The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

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 | Magician | Sinbad | Island | Magic

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Kerwin Mathews	...	Sinbad
Kathryn Grant	...	Princess Parisa
Richard Eyer	...	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
Charles H. Schneer	....	producer
Ray Harryhausen	....	associate producer (uncredited)

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		(uncredited)

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 (uncredited)
Maurice Gillett	....	chief electrician (uncredited)

Other crew
Bob Gill	....	main titles
Henri Jaffa	....	Technicolor color consultant
Enzo Musumeci Greco	....	fencing master (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Morningside Productions (as A Morningside Production)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia International Films (195?) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 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)
• LK-TEL Vídeo ((19??)) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video ((19??)) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2000) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:G (1975) | West Germany:12 | Sweden:15 | Canada:G (Ontario) | UK:U | Australia:G | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:14 (original rating) (1958) | USA:Approved (PCA #18906)

Filming Locations:

Caves of Arta, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Initially, Ray Harryhausen wanted Miklós Rózsa or Max Steiner to score The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), but Charles H. Schneer persuaded Harryhausen to agree to hire Bernard Herrmann instead. Herrmann's score was so well received, and he worked so well with Schneer and Harryhausen, he ended up scoring three more of their films: The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960), Mysterious Island (1961), and Jason and the Argonauts (1963). Harryhausen eventually got his wish, however, when Miklós Rózsa scored The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: On their first encounter with the cyclops, they are rowing out to their boat when the cyclops hurls a boulder at them. The boulder hits the water, makes a splash, but then it starts to float rather than sink like a rock.

Quotes:

[about to land on Collosa]
Sinbad:May Allah grant we find food and water.
Harufa:And may Allah grant we find nothing else.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Strongbad_email.exe: Disc Five (2007) (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.