Jason and the Argonauts
Todd Armstrong Stars in 1963 Ray Harryhausen Special Effects Film
Jason (Todd Armstrong) and the Argonauts search for the fabulous Golden Fleece in this 1963 fantasy film featuring special effects by the great Ray Harryhausen.
Greek mythology has always been fertile territory for Hollywood. In 1963, Columbia Pictures released Jason and the Argonauts starring Todd Armstrong, a slambang sword and sandal spectacle featuring plenty of action and the best Harryhausen special effects Tinsel Town could muster.
Filmed in Italy
A British production, Jason and the Argonauts was budgeted at $1 million and shot from September to October 1961. Much of the picture was filmed in Italy, giving the movie a rich, lush Mediterranean look.
Although filming went generally well, one humorous incident marred the production. While shooting off the coast of Italy, Jason's ship, the Argo, suddenly found herself sharing the same waters with a replica of The Golden Hind, Sir Francis Drake's famous vessel. The British television series, Sir Francis Drake, had been filming in the area as well. "Get that ship out of here," Jason producer Charles H. Schneer good-naturedly called out to The Golden Hind's British crew. "You're in the wrong century!"
Special Effects: Clashing Rocks, Harpies, Skeleton Army...
As conceived by Ray Harryhausen, Jason and the Argonauts was originally to have been titled Sinbad in the Age of Muses. Hoping to capitalize on the success of his previous film, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), the movie was to feature the combined team of Sinbad and Jason in their search for the mythical Golden Fleece.
Touted by Harryhausen as his personal favorite, Jason and the Argonauts afforded the special effects maestro one of the best opportunites to showcase his talents. Rising to the challenge, Harryhausen delivered, salting the production with a dazzling array of fantastic scenes: the colossus Talos coming to life on the Isle of Bronze; the blind Phineas and his struggle with the Harpies; the bearded Triton rising from the frothing sea to hold back the cliffs at the Strait of the Clashing Rocks; the slaying of the six-headed Hydra; Jason's climactic battle with the deathly skeleton army...
The Argo Sails to Colchis
The movie begins with the murder of Aristo, the king of Thessaly, by the scheming Pelias (Douglas Wilmer). Escaping the slaughter is Aristo's son, Jason, who is aided by the Greek goddess Hera (Honor Blackman). Two decades later, Jason is determined to recapture the throne of his murdered father, and sets out on a quest to bring back the fabled Golden Fleece.
Manning the oars of the Argo are a number of Greece's finest warriors, including the mighty Hercules (Nigel Green). A guilt-ridden Hercules, however, elects not to go on following the loss of young Hylas (John Cairney), whose death on the Isle of Bronze the strongman attributes to his own greed.
As the gods watch and manipulate from the lofty heights of Mount Olympus, Jason and his Argonauts continue their journey. In gratitude for rescuing him from the flying Harpies, the sightless Phineas (Patrick Troughton) presents Jason with an amulet, a gift which proves invaluable as they later encounter the infamous Clashing Rocks.
The Argo eventually makes it to Colchis, the land of the Golden Fleece. But Jason's difficulties are only beginning, as he must now contend with King Aeetes (Jack Gwillim), a traitorous Argonaut, the six-headed Hydra and a band of supernatural skeleton warriors.
Release
Jason and the Argonauts, which also featured Nancy Kovack (Medea), Gary Raymond (Acastus), Laurence Naismith (Argos) and Niall MacGinnis (Zeus), premiered in Boston on June 19, 1963. A modest success at the box office, the film garnered mixed reviews. Variety (6/5/63) called it "a diverting spectacle," while The New York Times (8/8/63) opined that "This absurd, unwieldy adventure -- if that's the word -- is no worse, but certainly no better, than most of its kind."
Well, there are always the special effects...
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