Ray Harryhausen: Magic, Monsters & Mythology Part 1

A RAY OF LIGHT

"I often have to act the role of a dinosaur, or an ape, or even a flying saucer to feel how to move the models in portraying a certain kind of scene." -- Ray Harryhausen, Famous Monsters pp24, March 1967.

For those who grew up before computer generated imagery took over the special effects world, the magic of stop-motion animation will no doubt have been a part of your movie-viewing childhood. While Willis O'Brien will always be closely associated with the technique for his work on such notable movies as THE LOST WORLD (1925) and KING KONG (1933), the name Ray Harryhausen is synonymous with this nearly extinct art. Not only was Ray the leading stop-motion animator for some three decades, but he also inspired a legion of filmmakers that went on to successful careers of their own. Some of these include fellow animators Jim Danforth and David Allen. Others include special effects artists Dennis Muren and Phil Tippett. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Joe Dante and Peter Jackson are directors of note who were inspired in some way or other by Harryhausen's ingenious creations.



Raymond Frederick Harryhausen was born in Los Angeles on June 29th, 1920. He displayed a predilection for creating things at an early age, and his parents encouraged him in what was soon to become his chosen field. His father being a machinist, this helped him in later years in building armatures and inner workings of the models that would make up Ray's marvelously imaginative creations. 



Possessing a fascination for dinosaurs (also shared by his lifelong friend Ray Bradbury), Harryhausen was dutifully inspired after witnessing the monstrous grandeur of the original 1933 KING KONG on the big screen. While Ray's parents had taken him to see THE LOST WORLD in 1925, it wasn't till seeing the King of Skull Island thrash dinosaurs and carry off Fay Wray that he knew what he wanted to do with his life.

A chance to meet his idol came while Ray was in High School, and O'Brien's advice to the young animator in training led to art and anatomy classes to further hone his skills. Harryhausen eventually got a job on George Pal's PUPPETOONS series of animated shorts in 1938. The enterprising artist also counted WW2 shorts for Frank Capra as resume enhancers. 

Having kept in touch with Willis O'Brien (affectionately referred to by his friends as Obie) during this time, the KONG animator asked his young apprentice to assist him on the troubled production of MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949) in 1945. The bloated 2 million picture (by comparison BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS only cost $200,000) didn't perform well, but it left Harryhausen undaunted. While, O'Brien's career would slowly dissipate, Ray's was rapidly ascending. The student was soon to surpass the teacher.



After failing to animate the aliens in both THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951) and WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953), Harryhausen instead pursued another opportunity to design the creature for a potential movie that was then called 'The Monster From Beneath the Sea'. After purchasing the story, 'The Fog Horn' from his friend Ray Bradbury (and also the title 'The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms' since the Fog Horn title was changed by the Saturday Evening Post), Harryhausen embarked on his first solo creature feature. With the massive success of THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953), more opportunities for Harryhausen to indulge his passion for stop-motion animation were on the fast track to becoming a reality.

MONSTER MOVIE MEMORIES OF RAY HARRYHAUSEN #1

For this monster movie fan, my first exposure to Ray Harryhausen was via his B/W science fiction movies. It wasn't till much later that I discovered the wonders of Dynamation. Prior to that, I was both shocked and amazed by what I saw transpiring on television. Now, former favorites like The Wolf Man and the Creature from the Black Lagoon -- and even Godzilla -- had some new competition. There were new monsters on the block. My first exposure to Ray's wonders was with 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1957). This movie quickly became a huge favorite of mine, and the Ymir was arguably my favorite domestic monster growing up. I remember cutting out pictures of it in a book once along with other creatures to make my own adolescent version of Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine -- which became my favorite periodical from the time I was three in 1978.



Like Harryhausen, I had a passion for prehistoric monsters. I loved dinosaurs, and anything about them I had to get my hands on. The creations of Harryhausen were among my fondest childhood memories watching monster movies as a kid, and also reading about them in various books and magazines including Famous Monsters of Filmland. This early exposure to his B/W threats from outer and inner space fueled my own passions for drawing my own monsters. While I remained content watching, and drawing them, Ray Harryhausen continued creating them for moviegoers like myself to enjoy.

