JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1963)

Even people who haven’t heard of the ‘50s & ‘60s Sci-Fi and Greek Mythology fantasy films made by Stop-Motion master Ray Harryhausen and producer Charles H. Schneer seem to know the stupifying warrior skeletons of this film.  Great fun, for sure; more surprisingly, well-made fun.  The film actually good; not often the case for these on-the-cheap sword & sandal epics.  Harryhausen & Schneer knew it, too; citing this as their favorite.  The credits show why: a Bernard Herrmann score*, writers with an ear for Greek Gods (co-scripter Beverly Cross Maggie Smith’s second husband*), handsome location shooting with Wilkie Cooper’s lensing shot ‘flat’ so the considerable post-production special effects match picture elements without forcing the grain, well-cast, too.  (Jason a bit low on wattage and dubbed, but no deal breaker.)  Definitely not part of the formulaic HERCULES series out of Cinecittà.  Harryhausen named his filming system Dynamation, whatever that was, but it’s the care taken in matching all the separate visual elements that makes the difference in making this look downright posh on screen and ‘selling’ what are essentially articulated puppets.  The story nothing more than Jason going from one adventure to the next (like an old-fashioned movie serial) surviving lively, perfectly integrated, stop-motion obstacles to reach the Golden Fleece, helped by his hunky argonaut mates.  Not a gym rat among them BTW, but plenty of rough-hewn masculinity.  Not really a pretty sight, but a good explanation of why those Trireme battle ships were open-air vessels!  Yikes!

READ ALL ABOUT IT:  *(Another HEAR All About It)  Though this film’s music isn’t included, the best collection of self-conducted Herrmann fantasy film scores is on BERNARD HERRMANN: GREAT FILM SCORES, originally out on gimmicky, but spectacular Phase 4 Stereo vinyl.   (Easy to find on all major streaming services.)  

DOUBLE-BILL:  *Harryhausen, Schneer & Cross all went back to the well for 1981's CLASH OF THE TITANS.  All that was missing was the magic.  (Apparently, Harryhausen had to do a bit of a rush job and was forced to delegate much of the painstaking work.)