Posters for Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

December 19, 2021 Ken Miller 1 Comment

JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS was directed by Don Chaffey, produced by Charles H. Schneer, and featured a great cast, including Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Honor Blackman, Gary Raymond, Laurence Naismith, Niall MacGinnis (my favourite Zeus!), Patrick Troughton, Douglas Wilmer, Michael Gwynn and Nigel Green (a really good Hercules!)

This is one of Ray Harryhausen’s very, very best movies! Boasting a well-paced plot, a wonderful Bernard Herrmann score and memorable stop-motion creatures, including Talos and the Harpies. The many-headed Hydra that guards the fleece is a very well-designed creation and is probably my favourite stop-motion movie beast.

The Hydra is a gorgeous-looking critter!

The sword fight between Jason and a couple of his Argonauts versus seven grimacing skeletons is a truly exciting and memorable moment in fantasy cinema. For me, this is the best stop-motion sequence of all time!

It's all about to kick off... — It’s all about to kick off…

Amazing stuff. Fantasy adventure movies don’t get better than this!

Here’s a selection of just some of the posters produced for the movie…

UK double bill quad poster for re-release of Jason and the Argonauts/Mysterious Island. I saw this double bill at the cinema! Woot! — UK quad poster for re-release of Jason and the Argonauts/Mysterious Island. I saw this double bill at the cinema! Woot!

A couple of limited-edition posters…

By Killian Eng — Poster by Killian Eng (he added too many skeletons!)

Some lobby cards…

I hope he used deodorant... — I hope he used deodorant…

Some fotobustas (Italian version of lobby cards)…

Some VHS, DVD and Blu-ray covers…

Some Super 8mm box art…

Derann box art for Super 8mm colour/sound reel

Some acrylic paintings by Jamie Chase…

Finally, some Ray Harryhausen concept art for the movie…

Sator (2019)

December 19, 2021 Ken Miller Leave a comment

Does Sator have fingers that are animal jawbones? — Does Sator have fingers that are made from animal jawbones?

Written and directed by Jordan Graham, this low budget horror movie stars Michael Daniel, Rachel Johnson, Aurora Lowe, June Peterson and Gabriel Nicholson.

This poster plays on the automatic writing aspect of the story

An old woman (Peterson) has the gift for automatic writing and endlessly speaks of a being called Sator. Meanwhile, her grandson Adam, a man of very few words, lives in a cabin deep in some moody-looking woods. He is obsessed with what might be lurking amongst the trees, checking his Deer Cam feeds, mulling over his grandmother’s claims that Sator is watching, and having various memories of his family that seem to be bothering him.

A skull adorned figure in Adam's cabin — A skull-adorned figure in Adam’s cabin

SATOR is pretty atmospheric, with some impressively-shot footage of forests, mountains, ruined walls and fallen tree trunks, though the plot is just too cryptic. The protagonist, Adam, has to carry a lot of the film on his own, without uttering much dialogue, so it’s unfortunate that Gabriel Nicholson just isn’t quite good enough an actor to emote what Adam is thinking via his eyes and expressions.

Adam hides from the antler people that enter his home

The various outdoor locations are used effectively, there’s interesting use of B&W footage interspersed amongst the colour scenes, the occasionally-seen figures wearing deer skulls and animal pelts look cool, a murder (that includes a burning beard) late in the story is gorily well handled and there’s good use of darkness in some scenes, where a character’s torch can only illuminate a certain percentage of what’s onscreen. So it is definitely a shame that the story itself is too slow-burn, too obscure and confused, with mumbled dialogue early in the movie that is hard to understand.

Deer skull-wearing character seen close-up

But, as I said, the film does look wonderful much of the time and some of the cryptic stuff, like close-up shots of a yellow slug on the forest floor and misty/snowy footage of foliage and landscapes, adds an interesting, sombre quality to the production.

Ah, a poster that uses the ol' monster-claw-in-the-foreground layout — Ah, a poster that uses the ol’ monster-claw-in-the-foreground layout

Death Trench (2017)

December 17, 2021 Ken Miller Leave a comment

Also known as TRENCH 11 and THE TRENCH, this Canadian film was produced by Carousel Pictures, directed and co-written by Leo Scherman and stars Rossif (DEAD BEFORE DAWN) Sutherland, Robert Stadlober, Shaun Benson and Ted Atherton.

