Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962)

Professor Fergusson plans to make aviation history by making his way across Africa by balloon. He plans to claim uncharted territories in West Africa as proof of his inventions worth.

Director:

Irwin Allen

Writers:

Jules Verne (novel), Charles Bennett (screenplay),

Stars:

Red Buttons, Fabian, Barbara Eden

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Red Buttons	...	Donald O'Shay
Fabian	...	Jacques
Barbara Eden	...	Susan Gale
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Fergusson
Peter Lorre	...	Ahmed
Richard Haydn	...	Sir Henry Vining
BarBara Luna	...	Makia (as Barbara Luna)
Billy Gilbert	...	Sultan / Auctioneer
Herbert Marshall	...	The Prime Minister
Reginald Owen	...	Consul
Henry Daniell	...	Sheik Ageiba
Mike Mazurki	...	Slave Captain
Alan Caillou	...	Inspector
Ben Astar	...	Myanga
Raymond Bailey	...	Randolph

Storyline

Professor Fergusson plans to make aviation history by making his way across Africa by balloon. He plans to claim uncharted territories in West Africa as proof of his inventions worth.

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Plot Keywords:

africa | balloon | camel | foreign language adaptation | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

Climb Aboard... For The Fun-Venture Of The Year!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild violence and thematic elements

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

5 Wochen im Ballon

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Irwin Allen Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Although the teapot was clearly not in Sir Henry's possession when the Arabs captured them at the oasis, by the time they ended up in the prison it mysteriously appeared wrapped up in his jacket.

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Quotes

[the balloon is about to land in the middle of the jungle]
Sir Henry Vining: It's a forest full of trees!

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Connections

Version of Cinci saptamîni în balon (1966)

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Soundtracks

"Five Weeks In A Balloon"
Written by Urban Thielmann (uncredited) and Jodi Desmond
Sung by The Brothers Four

User Reviews

It's a shame The 5th Dimension couldn't have written the theme song!

Before he gathered hordes of Hollywood A, B and C-list stars in overturned luxury liners and sky-high burning buildings, Irwin Allen gave the world a couple of colorful, simplistic, adventure films with casts full of name stars, past and present. This one concerns Hardwicke and his attempts to take his experimental hot air balloon to the edge of Africa and claim the territory for Great Britain before slave traders can do it first. Along for the ride are perky assistant Fabian, calamity-plagued reporter Buttons and uptight military man Haydn. They are soon joined by runaway slave Luna and shady slave trader Lorre and one of his recent captives Eden. Together, they brave various dangers such as outraged natives, drunken sheiks, sandstorms and waterfalls (nearly every Allen film ever made includes some type of natural threat.) The film is simple-minded, non-think entertainment made watchable by it's pallet of stars and it's varying locales. Hardwicke, wearing a fluffy wig and with his pants up near his nipples, is a long way off from "The Ten Commandments" and other, greater roles. Seeing him paired with Fabian (!) is about the most unexpected teaming imaginable. Fabian, with his adorable 5-inch-high pompadour, looks cute throughout, but is saddled with a hilariously awkward title song that he sings more than once. Apparently his accordion lessons only got him that far. Another surprising pair is that of Buttons and Eden. He is a charming character actor, but has no business headlining an adventure film! That's what an early Oscar win can do for (or to!) a career, though. He acquits himself fairly well, however. Eden is free of the overstated qualities that she brought to "I Dream of Jeannie" and is refreshingly subdued and attractive. Haydn gives a very stylized, mannered performance that may baffle those more familiar with his chummy Uncle Max character from "The Sound of Music". His inflection does begin to grate after a while. Lorre manages to toss off a few dry witticisms in one of his last roles. Luna, trotting around in an abbreviated costume and a teased hairdo, is mere decoration. In case all these people weren't wacky enough, there's a female chimpanzee on board! Several famed actors pop up in cameo roles. An ill-looking Marshall has a bit as The Prime Minister and legendarily tart Daniell has a role as a Sheik. Most of the Arabian characters are portrayed by white men in make-up, which was customary at the time. Logistical oddities and camp factors abound. The balloon can barely get off the ground with just four men at the beginning (half the luggage gets tossed), yet before long there's seven passengers and a monkey on it! Watch for the screamingly funny scene in which Eden, running across a perfectly flat, open field, manages to trip over the lone branch that has fallen in the way. All those oranges gone to waste! The humor is pretty lame and the situations are hardly realistic, yet somehow the cornball movie winds up being fairly entertaining.