THE BEST OF RAY'S BEASTS #1



The scene above from THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953) was the genesis of the production. Ray Bradbury's short story, 'The Fog Horn' was about a sea beast summoned from the briny deep by the sound of a lighthouse foghorn believing it to be another dinosaur. This haunting sequence also reinforced my childhood fears of something big watching from outside a window, and also for whatever enormous mysteries that lay beneath the surface of the ocean.



THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953) shocked many upon its release when it reportedly made 5 million during its original theatrical run. Ray's work, and the film itself inspired a slew of like-minded movies for the remainder of the decade. One major success that owes its origin to THE BEAST is Japan's own GODZILLA (1954). If not for the success of Warner Brothers 'monster from the sea' movie, we might not have ever gotten a Godzilla, or not in the form in which the titanic creature is popularly known. 

O'Brien himself also did effects for a couple movies that mined similar territory to Ray's rampaging Rhedosaur with THE BLACK SCORPION (1957) and THE GIANT BEHEMOTH (1959); the latter of which had BEASTs director, Eugene Lourie; himself an accomplished art director and special effects artist (he was nominated for Best Visual Effects for 1969s KRAKATOA: EAST OF JAVA and also assisted on the effects for BEAST).



With a few projects failing to get off the ground (The Elementals -- see image above; The Flying Cyclops -- this eventually became 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH), or an inability to secure Ray's involvement (Columbia's The Flying Claw, which later became THE GIANT CLAW), the success of BEAST ultimately led to a partnership that would last nearly three decades.

THE BEST OF RAY'S BEASTS #2 



The destruction of the Golden Gate Bridge and portions of San Francisco by the massive cephalopod of IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA (1955) are the major highlights of this film. That Harryhausen was able to conceal the fact that his octopus was in actuality a sextopus is a testament to his ability to create believable illusions. It's also easily the best movie about a gigantic killer octopus.

Charles H. Schneer was -- like Tomoyuki Tanaka envisioning Godzilla -- inspired to make his own monster movie, but about a creature that exists in the real world. After a few title changes, IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA (1955), a SciFi monster movie about a rampaging octopus, went into production in 1954. With a budget of only $150,000, and pressure to keep costs down, Harryhausen used his ingenuity to devise cost-effective means to accomplish his visual artistry. Harryhausen later revealed that he saved time by only animating six tentacles instead of eight. 

After filming was over, the octopus creation would also serve its purpose in a variety of ways by having its parts used to formulate monsters in later Harryhausen movies!

Additionally, famed Japanese SPX artist Eiji Tsuburaya was fascinated with octopi, as well as stop-motion animation. He experimented with the art, and also a giant octopus of his own in 1962s KING KONG VS. GODZILLA. While Willis O'Brien is Kong's creator, the success Ray Harryhausen was enjoying for his technical prowess no doubt left an imprint on Japan's effects master.

With IT bringing in big box office, it was only natural that more monsters were in Ray's future. But before he and Schneer co-opted to create aliens attacking the Earth, the stop-motion master accepted an offer from future disaster movie mogul Irwin Allen.

This particular production was a documentary entitled THE ANIMAL WORLD (1956). The film was a reunion of sorts for Harryhausen and his teacher, Willis O'Brien. Both men worked together for the last time in designing the dinosaur portions of this ambitious documentary. The dedication of both men is indicative in a brontosaurus birthing scene wherein some 200 eggs were used before a satisfactory shot was accomplished. That's a lot of protein!

THE BEST OF RAY'S BEASTS #3



The destruction of famous United States landmarks were undoubtedly the major selling point for EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS (1956) in addition to showcasing some staggeringly impressive effects magic (some of which is merged with real shots of planes blowing up) The movie is possibly the best such film post WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) to feature the Earth invaded by warring aliens from outer space. 



After completing his stint working with Irwin Allen (who clumsily remade THE LOST WORLD in 1960 without the use of stop-motion effects), Harryhausen went back to Columbia to create a startling array of flying saucers destroying famous landmarks, and being destroyed by human ingenuity. Directed by 'B' movie maven Fred F. Sears (THE GIANT CLAW, THE WEREWOLF), the name of this new picture was EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS (1956). 