The movie is set towards the end of the First World War and it concerns a small team of allied troops sent on a mission to explore an underground German bunker that has been used for disturbing experiments.

The story introduces the idea of weaponised parasitic worms. It is revealed that the parasites were initially bred by the Germans to kill allied livestock, but the worms jumped species, to infect humans. So a twisted German officer called Reiner (Stadlober) deliberately bred deadlier versions of the worms, planning to use them against Germany’s enemies. The worms, however, got loose in the bunker before he could put his scheme into action…

An autopsy scene involving a worm-infested corpse

Barfing up infected vomit into a victim's mouth! Yuck! — Barfing up infected vomit into a victim’s mouth! Yuck!

The protagonists soon find themselves dealing with German soldiers infested with the parasitic worms, which resemble writhing white vermicelli/spaghetti!

DEATH TRENCH is not the most memorable production I’ve ever seen, but I did like this modestly budgeted film. The acting varies and the pacing could definitely be better, but the setting is interesting and you do get the chance to see victims with bulging faces and white worms wriggling from gunshot holes!

Finally, some poster/DVD/Blu-ray cover art for the film…

Violence is contagious... — Violence is contagious…

Behemoth (2011)

November 28, 2021 Ken Miller Leave a comment

That's certainly a big Behemoth! — That’s certainly a big Behemoth!

With deaths and quakes occurring around Mount Lincoln, it is eventually discovered that beneath the mountain lurks… Behemoth!

This movie was the 23rd film in the ‘Maneater Series’ (this was the brand name, logo and look given to a series of made-for-television horror films produced by RHI Entertainment, distributed by Vivendi Entertainment). Other movies that were part of the Maneater Series included GRIZZLY RAGE (2007), MALIBU SHARK ATTACK (2009) and WYVERN (2009).

"It's the size of the mountain!" — “It’s the size of the mountain!”

BEHEMOTH, which stars Ed Quinn, Pascale Hutton and William Bruce Davis, was premiered on January 15th 2011 on the SyFy Channel, so I guess it’s not a surprise that the acting, production values, script and special effects for this TV movie are not of the highest standard.

A mountain... a monster... a massacre — A mountain… a monster… a massacre

I’ll be honest: I didn’t focus too much on the storyline & acting, but I did quite like the Behemoth critter itself, once it rises from the ground. The CGI ain’t anything to write home about and during the finale the Behemoth basically just flaps its tentacles around a bit on top of the mountain, before beefy Bradley Cooper lookalike Ed Quinn blows it up (quite easily) with a rocket launcher, but the big, goofy, novel-looking beast is a fun creation. So here are some shots of the Behemoth to enjoy…

A giant monster eye peers through a hole in the mountainside…

...and then a tentacle pokes from the hole! — …and then a tentacle pokes from the hole: run!

At one point the Behemoth’s head pokes from the ground and gobbles up a character when he falls from the cliff he’s clinging to…

The Behemoth's knobbly outer skin reminds me a bit of the armoured carapaces of the Zargs in WARLORDS OF ATLANTIS — The Behemoth’s knobbly outer skin reminds me a bit of the armoured carapaces of the Zargs in WARLORDS OF ATLANTIS

Here are a bunch of pics of the Behemoth once it finally bursts from the summit of the mountain…

Huge, crab-like legs and tentacles emerge

It that central, toothy section a nod to the Sarlacc?

The weird-lookin' Behemoth crawls to the top of Mount Lincoln — The weird-lookin’ Behemoth crawls to the top of Mount Lincoln

Does the Behemoth's face resemble the monster on the cover of Blue Öyster Cult's album Cultösaurus Erectus? — Does the Behemoth’s face resemble the monster on the cover of Blue Öyster Cult’s album Cultösaurus Erectus?

Ed Quinn aims his rocket launcher at the Behemoth... — Ed Quinn aims his rocket launcher at the Behemoth…

...and he needs to shoot the rocket through the monster's mouth! — …and he needs to shoot the rocket straight down the monster’s mouth!

A pleased Ed Quinn flies off in a helicopter

Finally, some DVD and VCD covers…

Well, this isn't a very accurate depiction of the monster — Well, this isn’t a very accurate depiction of the monster!

