Clash of the Titans (1981)

Director:

Desmond Davis

Writer:

Beverley Cross (written by)

Release Date:

12 June 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Family | Romance

Tagline:

An Epic Entertainment Spectacular!

Plot:

A film adaption of the myth of Perseus and his quest to battle both Medusa and the Kraken monster to save the Princess Andromeda.

Plot Keywords:

Kraken | Zeus | Princess | Quest | Medusa

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Laurence Olivier	...	Zeus
Claire Bloom	...	Hera
Maggie Smith	...	Thetis
Ursula Andress	...	Aphrodite
Jack Gwillim	...	Poseidon
Susan Fleetwood	...	Athena
Pat Roach	...	Hephaestus
Harry Hamlin	...	Perseus
Judi Bowker	...	Andromeda
Burgess Meredith	...	Ammon
Siân Phillips	...	Cassiopeia
Flora Robson	...	A Stygian Witch
Anna Manahan	...	A Stygian Witch
Freda Jackson	...	A Stygian Witch
Tim Pigott-Smith	...	Thallo
Neil McCarthy	...	Calibos
Donald Houston	...	Acrisius
Vida Taylor	...	Danae
Harry Jones	...	Huntsman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ferdinando Poggi	...	Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Desmond Davis

Writing credits
Beverley Cross		(written by)

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

Original Music by
Laurence Rosenthal

Cinematography by
Ted Moore		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Timothy Gee

Casting by
Joyce Agu		(casting) (as Joyce Robinson)
Sam Christensen		(casting)
Irene Lamb		(casting)

Production Design by
Frank White

Art Direction by
Giorgio Desideri
Fernando Gonzalez
Peter Howitt
Don Picton

Costume Design by
Emma Porteus		(as Emma Porteous)

Makeup Department
Colin Arthur	....	masks
Stephanie Kaye	....	hair stylist
Basil Newall	....	make-up
Connie Reeve	....	make-up
Nick Maley	....	prosthetics technician (uncredited)

Production Management
Mario Pisani	....	production supervisor: Italian
Luis Roberts	....	production supervisor: Spanish

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerry Gavigan	....	second assistant director
Terry Madden	....	second assistant director
Anthony Waye	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Colin Chilvers	....	model maker
Harry Cordwell	....	set dresser
Bob Cross	....	construction manager (as Robert Cross)
David Lusby	....	production buyer
Bill McLaren	....	construction manager
Janet Stevens	....	model maker
Cathy Hill	....	painter: production paintings (uncredited)
Wally Hill	....	props (uncredited)
Brian Muir	....	sculptor (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robin Gregory	....	sound mixer
Graham V. Hartstone	....	dubbing mixer
Nicolas Le Messurier	....	dubbing mixer
Gordon K. McCallum	....	chief dubbing mixer
Terry Poulton	....	sound effects editor
Terry Sharratt	....	boom operator (as Terry Sharrat)

Special Effects by
Brian Smithies	....	floor/physical effects

Visual Effects by
Steven Archer	....	assistant to Ray Harryhausen
Dennis Bartlett	....	blue screen technician
Cliff Culley	....	special miniatures
Jim Danforth	....	assistant to Ray Harryhausen
Roy Field	....	special opticals
Ray Harryhausen	....	creator of special visual effects
Frank Van der Veer	....	special opticals (as Frank Van Der Veer)
Martin Body	....	rostrum/matte cameraman (uncredited)
Jim Danforth	....	animator (uncredited)

Stunts
Ferdinando Poggi	....	stunt coordinator
Ralph Faulkner	....	fight choreographer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Bulley	....	clapper loader
Anthony Gaudioz	....	focus puller (as Tony Gaudioz)
Keith Hamshere	....	still photographer
John May	....	chief electrician
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator
Jimmy Spoard	....	camera grip
Egil S. Woxholt	....	underwater and aerial cameraman
Costas Charitou	....	titles & opticals: Camera Effects Ltd (uncredited)
David Johnson	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Marc Wolff	....	camera pilot (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Keith Denny	....	wardrobe supervisor
Helen Gill	....	wardrobe mistress
Yvonne Zarb Cousin	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Christopher Thompson	....	assistant editor
Joe Gallagher	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Robin Clarke	....	music editor
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestration by
Gordon Langford	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Bryan Coates	....	location manager
Norma Hazelden	....	production assistant
George Marshall	....	production accountant
Doreen Soan	....	continuity
Ann Tasker	....	unit publicist
Enzo Sisti	....	accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents)
• Peerford Ltd. (uncredited)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/CBS Home Video (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1981) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Esselte Video (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1999) (Finland) (TV)
• Vídeo Arte (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Camera Effects  titles
• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  music performed by (as The London Symphony Orchestra)
• Mediterranean Film Facilities  filmed on location in co-operation with
• Music Centre, The  music recorded at (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (as Dolby Stereo)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | UK:12 (DVD rating) (2005) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:PG (certificate #25716) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) (1981) | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2006) | UK:15 (tv rating) | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 (re-rating) (1981) | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 | Norway:16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Originally filmed in 1979.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Acrisius calls to the gods in the opening scene, modern dental fillings can be clearly seen in several of his teeth.

Quotes:

Zeus:Perseus and Andromeda will be happy together. Have fine sons... rule wisely... And to perpetuate the story of his courage, I command that from henceforth, he will be set among the stars and constellations. He, Perseus, the lovely Andromeda, the noble Pegasus...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Veronica Mars: Clash of the Tritons (#1.12)" (2005)

I Loved It !

It's nice to know that with all the different Herculeses running around that no one forgot Perseus (the great grandfather of Hercules as a matter of fact). While the creators took obvious liberties with the story, the special effects are stunning, some of Ray Harryhausen's best. Medusa is right dead on although the concept of her as a naga (snake-goddess) hit me out of left field. The visualization of Olympus and the gods on it was a boring and stagnant without any major grandeur. They're attired in white togas with no creative costuming what so ever and no glimpses of the other myriad gods of Olympus. Ursula Andress would not have been my choice for Aphrodite, but Susan Fleetwood resembles Isabella Rosselini of "The Odyssey" enough to pull off Athena, but kudos have to go to whoever got Sir Laurence Oliver to play Zeus. Even next to Roy Dotrice, John Rhys-Davies or perhaps Sean Connery, he is the only man who could give the role the command it deserves. More liberties were taken with Thetis as the wife of Poseidon,though, her presence forced into the story is only merely there to inflict the fateful curse. Harry Hamlin may not be an action star, but he does well in the role. Beautiful Judi Bowker makes for an entrancing Andromeda despite the trial she went through chained to a cliff at high tide. Burgess Meredith is whimsical and wise as the playwright who Perseus befriends, and Neil McCarthy emotes as best as he can as the new character Calibos inserted into the legend. The few things I can find fault with at all is the obvious overuse of previous footage whenever Perseus flies over Joppa. The tiny robotic owl Bubo is as charming as a big, stupid, purple dinosaur on PBS, but the images of Pegasus are as spectacular as you would expect. The images flying through the air again are foiled by the obvious overuse of stock footages and the telling scenes with stop-motion. Despite these few faults, this is a very enchanting fantasy and a very under-appreciated movie.