This is another movie I remember vividly from childhood. My young eyes were stunned in amazement at the sight of UFOs and their alien inhabitants marching on mankind before their defeat prompting some spectacular scenes of calamity. What's particularly notable about this movie is that, not only are the UFOs animated, but the buildings that are destroyed are animated as well. The saucers are suspended by wires, but considering Harryhausen painted them out frame by frame, you never see them. When one puts his painstaking, and meticulous work into perspective, a viewer can appreciate his craftsmanship even more; especially when comparing them to SciFi and Fantasy pictures of a similar nature from the same time period. Destruction footage seen in the film made its way into the giant turkey, THE GIANT CLAW -- also directed by Sears.

Despite being a favorite of many (the demise of the aliens was seemingly recycled for Toho's INVASION OF ASTRO MONSTER from 1965), EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS was the animators least favorite of his works.

THE BEST OF RAY'S BEASTS #4

The Ymir is a special creation for many, including its creator. Instead of being an antagonist, the Venusian is depicted as a pitiable creature who is taken from its natural habitat and essentially oppressed till its own actions result in its inevitable destruction. There are many memorable moments in 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1957), but one that stands out is the finale atop the Roman Coliseum. This sequence mirrored the finale of KING KONG (1933) set atop the Empire State Building.

The next Ray-Schneer collaboration went through a few title changes before settling on 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1957). It's also ironic that it was envisioned by Schneer as a color production (it was released colorized on DVD a few years ago), but Harryhausen talked him into staying within the monochromatic realm one more time. The European locale was different, as was the creature. Harryhausen wanted to instill a humanistic quality in the Ymir monster in the hopes of eliciting an emotional response from the audience. Ray's intention was successful, at least to me it was. I do remember crying when the Venusian monstrosity was killed at the end.



The Ymir was originally designed to be a cyclops with cloven hooves, but this was scrapped. Of course, the cyclops idea would later surface in 1958s THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD. The Ymir would serve another purpose 25 years later becoming part of the Kraken seen in CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981). Possibly the most memorable sequence in the film is the battle with the (rather large) elephant. Harryhausen would recapture this battle in color when bringing Willis O'Brien's failed 1942 project, THE VALLEY OF GWANGI, to the screen in 1969.



Columbia promoted the films spectacular stop-motion effects as 'Electrolitic Dynamation', which was a new christening which Harryhausen hadn't heard of (although the term Dynamation would cement itself in 1958, and morph over the years). The film was very successful, and maintains its stance as a fondly remembered monster movie. It was among the last such pictures of the 1950s, and also Ray's final film in glorious B/W. The animation entrepreneur was soon to set a precedent for not only himself, but also for the now vibrant art form known as stop-motion animation -- an effects technique that Harryhausen was now the leading authority.

To be continued in PART 2...

Piranha (1972) review

PIRANHA 1972 aka PIRANHA, PIRANHA

William Smith (Caribe), Peter Brown (Jim Pendrake), Ahna Capri (Terry Greene), Tom Simcox (Art Greene)

Directed by Bill Gibson

"I can taste the very soul of every animal I hunt... what I hunt becomes a part of me... and lives on in me. Someday I'll be out-hunted. And everything that I am will become part of that hunter..."

The Short Version: This early 70s wannabe exploitation movie/LAREDO reunion isn't quite as bad as its reputation suggests, but by and large, it's a missed opportunity. It has a few things going for it, but it also wastes a great deal of potential on outright sloppy direction and editing. Still, the location shooting in and around the amazon, numerous shots of gigantic anacondas, crocodiles and monkeys (not to mention a few animal deaths) will have fans of Italian jungle shockers reminiscing of Deodato and Lenzi. Smith is the 'Piranha' of the title essaying a demented hunter who hunts "everything". His former LAREDO co-star Peter Brown is among his prey, and also formulates a running gag between the two men; possibly the single smartest thing about the film. Only fans of Drive In fare, William Smith and those who have to see every adaptation of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME will have the patience to stick with this 89 minute obscurity. 



A fearless wildlife photographer and her brother hire intrepid amazonian guide Jim Pendrake to take them deep into the South American jungle for an exotic photo shoot on the locals, their lifestyle and the diamond mines in which they make their living. Upon arriving at a bar, they meet an American man named Caribe who lives in the jungle and has a reputation for being a ruthless hunter. The big man accompanies them on their journey to find diamonds, but the trio comes to regret it as Caribe turns out to be a psycho who has set his sights on a new form of prey.