Alien 2: On Earth (1980)

November 24, 2021 Ken Miller Leave a comment

Blobby alien attacks a victim in a cave!

After a spacecraft returns to Earth missing its astronauts, we are shown a young girl on a beach, where she discovers a strange, blue rock. The girl’s mother soon finds her… with her face missing!

We then follow some friends who are on their way to enjoy themselves exploring a cave system. As they change into their caving gear, one of the group discovers a blue rock… and he decides to put it in his backpack. Bad decision, mate.

This sci-fi horror flick was written and directed by Ciro Ippolito (going by the name Sam Cromwell), was released following the success of ALIEN (1979), and was promoted as an unofficial sequel to Ridley Scott’s film, despite having no connection to it.

ALIEN 2: ON EARTH was released theatrically in Italy on April 11th 1980 as ALIEN 2: SULLA TERRA. It is also known as ALIEN TERROR.

The film features Michele Soavi in a co-starring role, before he went behind the camera to become the director of such films as STAGE FRIGHT (1987), THE CHURCH (1989) and CEMETERY MAN (1994). The movie was filmed in Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, California and the Castellana Caves in southern Italy.

Okay, this flick has an interesting set-up: a group of friends being killed off by alien organisms during a caving expedition. That’s a cool idea. These extraterrestrial things, I assume, arrived in those blue, pulsating rocks, but nothing is explained clearly in this movie.

Cavers get killed after the alien organ-blobs somehow squirm out of the surrounding boulders... — Cavers get killed after the alien organ-blobs somehow squirm out of the surrounding boulders…

The blobby, bloody, organ-like aliens are only ever seen in close-up, as they erupt from victims or, at one point, issue from inside boulders in the cave. Because we only ever see them up-close or out of focus it’s hard to really know what these creatures are meant to look like in their entirety.

The alien blob-bits are shown in close-up, so you never get a clear view of the whole thing

Yes - another 'bit of an alien' seen in the cave — Yes – another ‘bit of an alien’ seen in close-up in the cave

The film possesses very little logic. In fact, it makes fellow Italian Alien rip-off movie CONTAMINATION (1980) look like a plotting masterclass by comparison! For instance, it’s hard to know why the protagonists who manage to escape from the cave make the decision to go to a bowling alley rather than run straight to a police station! And just how did the entire city become deserted so quickly at the end of the film?

However, as I learnt long ago that logic was never an important factor in many Italian genre movie knockoffs, I kind of expected this sort of plotting! So what did stand out for me in this movie? Well…

…I think the best moment comes when a blobby alien bursts from a woman caver’s face, wraps around the throat of a guy dangling from a rope, then causes his head to fall off! Sometimes you have to enjoy the occasional gory, bizarre moment in these illogical flicks!

The dude's hanging upside down with the alien blob around his neck... — The dude is hanging upside down with the alien blob around his neck…

...and now his head has fallen off! — …and then his head drops off!

I don't think there was a shot of an eyeball within a boulder in the movie, but it's an interesting image, I guess — I don’t think there was a shot of an eyeball within a boulder in the movie, but it’s an interesting image, I guess

Finally, here are some German lobby cards…

German lobby card: severed head! — German lobby card: a severed head!

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977)

November 20, 2021 Ken Miller 1 Comment

Sinbad visits the kingdom of Charak and soon realises that all is not well. He eventually discovers that Prince Kassim, brother of Princess Farah (who Sinbad wishes to marry), has been turned into a baboon by his evil, magic-wielding stepmother Zenobia! In order to turn Kassim back into a human so that he can be crowned Caliph, Sinbad must seek out the alchemist Melanthius, which then leads to a quest to a far-off country beyond the north polar wastelands.

Prince Kassim has become a baboon, but he can still play chess!

Zenobia has got the eye(s) of the tiger!

Directed by Sam Wanamaker, SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER stars Patrick (THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT) Wayne, Jane (FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY) Seymour, Taryn Power and Patrick (JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS) Troughton. With stop-motion effects by Ray Harryhausen, this was the third Sinbad movie released by Columbia Pictures.

Stop-motion ghouls: yikes! — Zomboid ghouls: yikes!

