simple credit of "special visual effects" justified. It was often Harryhausen who proposed the initial story concept, scouted the locations, helped work on the script, the art direction and the design of the film. It's no wonder that these films have a distinguishable style that sets them apart from other adventure films of the era. They all bear the Harryhausen stamp. 

Ray Harryhausen ( June 29, 1920 - May 7, 2013 )

Mighty Joe Young ( 1949 )

A young girl in Africa raises a gorilla and must decide whether to expose him to the "jungle" of New York when a promoter decides to exhibit the creature. Terry Moore, Ben Johnson, Robert Armstrong. Directed by Ernest Schoedsack. 

The stop-motion Pioneer Willis O'Brien, was approached by a teenage Ray Harryhausen in the early 1940s and asked if he could study under him, O'Brien told him to go to art school and practice his craft all he can. He did, and later, in 1948, O'Brien asked him if he would like to work with him on his upcoming picture "Mr. Joseph Young of Africa". Did he! "Mighty Joe Young" was essentially a remake of Willis O'Brien's own classic "King Kong" ( 1933 ), but it became the launching pad into a world of feature film animation for Ray Harryhausen. 

The Beast from 20,000 Fanthoms ( 1953 ) 

Scientists discover that a prehistoric dinosaur was reawakened to life during an Arctic atomic bomb test. Paul Christian, Paula Raymond, Cecil Kellaway, Kenneth Tobey. 

"The Beast from 20,000 Fanthoms" was Harryhausen's first solo project and the film where he developed the split-screen animation technique which was later to be known as Dynamation. "Beast" was a great commercial succcess and opened the doors to greater projects for Harryhausen. 

It Came From Beneath the Sea ( 1955 ) 

Radiation from bomb tests conducted in California change the feeding habits of an octopus by creating a ferocious appetite! Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue, Donald Curtis, Ian Keith. 

Following the success of "The Beast from 20,000 Fanthoms", came this creature flick from out of the primordial depths of Charles Schneer's imagination. The young producer from Columbia Pictures was introduced to the budding animator and together they created this monster classic - as well as a partnership that spanned over three decades. 

Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers ( 1956 ) 

A scientist is contacted by alien beings who secretly plan to enslave all inhabitants of Earth. Hugh Marlowe, Joan Taylor, Donald Curtis, Grandon Rhodes. 

What better way to follow up a monster movie than to make a sci-fi film? And no sci-fi film would be complete without retro UFOs. "Earth Vs the Flying Saucers" contains an excellent sequence of the alien flying discs attacking the nation's capital, Washington D.C. 

20 Million Miles to Earth ( 1957 ) 

A giant reptilian-like creature from Venus stows away on the return flight of a US spaceship and wreaks havoc in Europe. William Hopper, Joan Taylor, Frank Puglia. 

The death of the giant prehistoric Ymir - part dinosaur, part fish - at the close of this film was reminiscent of Willis O'Brien's classic "King Kong". Harryhausen always wished to create his own legendary figure that would move an audience to feel pathos at the creature's demise, much like Kong did, and with "20 Million Miles to Earth" he succeeded in doing just that. 

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad ( 1958 ) 

Sinbad undertakes a quest to a mysterious island to obtain the ingredients to cure a princess of a curse she received by a wicked magician. Kerwin Matthews, Kathryn Grant, Richard Eyer, Torin Thatcher. 

"The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" was Harryhausen's first foray into the realm of color filmmaking. Although he had done a number of short stop-motion animation films in color this was the first time he would experiment with Dynamation in color. Within his studio confines he had the added hassle of matching the lighting and coloring of his filming with that used in the live-action sequences. The result was stunning. "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" remains one of Harryhausen's most memorable movies. 

The 3 Worlds of Gulliver ( 1960 ) 

A man is washed away during a storm at sea and lands on an island inhabited by little people...Lilliputians. Kerwin Matthews, June Thorburn, Jo Morrow, Lee Paterson. 

"The 3 Worlds of Gulliver" is one of the least known films of Harryhausen, notably because of the lack of any large beastly creature. It has, however, some really great special effects and was the first of his films to be billed as using the "Superdynamation" process. 

Mysterious Island ( 1961 ) 

A group of prisoners of war during the Civil War escape in an air balloon and are washed ashore on an island inhabited by strange beasts and a mysterious visitor. Michael Craig, Joan Greenwood, Michael Callan, Gary Merrill. 

After Ray Harryhausen's modifications to Jules Verne's 1874 novel, "Mysterious Island" did not bear much resemblance to its source, which is just as well. Verne's sequel to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" did not contain much excitement in itself, but with Harryhausen's additions of a giant man-eating crab, an underwater city, a prehistoric baby bird attack, a 15ft. tall bee, and pirates, it was a beaut. 

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Jason and the Argonauts ( 1963 ) 

The Greek hero, Jason, sets off on a voyage, along with a hand-picked crew, to the land of Carcus to capture the golden fleece. Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond, Laurence Naismith. 

