1974’s The Golden Voyage of Sinbad: A Harryhausen Masterpiece
Before CGI, there was Dynamation, and it was good*. Exhibit A would be anything by Ray Harryhausen. But The Golden Voyage of Sinbad would be his crowning jewel. This movie is pure entertainment!
*By the way, Dynamation is still cool. CGI is a crapshoot.
Dynamation
Dynamation is a term for stop motion animation coined by Harryhausen. An explanation can be found here. Other famous uses for Stop Motion would be the Rankin-Bass Holiday specials(think Rudolph), The Nightmare Before Christmas, and more crudely, Robot Chicken.
But Harryhausen will always be the master. This film has Dynamation galore-and it works perfectly. It does not distract, look hammy, or ridiculous.
Keep in mind that the actors had to fight/interact with something that couldn’t be fixed via computer if they were off cue. And they are not off cue once.
When you see how this was made, it is even cooler.
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures
The Plot
Koura: He who is patient obtains.
Sinbad the sailor(John Phillip Law-favorite of MST3K fans) and his crew come across a homunculus carrying a piece of a golden tablet. The creature drops the tablet. Sinbad retrieves it and wears it around his neck. Thrown off course by a mysterious storm, the crew lands in Marabia. Here Sinbad encounters The Vizier(Douglas Wilmer), a nobleman and a noble man whose face is so hideously disfigured that he wears a golden mask that covers his entire head.
The Vizier.
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures
The Vizier consequently also has a piece of the tablet. He explains that putting the three pieces of the tablet together will bring riches, youth, and a shield of darkness. So that’d be an invisibility cloak years before Harry Potter. After taking on new crew in the form of a pothead slacker Haroun(Kurt Christian)
Sinbad, to Haroun: You pace the deck like a caged beast; for one who enjoys the hashish-you should be more at peace!
and Margiana(Caroline Munro), a slave girl Sinbad saw in his dreams.
Is Caroline Munro ever not adorable?
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures
Sinbad decides to aid the Vizier. They head to the legendary island of Lemuria. Trailing them is evil sorcerer Koura(Doctor Who’s Tom Baker), intent on getting all of the pieces, and their powers, to himself.
Tom.
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures
Sinbad: One who fears the unknown will one day take fright in his own backside.
Everything Else is Awesome, Too
Everything from the actors to the sets to the foley make this a great film for the family.
So great in fact, that it got Tom Baker the part of the fourth Doctor(the best Doctor-don’t @ me).
The foley in particular-the wooden masthead and bronze metal Kali-listen as you watch those scenes.
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures
The sounds of creaking wood in this scene make it perfect.
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures
I used to work at a video store(I’ve mentioned this before), and the Harryhausen films would always bring happiness when the dads found the movie boxes. It was something they could enjoy with their kids, that the kids wouldn’t scoff at. I was always proud about sneakily ordering those films for the store.
So if you haven’t seen this incredibly fun masterpiece, check out The Golden Voyage of Sinbad!