This colourful fantasy romp features, amongst other things, a fight with three bug-eyed zomboid ghouls, an attack by a (fairly) big bee, a witch (Margaret Whiting) who ends up with the foot of a seagull and a voyage to the lost land of Hyperborea. It’s a shame, then, that TIGER is nowhere near as good as either THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD, which boasted better cinematography, direction, acting, score, script and creatures, or THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, which had a livelier sense of adventure, a wonderful Bernard Herrmann score and more striking stop-motion beasties.

SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER has rather a lot of iffy moments, unfortunately: ‘ice’ that looks like it’s been made out of plastic bags, the unblinking, lifeless glass eyes of the sabre-toothed tiger and poor blue screen work seen during the Petra scenes.

However…

…there’s still a lot of stuff I do like: all the baboon and Trog stop-motion scenes are good, the film has an attractive (though wooden) cast, the attack of the giant walrus is enjoyable and Patrick Troughton, as the alchemist Melanthius, acts everyone else off the screen.

Trog and Kassim the baboon become buddies

A lovely fantasy landscape. I wish there had been more shots of this kind in the film

It would've been better if the Minoton had been given more to do in the film — It would’ve been better if the Minoton had been given more to do in the film

The mechanical Minoton, animated via Zenobia’s sorcery, looks pretty cool, but has a rather throwaway demise when it just falls under a block of stone: I would have liked to see it fight either Sinbad or Trog.

Complaints aside, the film is charming and watchable – and I still have very fond memories of seeing this movie twice in the cinema, once in a double bill with the Nicholas Hammond SPIDER-MAN (which was released theatrically in the UK).

Here are some more posters…

US advance style 1 sheet – illustration is by Birney Lettick

Foldout movie promo…

Promo foldout - back cover (illustration is by Victor Gadino) — Promo back cover (illustration is by Victor Gadino)

Lobby cards…

Lobby card - Patrick Wayne, Patrick Troughton, Taryn Power and Jane Seymour — Lobby card – Patrick Wayne, Patrick Troughton, Taryn Power and Jane Seymour

Lobby card - Patrick & Taryn — Lobby card – Patrick & Taryn

Super 8 movie box art…

VHS, DVD and Blu-ray covers…

Pages from the movie pressbook…

A comic book adaptation of SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER was produced in the UK by General Publishing. This single issue also included a couple of movie features.

Ian Gibson, a regular artist for UK sci-fi comic 2000 AD, provided the nice-looking, detailed illustrations…

Written by Benny Aldrich, drawn by Ian Gibson

Some of Ian Gibson's original artwork. I like the very intricate line work! — Some of Ian Gibson’s original art. I like the very intricate line work!

Reaching the gate... — Reaching the gate…

Books and magazines…

The novelisation of the movie, written by John Ryder Hall

Here’s a hand pulled screen print art piece by a veteran of the UK graffiti scene, inspired by the film…

Finally, here’s a publicity shot…

Tormented (1960)

November 16, 2021 Ken Miller Leave a comment

Tom Stewart (Richard Carlson), a jazz pianist living in an island community, is haunted by the ghost of his ex girlfriend Vi Mason (Juli Reding), who he allowed to fall to her death from a lighthouse.

Vi hangs from the top of the lighthouse and Tom doesn't come to her aid — Vi hangs from the top of the lighthouse and Tom doesn’t come to her aid

I like this cheesy B&W ghost flick quite a bit!

Come on, Richard, these are special effects in a Bert I Gordon movie: it's no good pretending you can't see them! — Come on, Richard, these are special effects in a Bert I Gordon movie: it’s no good pretending you can’t see them!

TORMENTED, directed by Bert I Gordon (who swaps his usual giant creatures for a ghostly gal this time), features a neat little story that keeps you interested as you watch Carlson becoming ever more paranoid, repeatedly seeing the ghostly Reding… who very often appears just as a head, a hand or footprints. At one point Carlson thinks he finds Reding’s drowned corpse but it becomes just a pile of seaweed: is he losing his mind?

The ghostly hand crawls across the carpet

Tom 'sees' Vi's disembodied head... or is it a plant vase? — Tom ‘sees’ Vi’s disembodied head… or is it just a vase of flowers?

There’s an enjoyable soundtrack that is jazzy with creepy moments, director Gordon’s daughter Susan is pretty good as young sis Sandy, the special effects are very simple yet quirkily effective in their own way and, well, TORMENTED has a novel vibe all its own.