Bill Gibson's sole known directorial effort is a major disappointment, but is a modestly worthwhile viewing experience for a few reasons. It also contains a couple underlying themes that may or may not have been intended in Richard Finder's screenplay; itself the sole listed credit for the writer. In fact, the film is peppered with numerous individuals who never worked again, or if they did, those productions are even more obscure than this one. Before discussing the films few bright spots, let's get the low points out of the way since the picture has garnered predominantly less than kind notices over the years.

The films title -- despite proving to be a deceptive bit of creativity -- is likely its most telling err of judgment. This movie named 'Piranha' -- that also starts with the title laid over a real piranha -- is a cataclysmic example of false advertising for those unaware of the movies plot. It leads the viewer to expect one type of film, but end up with a different film entirely. For those who manage to pay attention as the drama slowly unfolds, it becomes apparent 60 minutes in that the title refers to William Smith's Caribe character -- the name means 'piranha' and was given to him by the local Indios.

Piranhas do play a part in the film, though -- but this, too, is a disappointment. While the hungry little flesh-eating nibblers chow down on a victim at one point, an obvious bit of poetic justice never takes place that could have ended the film on a much more satisfying note. However, the ending does possess a sharp moment of irony; but it will only be picked up on by patient viewers who have absorbed background info on one of the characters -- and gotten over the fact that the film isn't about killer fish.



Outside of losing a good deal of its audience who will feel cheated by the actual contents of the film (some DVD versions go a step further and promote the film as a killer piranha picture), Gibson's movie also suffers from a slow pace and an over-reliance on padding. Still, it's logical to ascertain that the extensive scenes of shantytown villagers working and going about their lives is from the perspective of Terry, the photographer. There's also a good deal of jungle footage including numerous animals and reptiles. However, the latter isn't nearly as intrusive as the stretches of sequences showing oldsters sifting for diamonds in rivers, or digging holes in the ground backed by music that feels like the movie has suddenly transformed into one of those old middle school film strips. That the editor Thea Bentler worked on documentaries afterward speaks volumes about why chunks of PIRANHA (1972) resembles one of them.

In their defense, the shots of the animals (particularly scenes of massive anacondas) do much to add a dangerous ambiance amidst the noticeably sweaty jungle surroundings. But had there been about ten minutes trimmed away, the film would flow, and move much better.

 

Then there's the static, occasionally clunky cinematography by a Jose Luis Andreu and Luis Jacko. There are a few choice camera touches in the first half (the camera mounts during the motorcycle chase being an example), but the creativity quickly runs out as the film progresses. Granted, there's a thick aura of local flavor, and you can almost feel the humidity coming off your TV screen, but the cameramen seem to lose their interest. It's very possible that the film began with one DP and finished with the other. 

To elaborate, take the burning of the village during the finale. It's photographed without even a modicum of ingenuity. The camera just sits there as Caribe sets fire to these rows of huts to flush out his prey. What should have been a tense sequence, is lazy and lacking excitement.


With the negatives out of the way, it's now time to focus on the few good things found in this 70s curio obscurio. These high points revolve mostly around William Smith, who carries the weight of the movie on his shoulders. Some periodic tense moments also benefit the picture, but they're not enough considering the lack of vision that cripples the movie more often than not.

William Smith had been in motion pictures since the 1940s (where he first appeared as a child star in 1942s GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN), and had recently come off a successful run of biker movies ending with 1971s CHROME & HOT LEATHER. So successful was Smith in those roles, he was crowned the 'King of the Bikers', and he gets to relive some of that steel horse glory here during a motorcycle race with his former LAREDO co-star Peter Brown. 

This race takes up approximately six minutes of the running time, and it's one of the few things the film does right. It's edited and photographed with more originality than the rest of the film can muster. It's not known if it was intentional or not, but both men wipe out on a few occasions (Brown's is particularly brutal) during their race, and the footage remains. Both men travel over various terrain, some of which invites danger -- fields, dirt roads, mud, and even swampland.