Undoubtedly Harryhausen's most famous film ( it is his personal favorite as well ). This mythological classic featured the stunning skeleton sword fight, Talos the giant guardian of the god's treasures, and the six-headed hydra. Although it was not a box-office success upon its release it gained momentous popularity in the decades since and is now regarded as one of the greatest adventure films of the 1960s. 

One Million Years B.C ( 1966 ) 

The life of a lone caveman and his mate in a land inhabited by dinosaurs and hostile neighbors. John Richardson, Raquel Welch, Percy Herbert.

Harryhausen had a chance to return to creating dinosaurs in Hammer Studio's production of "One Million Years B.C". It was a loose remake of "One Million B.C" ( 1940 ) which featured very poorly done special effects. With the addition of Raquel Welch's own special eye-popping effects "One Million Years B.C" became a huge international success. 

The Valley of Gwangi ( 1969 ) 

In the Forbidden Valley in Mexico resides a Tyrannosaurus Rex whom a cowboy captures to gain fame by exhibiting in a circus. James Franciscus, Gila Golan, Richard Carlson. 

Back in 1941 Willis O'Brien conceived of a dramatic dinosaur western and called it "Gwangi". His pet project was never realized until Ray Harryhausen pitched the idea to Charles Schneer in 1967. "Gwangi" contains one of Ray's most elaborate animation sequences - the roping of Gwangi by cowboys. 

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad ( 1973 ) 

Sinbad meets a vizier who has part of a golden map, one of the which parts matches Sinbad's own, and together they voyage out to solve the riddle of the map, with an evil sorcerer on their tail. John Phillip Law, Caroline Munro, Philip Baker.

After the completion of "Jason and the Argonauts" in 1963, Ray Harryhausen wanted to develop another Sinbad adventure, intending on calling this feature "Sinbad's 8th Voyage". The idea was placed on the back-burner however until 1969 when it was put to simmer once more and developed into what became "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad". The dancing statue of six-armed Kali and the one-eyed centaur are just some of the highlights of this rousing adventure. 

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger ( 1977 ) 

Sinbad helps a cursed prince by sailing on a voyage to a dangerous island to seek a cure, whereupon a witch attempts to thwart their plans. Patrick Wayne, Taryn Power, Margaret Whiting.

Sinbad returned to the screen once more in this thrilling installment which included the classic baboon prince and the evil sorceress Zenobia. Harryhausen developed a plot treatment of the story back in 1974 but it was not until 1976 that filming began. 

Clash of the Titans ( 1981 ) 

Perseus goes on a journey to save the Princess Andromeda and encounters Kraken, a sea monster and Medusa along the way. Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Harry Hamlin, Claire Bloom.

"Clash of the Titans" was given an enormous budget of $16 million by MGM to make ( Columbia had turned down the project ) but it went on to become a worldwide success raking in $41 million in the U.S alone. Beverley Cross, the screenwriter who worked on almost all of Harryhausen's films, developed the premise for this story, which was billed as "An Epic Entertainment Spectacular".

The dynamic threesome of Charles Schneer, Ray Harryhausen and Beverley Cross teamed up once more to create another classic legend epic, this time to be called "Force of the Trojans", a story about the journey of Aeneas from Troy to found Rome. MGM once again agreed to finance the project but over the years it languished. 

Hence, "Clash of the Titans" became the final film in Harryhausen's fantastic filmography. Perhaps in the future one of his ardent fans, such as Peter Jackson, may resurrect "Force of the Trojans" and make it the classic it would have undoubtedly become. Although, they must be careful how they go about it for as Harryhausen once said " If you make things too real, sometimes you bring it down to mundane ". 

Bibliography : 

Ray Harryhausen's Fantasy Scrapbook : Models, Artwork and Memories from 65 Years of Filmmaking - Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton. Aurum Press. 

Further Reading : 

The Art of Ray Harryhausen - Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton. Aurum Press 
Ray Harryhausen : An Animated Life - Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton. Billboard Books.

Ray Harryhausen and the Creation of Dynamation

Ray Harryhausen was the stop-motion animator extraordinaire behind such fantasmagorical creatures as the fighting skeletons, the cyclops, Medusa, Kraken, and the beast from 20,000 fanthoms in such classics as "Jason and the Argonauts" ( 1963 ), "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" ( 1958 ), and "Clash of the Titans" ( 1981 ). 

As part of our tribute to the late Ray Harryhausen we thought we'd include a brief introduction to the process he created known commercially as Dynamation. It can also be called the "split-screen" process because of the way the screen appears to be split while the animation is being enacted in the middle layer.  

Prior to Harryhausen's development of this technique most animation was created for sequences that did not require "live" actor interaction within the scene. For instance, in an adventure film a group of archaeologists may come across a dinosaur grazing on grass in the distance. The director of the movie would film the actors expression of surprise upon seeing the dinosaur and an animator would film the stop-motion sequence of the dinosaur but when completed these scenes would remain separate...actors in one scene, animation in another. However, with the split-screen process, viewers were able to see the actors directly interacting with the animation..e.g a dinosaur with a man struggling to get free from his grasp.