The special effects are pretty simple, but I like them! — The special effects are not THAT special, but I like them!

Nick the blackmailing beatnik (Joe Turkel) — Nick the blackmailing beatnik ferryman is played by Joe Turkel

Lugene Sanders plays Tom's fiancée Meg Hubbard — Lugene Sanders plays Tom’s fiancée Meg Hubbard

Juli Reding, as the vengeful spirit Vi, looks like she had a fun time in her role, playfully harassing Richard Carlson’s character Tom throughout the film…

…”Tom Stewart killed me! Tom Stewart killed me!”

Here are some colourful posters for TORMENTED…

DVD covers…

Killer Creature Double Feature DVD cover

Finally, some lobby cards…

This Mexican lobby card adds some blood!

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)

November 14, 2021 Ken Miller Leave a comment

Kali: one of Ray Harryhausen's greatest creations! — Kali: one of Ray Harryhausen’s greatest creations!

Sinbad (John Phillip Law), his crew, a Vizier (Douglas Wilmer) and a slave girl called Margiana (Caroline Munro) undertake a voyage to find the legendary Fountain of Destiny in Lemuria, but a master of black arts, Koura (Tom Baker), is also set on acquiring the Fountain’s gifts to conquer the land of Marabia.

Directed by Gordon (SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN) Hessler, this movie was the second of three Ray Harryhausen Sinbad films released by Columbia Pictures (the other two were THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD and SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER) and it’s my personal favourite.

Margiana is offered up to the God of the Single Eye... a centaur! — Margiana is offered up to the God of the Single Eye… a centaur!

For me THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD has the best ‘feel’ of the three Harryhausen Sinbad productions: the lighting is great, the sets are marvellous, it has the best dialogue, and the general atmosphere is a satisfying mix of seriousness, fantasy, adventure and humour.

Sinbad fights for his life in a fine-looking Lemurian temple set — Sinbad fights for his life in a moody Lemurian temple set

The score by composer Miklós Rózsa is wonderful, especially during the exciting sword fight between Sinbad’s crew and a statue of Kali. Rózsa had provided the music for THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940), a favourite film of Ray’s. THE THIEF OF BAGDAD had also featured green-skinned men and this Sinbad adventure has similar green tribesmen.

The main selling point of any Ray Harryhausen production is the chance to enjoy Ray’s stop-motion effects and THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD has a fine selection of animated adversaries, including the aforementioned many-armed Kali. Along with the Kali fight scene, the initial sequence that introduces Kali is also very well-done: the fact that Ray, through his stop-motion skills, imbues the six-armed statue with ‘life’ and then proceeds to show her dancing too is just amazing.

Other stop-motion creations include a wooden ship’s figurehead and winged homunculi. The scene in which Koura creates the second small homunculus from a jar of leaves and chemicals is effectively done, with the tiny creature acting as if it has just been born.

'Birth' of the homunculus — ‘Birth’ of the homunculus

Koura uses his dark magic to animate the figurehead on Sinbad's ship — Koura uses his dark magic to animate the figurehead on Sinbad’s ship

There is also an impressive cyclopean centaur, which kidnaps Margiana, then does battle with a griffin!

Some folks moan that the griffin just kind of strolls into the story to have a fight with the centaur and then gets killed. But this winged creature is performing a role set out in a prophecy told to Sinbad by the Oracle of All Knowledge (played by an uncredited Robert Shaw in striking makeup) and so, for me, the sudden appearance works fine because the griffin is functioning as part of the prophecy (which states “Destiny is a place where both good and evil wait” – the griffin obviously personifies the good) and when we see it get wounded by Koura so that the centaur can gain the upper hand in the battle, the griffin is again playing its part in the prophecy (“for it is the deeds of weak and mortal men that may tip the scales one way or the other.”)

The horned Oracle of All Knowledge is consulted

Lobby card shows Sinbad taking on the centaur

Tom Baker, as Koura, ageing every time he uses his magic, is the best villain in the Sinbad trilogy of films, I think. John Phillip Law is a fine Sinbad (the best!) and the lovely Caroline Munro adds glamour as slave girl Margiana, dripping sex appeal in all her scenes. Douglas (JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS) Wilmer, as the badly burned Vizier, is hidden by a mask for most of the running time, but his voice is a great contribution to the film.

