Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959 movie)
|
|
Journey to the Center of the Earth is a 1959 adventure movie. It stars James Mason and Pat Boone and was directed by Henry Levin.
Overview
An Edinburgh professor is intriqued by a strange rock given to him by one of his pupils. Uncovering its secret leads him and a few other hardy individuals to a dangerous journey that may have no return.
The film is more notable not for what it contains, but for what it contains because of when it was made. When special effects were still largely unheard of in Hollywood, this movie contains such believable scenery, creatures and locations that it would be hard to top it even today. The actors also delivery solid performances that cannot be censured. Though several decades old, this film is still a worthwhile and entertaining watch.
It was nominated for three Oscar Awards for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Effects, Special Effects and Best Sound. It won a second place Golden Laurel award for Top Action Drama in 1960.
Plot
Professor Oliver Lindenbrook (Mason) is given a piece of volcanic rock that is much heavier than it should be. After finding a plumb bob inside and reading its cryptic inscription, the pair discern that a previous explorer had actually found a passage to the center of the Earth and sent the plumb up as a signal. Through various transcripts and notes left by the explorer, the two discern where the entrance to the passage is.
Before they can start their journey, they discover a Professor Goetaborg, whom they asked for some help, has usurped their mission and has made plans to make the discovery before them. Finding him dead before he can start his mission, they find his lodgings filled with everything they need to mount their own expedition. Coerced into taking Goetaborg's recent widow, they start their search and are soon journeying to the heart of the Earth itself.
Strange terrain, a deranged rival scientist, breathtaking scenery and dinosaurs embellish the rest of their journey. Even coming upon the sunken city of Atlantis, the group is faced with one ominous question: How will they return to the surface?
External links
- IMDb entry on Journey to the Center of the Earth (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052948/)
- A review of the movie with original poster (http://www.jimusnr.com/Journeyearth.html)it:Viaggio al centro della Terra (film)