The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Nathan Juran

Writer:

Ken Kolb (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

23 December 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Action | Adventure

Tagline:

8th Wonder of the Screen!

Plot:

When a princess is shrunken by an evil wizard, Sinbad must undertake a quest to an island of monsters to cure her and prevent a war.

Plot Keywords:

Princess | Island | Magic | Sinbad | Escape

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Kerwin Mathews	...	Sinbad
Kathryn Grant	...	Princess Parisa
Richard Eyer	...	Barani - the Genie
Torin Thatcher	...	Sokurah the Magician
Alec Mango	...	Caliph
Danny Green	...	Karim
Harold Kasket	...	Sultan
Alfred Brown	...	Harufa
Nana DeHerrera	...	Sadi (as Nana de Herrera)
Nino Falanga	...	Gaunt Sailor
Luis Guedes	...	Crewman
Virgilio Teixeira	...	Ali

Directed by
Nathan Juran

Writing credits
Ken Kolb		(written by) (as Kenneth Kolb)
Ray Harryhausen		story (uncredited)

Produced by
Ray Harryhausen	....	associate producer
Charles H. Schneer	....	producer

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann

Cinematography by
Wilkie Cooper		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Edwin H. Bryant		(as Edwin Bryant)
Jerome Thoms

Art Direction by
Gil Parrondo		(as Gil Parrendo)

Set Decoration by
José Algueró

Production Management
Luis Roberts	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pedro de Juan	....	assistant director
Eugenio Martín	....	assistant director (as Eugenio Martin)

Sound Department
John P. Livadary	....	recording supervisor (as John Livadary)

Special Effects by
George Lofgren	....	technical assistant

Visual Effects by
Ray Harryhausen	....	special visual effects creator

Stunts
Enzo Musumeci Greco	....	stunt supervisor (as Enzo Musumeci-Greco)

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Birtles	....	electrician

Other crew
Bob Gill	....	title designer: main titles
Henri Jaffa	....	technicolor color consultant
Enzo Musumeci Greco	....	fencing master

Production Companies

• Morningside Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia Pictures (1975) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | UK:U | Australia:G | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Ireland:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:G (1975) | West Germany:12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Caves of Arta, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Company:

Morningside Productions

Trivia:

This was the first feature using stop-motion animation effects to be completely shot in color.

Goofs:

Continuity: A second wooden keg appears next to the first mutinous soldier Sinbad knocks out.

Quotes:

Barani - the Genie: I cannot return to the real world until I am called by my name... Barani.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Magical History (2005) (V)

Great family film

The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad is one of my all time favourite movies. Great cast, great villain, great script and just the right balance of absolutely fantastic Ray Harryhausen special effects (without being excessive or absurd - as in the ridiculous and completely unbelievable baboon who appears to star in the deeply inferior 'Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger', 1977).

Kerwyn Mathews stars as Sinbad minus the traditional beard, but compensates by showing off as much chest hair and his forearms as possible. Critics have describe him as a little wooden but I disagree. I thought he was just great for the part and plays it well. Its not Shakespeare after all. My three year old son still joins in shouting 'Parisa !' and 'Sakura !' whenever we watch this movie.

The gorgeous Katherine Grant is a beautiful Princess named Parisa (and not in a slightly sleazy, ever so tartish fashion that we see foisted on Caroline Munro in the 1974 'Golden Voyage of Sinbad').

Torin Thatcher, born in Bombay and therefore possibly the token 'Asian' in this flick, is absolutely marvelous as Sakura, the evil wizard or magician (it's never made quite clear what side of the fence he sits on, or why). He exudes evil even before it made clear that he's a resident baddie.

This is a really great family movie above all else. Everyone except the eternally idle, the immature and clinically over-cynical teenagers can sit through this and find something enjoyable - even the music and scenery (the caption reads: Bagdad, but in fact it's Granada, Spain). I might also add that it makes a very pleasant change to see a movie in English where the bloke who says 'Allah' in his sentences is not some dreadful caricatured half-mad terrorist looking to kill innocents. Its good to be able to sit down with the kids and watch a film that everyone likes for a change.

My only, only complaint with this film is the silly voice they have given the child-genie. Very unnecassary and distracting from an otherwise excellent piece of cinema viewing. Five stars or ten, whichever is highest.