Speaking of LAREDO, there are a couple of connections to that series as well as a couple of in-jokes that energize the film before its batteries start to run out. When Pendrake and Caribe are introduced, it's obvious Pendrake knows him, or of him. Caribe looks at him and says, "Do I know you?" Both men were partners on the western comedy series LAREDO which ran from 1966-1968. During the same scene, Pendrake asks Caribe if he knows how to ride a motorcycle just prior to challenging him to a race. This exchange is filled with all sorts of irony considering Smith's reigning status as the icon of Hog cinema. When the camera is tight on Smith's face, you can almost sense he wants to laugh when Brown asks him about his chopper prowess.



Continuing with the LAREDO connection, aside from the star turns of Smith and Brown, the other two main stars (Capri and Simcox) had also appeared on the series during its first season. Capri had previously worked with William Smith in DARKER THAN AMBER (1970). Simcox later worked with Smith again on HOLLYWOOD MAN in 1976; so PIRANHA likely has some fondness attached to it via its cast if not for those watching it. It's worth mentioning that Peter Brown (who was already an actor of some repute from his role on the LAWMAN series) briefly delved further into exploitation cinema with FOXY BROWN and ACT OF VENGEANCE (both 1974).

Going back to Smith, he plays the character of Caribe as this calculating madman. We see him at the beginning capturing some monkey's. His sly, guileful laugh lets us know he's not a nice character. When we meet him again a short time later, the evil inherent in his persona is carefully brought to the surface via Smith's facial expressions. 

As the film moves forward, he drops more and more clues that he's far from sane. His speeches about hunting and killing hammer home THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (a popular short story by Richard Connell adapted for the screen many times) aspects of the picture. Smith imbues Caribe with little nuances that adds tension to scenes where none would have been otherwise. We know he's crazy, it's just a matter of when and where he's going to erupt.



Aside from the homicidal Caribe, there are a scant few other moments of palpable dread. Sadly, these moments have no lasting power since their energy is sucked out of them by a permeating languidness. These include a building sense of danger once our trio reach their destination. There's a hint early on that the locals might not welcome the three visiting Americans. However, it's not long till it becomes apparent through subtle nods that Caribe grips the surrounding populace with terror and intimidation. It's not elaborated on, but it's definitely noticeable.

The few onscreen animal deaths won't make anyone's day, but it's fascinating to find them here in a cinematically historical context. The Italians turned animal mutilation into something of a cottage industry during the 1960s and 1970s with their mondo movies and cannibal pictures. Considering this film was shot mostly, if not entirely in South America and the amazon, the muggy, mud-caked, and sweat inducing locales will bring to mind CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980) and CANNIBAL FEROX (1981) for those who are familiar with those movies.

It's not really a highlight, but just like so many 70s pictures, PIRANHA has its own theme song. It's a folksy tune titled 'Love All Things That Love the Sun'. Sung by Jim Stein, this song -- like others in 70s cinema -- relates to the onscreen action, but in an ironic fashion (and this film is brimming with irony). We see lots of animals, and Caribe is seen killing a few when he isn't talking about killing them. This survival of the fittest (as twisted as Caribe's logic is) mentality provides an interesting dichotomy for Terry's anti-gun stance -- one that would fit right in with today's 2nd amendment political maneuvering. Both characters briefly empower the film with some much needed relevancy found in their infrequent banter.



The obscurity of PIRANHA (1972) is no doubt partially, or wholly due to its inferiority when compared with much better examples of Drive In motion pictures. I've never seen the trailer, or any promotional memorabilia for the film under this, or any other title; or even the title I saw it under on what was then the best local channel for monster movies, WGGT-TV 48. I can't recall if the onscreen title was in fact PIRANHA, PIRANHA, but that's what the commercial advertised it as. I only ever saw it the one time, and, like just about everybody else who saw it, it did nothing for me when I was a kid. I was expecting what most folks would expect -- a killer fish movie.

Overall PIRANHA is a poor film, but one with a few merits. Granted, these merits are recommendations geared strictly to a core group of cinephiles. First and foremost, devoted William Smith fans will want to see this. Considering how many labels it's available on, and how cheap it is, it's well worth throwing away a few bucks on simply to see another William Smith movie. Those who feel compelled to see every filmic adaptation of 'The Most Dangerous Game' will also want to tune in. Everyone else will want to approach with caution, or steer clear of this Amazonian jaunt altogether.

This review is representative of the Miracle Pictures DVD.