Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

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

Director:

Don Chaffey

Writers:

Jan Read (screenplay), Beverley Cross (screenplay)

Stars:

Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Todd Armstrong	...	Jason
Nancy Kovack	...	Medea
Gary Raymond	...	Acastus
Laurence Naismith	...	Argos
Niall MacGinnis	...	Zeus
Michael Gwynn	...	Hermes / Priest
Douglas Wilmer	...	Pelias
Jack Gwillim	...	King Aeetes
Honor Blackman	...	Hera
John Cairney	...	Hylas
Patrick Troughton	...	Phineas
Andrew Faulds	...	Phalerus
Nigel Green	...	Hercules

Storyline

Jason has been prophesied to take the throne of Thessaly. When he saves Pelias from drowning, but does not recognize him as the man who had earlier killed his father, Pelias tells Jason to travel to Colchis to find the Golden Fleece. Jason follows his advice and assembles a sailing crew of the finest men in Greece, including Hercules. They are under the protection of Hera, queen of the gods. Their voyage is replete with battles against harpies, a giant bronze Talos, a hydra, and an animated skeleton army, all brought to life by the special effects wizardry of Ray Harryhausen.

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Plot Keywords:

golden fleece | giant monster | argonaut | greek mythology | mythology | 

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Taglines:

SEE! The Adventure That Stunned the World...And the Mighty Men Who Conquered It!

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jason and the Golden Fleece

Filming Locations:

Campania, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The voice of Todd Armstrong, who played Jason, was dubbed by British actor Tim Turner. Turner's voice was well known as the narrator of the '60s Rank series "Look At Life"'. He was also the narrator of trailers in many British films in the '50s, '60s and '70s, including the one for this movie, and provided the voice of Dr. Peter Brady, the titular hero of the popular late '50s British TV series, The Invisible Man (1958).

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Goofs

In two scenes with the Harpies, first when the first Harpy appears and the second when Jason and his troop come up the trail; the wires controlling the Harpies are visible.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Pelias: Well?
Priest: Zeus, king of the gods of the Greeks, brighten the ashes that I may read the future. I see... a great tree at the end of the world. And in its branches there hang the skull and skin of a ram. They gleam and shine for it is a prize of the gods, a Golden Fleece.

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Alternate Versions

A brief scene was cut from the skeleton fight where the decapitated skeleton is seen feeling around for its head. In addition the UK cinema version was cut by the BBFC to remove the shrieking made by the skeletons from a face-on shot during the initial charge, and video versions featured the same print. DVD versions are uncut.

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Connections

Referenced in Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Clash of the Titans (2016)

User Reviews

A Special Effects Master of its Time

Back in 1963 I was only 7 at the time, but I can still remember going to the Tower Theater in Downtown Los Angeles and being totally awed with the effects created by Ray Harryhausen. In today's world it may seem below standard compared to computer effects, but for those of us growing up in that time period, the Harryhausen style of special effects will continue to bring back warm memories of those years. With computer graphics, you see it and like it the first time you see it, but then many movies of today have the same and it becomes moot. Jason and the Argonaunts was one of those few movies at the time along with the Sinbad saga that lives on in your heart. The pace of the film is perfectly put together along with the many creatures, 7-headed hydra, huge fish-man, huge metal man and skeletons fighting is what makes it a classic which lives on in the hearts of those growing up in the sixties.