Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

Director:

Don Chaffey

Writers:

Jan Read (screenplay) &
Beverley Cross (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

19 June 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Family | Fantasy | Adventure

Tagline:

Greatest Odyssey Of The Ages - for the first time on the screen

Plot:

The legendary Greek hero leads a team of intrepid adventurers in a perilous quest for the legendary Golden Fleece.

Plot Keywords:

Golden Fleece | Skeleton | Hercules | Healing | Battle

Cast

Todd Armstrong	...	Jason
Nancy Kovack	...	Medea
Gary Raymond	...	Acastus
Laurence Naismith	...	Argos
Niall MacGinnis	...	Zeus
Michael Gwynn	...	Hermes
Douglas Wilmer	...	Pelias
Jack Gwillim	...	King Aeetes
Honor Blackman	...	Hera
John Cairney	...	Hylas
Patrick Troughton	...	Phineas
Andrew Faulds	...	Phalerus
Nigel Green	...	Hercules
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ennio Antonelli	...	Dmitrius - Drummer on Argo (uncredited)
John Crawford	...	Polydeuces (uncredited)
Aldo Cristiani	...	Lynceus (uncredited)
Eva Haddon	...	Medea (voice) (uncredited)
Ferdinando Poggi	...	Castor (uncredited)
Doug Robinson	...	Eupaemus (uncredited)
Davina Taylor	...	Briseis (uncredited)
Tim Turner	...	Jason (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Don Chaffey

Writing credits
Jan Read		(screenplay) &
Beverley Cross		(screenplay)
Apollonios Rhodios		(poem "The Argonautica") uncredited

Produced by
Ray Harryhausen	....	associate producer
Charles H. Schneer	....	producer

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann

Cinematography by
Wilkie Cooper		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Maurice Rootes

Production Design by
Geoffrey Drake

Art Direction by
Jack Maxsted
Antonio Sarzi-Braga		(as Tony Sarzi Braga)
Herbert Smith

Production Management
Jimmy Komisarjevsky	....	unit manager
Paul Maslansky	....	unit manager
Leonardo Scavino	....	unit manager (as Leon Lenoir)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dennis Bertera	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Cyril Collick	....	sound recordist
Alfred Cox	....	sound editor
Red Law	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
Ray Harryhausen	....	creator of special visual effects
Arthur Hayward	....	sculptor: model (uncredited)

Stunts
Ralph Faulkner	....	fight choreographer (uncredited)
Eddie Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Harry Gillam	....	camera operator

Music Department
Bernard Herrmann	....	conductor: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Bernard Herrmann	....	musical director (uncredited)
Bernard Herrmann	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Phyllis Crocker	....	continuity
John Dark	....	production executive
James Wines	....	title designer
Ferdinando Poggi	....	swordfight arranger (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Morningside Productions (uncredited)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1963) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1963) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1966) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Criterion Collection, The (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• Intrada  score album released by (Excalibur Collection) (uncredited)
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The  music played by (as The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-12 (cut) (1963) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1963) | Finland:K-8 (uncut) (2000) | Singapore:PG | USA:G (re-rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #20139) | Norway:11 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:U (passed with cuts) | West Germany:12 | Ireland:G | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Capaccio, Salerno, Campania, Italy

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Ray Harryhausen regards this as his best film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As the first harpy appears to torment Phineas, the wire holding it up is visible.

Quotes:

Argos:Pray to the gods, Jason!
Jason:The gods of Greece are cruel! In time, all men shall learn to live without them.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Helen of Troy (1956)

Come on people, this is fun

I usually write a review without reading other people's comments as I don't like it influencing what I have to say but in this case I read a few reviews of those who had seen Jason and the Argonauts and I was pretty stunned at the negative reviews. Like many, this was one of my favorite childhood movies. I loved the effects, the story of a hero setting out on a quest and the rest of the pomp and circumstance. The acting in Jason and the Argonauts is wooden, the story of King Pelias comes to no conclusion and we only get Hercules for a brief time but the movie is fun to watch, great to listen to and features effects that seen solid and get your respect, in spite of not being "up to today's standards." Personally, I feel that most of the digital effects today make it look like I'm watching a movie inside a movie instead of something that's supposed to be real. Jason and the Argonauts is old school black and white, with women being somewhat subordinate. Many programmed young people of today will be angry that this movie is an old tale of the hero slaying the dragon and getting the girl (and a fleece) but there it is and it's not a big deal. The movie takes liberties with greek mythology and some people hate that too but in that way it's no different then ninety percent of the movies in Hollywood. I feel bad that I feel I have to defend this movie against those that have missed the idea but I will. It's an adventure from a time when entertainment was more important then preaching a message, the characters aren't as bad as people say and Harryhausen's effects are still better then the fake digital junk out today, no matter how seamless the digital effects are. And Honor Blackmon rocks.

7.0/10