In three-dimensional stop-motion animation, an object, or a poseable model, is photographed one frame at a time using a traditional film camera. In between each frame the animator moves the arms or legs of the model a fraction of an inch before photographing the object again. When these still shots are run through a projector the rapid succession of images creates the illusion of movement. A standard 35mm film projector runs the film at 24 frames per second, and so 24 separate photographed frames have to be taken to make each second of animation on screen. Hence, a 2-minute sequence of a giant cyclops eyeing a tasty morsel for dinner would take 2,880 separate frames to compose. Quite a time-consuming task! 

Stop-motion animation can be traced back to the beginning of movie-making, in the late 1800s.  Some of the earliest animated films include Vitagraph's "The Humpty Dumpty Circus" ( 1897 ) by Albert E. Smith and J. Stuart Blackton, featuring a circus of acrobats and animals coming to life, and "The Haunted Hotel" by J. Stuart Blackton ( 1907 ). 

Willis O'Brien was the resounding king of animation during the early days of talking pictures. He brought to life the prehistoric creatures of yor in First National Pictures adaption of Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World" ( 1925 ) and later, in one of the most iconic films of the century, "King Kong" ( 1933 ), where he created a creature so lifelike in appearance and emotion that many viewers were brought to tears at his demise at the end of the film. 

It was Willis O'Brien's work on "King Kong" that instilled in Ray Harryhausen the desire to make stop-motion animation his career. The Eighth Wonder of the World inspired the young 14-year-old Ray to attempt creating his own model Kong, which led to his discovery of the stop-motion animation process. 

Under O'Brien's tutelage, Harryhausen learned the filmmaker's craft from the ground up and by 1948 was working alongside O'Brien on his first feature film, "Mighty Joe Young" ( 1948 ). O'Brien had utilized the multi-dimensional process of interacting animation with the actors through the means of sandwiching his models between two glass paintings, one of which was painted foreground, and shooting "through" them with the camera.

It was while working solo on his second feature film ,"The Beast from 20,000 Fanthoms", that Harryhausen realized what a tiresome and time-consuming process painting foreground could be and knew that it would never work for that particular film due to the low budget the production had. He had been experimenting with using mattes as far back as 1938 to create a "split-screen" and so on "The Beast from 20,000 Fanthoms" he put those tests to use. 

The split-screen was a simple process that used mattes to block out portions of the film. Since film only develops from the light that escapes through the eye of a camera, any portion that is blackened out remains undeveloped. If the film is rewound the portion that was blackened can then be used again. This technique was used as far back as the early 1900s.

Dynamation however, used a model in between the matte and the background image to create a three layered image. The first step in the Dynamation process was to plan out in detail the movements the model, or creature, was to make and then to film the live-action scene with the actors and usually a stick or stand-in crew members to represent the movements and position of the creature. 

This film was developed and rear-projected on a screen. Harryhausen would place his model on an animation stand in front of this screen and then place a large pane of glass in front of that. On this glass he painted in black the foreground that he wished to block out. After filming the animated sequence so that the creature interacted with the actors as planned, he then rewound the film and filmed through the glass again, this time with the image he had previously filmed blackened out. 

Although it sounds like a very tiresome process, it was actually much easier to utilize mattes then to build and film miniature sets for the models to move in.

In 1957, Charles Schneer, the producer of many of Harryhausen's films during the late 50s and 1960s, dubbed this split-screen technique Dynamation. He was sitting in his Buick one day while waiting for traffic and noticed the Dynaflow logo written on the dashboard...he thought the prefix dyna would be the perfect marketing term for Harryhausen's animation process. 

Harryhausen used Dynamation in "It Came from Beneath the Sea" ( 1954 ), "Earth Versus the Flying Saucers" ( 1956 ), "The Animal World" ( 1956 ) and "20 Million Miles to Earth" ( 1957 ) but it was not until "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" ( 1958 ) that it was exploited as a merchandising feature. 

"Dynamation will be brought to the screen for the first time in COLOR!"

In the short trailer "This is Dynamation!" ( 1957 ) used to promote "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", the narrator announces the glorious wonders of the technique and how "anything that the mind can conceive can now be brought to the screen". 

 

Dynamation was utilized on all of the Ray Harryhausen films up until his final feature motion picture, "Clash of the Titans" in 1981. Today, most special effects are created using computer graphic programs ( CGI ) but somehow, in spite of the amazing realism provided by digital graphics there is something very unique, very alive, about Harryhausen's technique. Perhaps the creatures we see created by computer effects have lost their awe because we know the secret behind their existence  The mysterious process of Dynamation was kept from the public during the release of many of his biggest films... and this was one more element that added to the magic of the Harryhausen pictures.