Around the World in Eighty Days (1956)

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

James Poe (screenplay) &
John Farrow (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1958 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

See everything in the World worth seeing! Do everything in the World worth doing!

Plot:

Adaptation of Jules Verne's novel about a Victorian Englishman who bets that with the new steamships and railways he can do what the title says.

Plot Keywords:

Bet | England | Travel | Train | Spain

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Cantinflas	...	Passepartout
Finlay Currie	...	Andrew Stuart
Robert Morley	...	Gauthier Ralph
Ronald Squire	...	Reform Club Member
Basil Sydney	...	Reform Club Member
Noel Coward	...	Hesketh-Baggott
John Gielgud	...	Foster (as Sir John Gielgud)
Trevor Howard	...	Denis Fallentin
Harcourt Williams	...	Hinshaw
David Niven	...	Phileas Fogg
Martine Carol	...	Tourist
Fernandel	...	French Coachman
Charles Boyer	...	Monsieur Gasse
Evelyn Keyes	...	The Flirt
Jose Greco and Troupe	...	Flamenco Dancers

Also Known As:

Around the World in 80 Days (USA) (alternative spelling)
Michael Todd's Around the World in 80 Days (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

167 min (35 mm version) | 183 min (with overture and exit music) | UK:135 min (25 fps) (video version) | USA:175 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Mag-optical) (35 mm prints) (1956) | Mono (optical) (35 mm prints) (re-release prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo (Perspecta Sound encoding) (35 mm magnetic prints) (1956)

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Norway:A | West Germany:6 (f) | New Zealand:G | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:Approved | USA:G (1983)

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Michael Todd Company

Trivia:

The role of Passepartout was greatly expanded from the novel to accommodate the presence of Mexican star Cantinflas. In the mid-50s, he was the wealthiest movie star in the world, and was given top billing in Latin countries.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In all the close-up scenes with the gas balloon the basket ropes are tight from the load ring and down, but from the load ring and up to the balloon they are slack. Had it been a real flying gas balloon, all the ropes and also the net above the load ring would have been very tight during flight since they are carrying the weight of the basket and everything in it. It is clearly visible that the lifting force, by a stage crane, is erroneously placed in the center through the appending gas valve. Had the sandbags on the basket actually contained sand, they would not have bounced around so lightly. Not to venture into details, but most of the flight behavior of the balloon is completely unnatural when compared to the behavior of a real aerostat under such circumstances.

Quotes:

Phileas Fogg: Madam, will you join me on the verandah? I understand they serve an outstanding lemon squash.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "I Dream of Jeannie: Around the World in 80 Blinks (#4.23)" (1969)

Soundtrack:

Jingle Bells

The greatest supporting cast in the history of film

Michael Todd's screen adaptation of Jules Verne's classic novel is a masterpiece.

Beautifully shot in over 100 different locations around the world, it is one of the few novels which actually benefits from big screen treatment. No longer do we have to imagine these fine exotic places in our minds, they are presented here in full cinematic and Technicolour brilliance.

The great David Niven plays the quintessential English gentleman to the hilt as Philias Fogg, the well to do bachelor who after calmly announcing that it was possible, accepts a £20,000 wager from his fellow Reform Club members to travel round the world in 80 days.

In tow on this mammoth voyage are newly appointed man servant Passepartout played by Mexican entertainer Cantinflas, a rather miscast Shirley MacLaine as Aouda a recently rescued Indian Princess and the lovable and ever watchable Robert Newton as Mr. Fix the detective who is convinced Fogg is a master criminal who left Britain having just robbed the Bank of England.

Yet what adds flavour to an already wonderful story and fascinating movie, is that no matter what corner of the globe our intrepid Fogg appears, he is helped, hindered, slowed down, befriended and attacked by a myriad of world renowned movie stars. Never before or since has a film boasted so many top named stars in cameo appearances.

Robert Morley, Ronald Squire, Finlay Currie, Basil Sydney, Noel Coward, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, Harcourt Williams, Martine Carol, Fernandel, Charles Boyer, Evelyn Keyes, Gilbert Roland, Cesar Romero, Alan Mowbray, Cedric Hardwicke, Melville Cooper, Reginald Denny, Ronald Colman, Charles Coburn, Peter Lorre, George Raft, Red Skelton, Marlene Dietrich, John Carradine, Frank Sinatra, Buster Keaton, Tim McCoy, Joe E. Brown, Andy Devine, Edmund Lowe, Victor McLaglen, Jack Oakie, Beatrice Lillie, John Mills, Glynis Johns and Hermione Gingold all come along for this bizarre journey.

Now thats what I call a cast list.

Niven is as always a joy to watch as the seemingly unstoppable and resourceful Fogg, so much so that the film can be forgiven its epic length.

However, I do feel as though a good half an hour could have been trimmed had Todd decided to tone down some of Cantinflas' over long routines. We know what a fantastic and talented performer he was, there was no real need to hammer the point home with a nigh on 15 minute bull fight sequence, Japanese circus tricks and stunt horse riding.

However despite this one criticism, the film is legend, the story is legend and was fully deserving of the five Oscar's it was awarded, including Best Picture of 1956.

In fact I feel certain that if Philias Fogg had a film like this on DVD, he would have much preferred to stay at home and watch it. I know I certainly would.