Tom Baker as Koura, surrounded by green tribesmen

The Vizier reveals his scarred face to act as a distraction, so that Sinbad can escape the green men. — Douglas Wilmer as the Vizier reveals his scarred face to act as a distraction, so that the protagonists can escape the green men.

Sinbad offers the Vizier a crown of untold riches

Ultimately, I think this Sinbad film stands out because its story uses the overarching theme of Destiny very well, in a script written by Brian Clemens that includes lots of chat peppered with praise to Allah, humour and colourful aphorisms: “My heart is filled with courage! But I have very cowardly legs.”

“Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel!”

Kali will be a real handful in a fight! — Kali is a real handful!

Some posters for the film…

Lobby cards…

VHS, DVD and Blu-ray covers…

Marvel Comics did an adaptation of the movie…

Publicity photo…

Finally, here’s a Ray Harryhausen concept drawing that shows a proposed fight between the centaur and a giant Neanderthal Man…

The Neanderthal Man was replaced with a griffin in GOLDEN VOYAGE, but a Troglodyte would feature in SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER — The Neanderthal Man was replaced with the griffin in GOLDEN VOYAGE, but a big Troglodyte would feature in SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER

Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

November 6, 2021 Ken Miller Leave a comment

This Columbia Pictures sci-fi film was directed by Fred F. Sears, produced by Charles H. Schneer, and stars Hugh (THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL) Marlowe, Joan (20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH) Taylor and Morris (THE GIANT CLAW) Ankrum.

The storyline was suggested by the bestselling non-fiction book ‘Flying Saucers from Outer Space’ by Major Donald Keyhoe, though the plot in the movie goes the full-on route of pulpy, full-scale alien invasion. Yes! This is what we want!

The iconic Ray Harryhausen-created flying saucers, of course, are the main draw for this fun flick. They are so, well, flying saucer-ish! This is how UFOs should look!

Ray's super-cool saucers! — Ray’s super-cool saucers!

I like how, at one point, the aliens initially try to negotiate a takeover without conflict because they don’t want to rule a messed-up world, but when they realise this isn’t going to happen… they simply throw their two human captives out of one of their craft mid-flight! Spiteful, nasty aliens!

Ray Harryhausen had considered portraying the aliens as animated worm-like beings, but the extraterrestrials in the movie were eventually portrayed as aliens wearing body armour made from solidified electricity (via men-in-suits, not stop-motion models). We do get a glimpse of an alien’s hairless, lined visage when its helmet is removed. ..

An alien's face is revealed — An alien’s face is revealed

This is one of the few 50s extraterrestrial invasion movies to actually deliver on what the posters promised: mass saucer attacks and lots of property destruction!

Here’s a whole bunch of posters for the movie (the Italians, as usual, produced some gorgeous artwork for their posters)…

Italian poster - illustration by Anselmo Ballester — Italian poster – illustration by Anselmo Ballester

French poster - nice, loose artwork by Georges Kerfyser — French poster: nice, loose art style by Georges Kerfyser

Swedish poster: this one's very lively looking! — Swedish poster: this one’s very lively looking!

Italian Locandina movie poster (Anselmo Ballester art)

Some DVD, Blu-ray and VHS covers…

Lobby cards for the movie…

Lobby card - run away! — Lobby card – run away!

Assorted assets…

Okay, here’s a pressbook for the film…

Some cool art by Sam Williams, from 2016…

Finally, here’s the cover of the book that inspired the film…

Posters for The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

November 4, 2021 Ken Miller 1 Comment

Detail from the Spanish 1978 re-release poster

This British Technicolor fantasy film was produced by Alexander Korda, boasts great production design and it stars Sabu!

The sequence I like most in this magical movie is Abu’s (Sabu) mission to steal the All-Seeing Eye jewel in the Temple of the Goddess of Light. He has to deal with arrow-firing green-skinned men, he has to scale a giant statue, fight a giant spider on its web and make sure he doesn’t fall into a pool of giant octopi. The design of the temple is wonderful.

Sabu on his quest to attain the All-Seeing Eye — Abu on his quest to attain the All-Seeing Eye

Watch out, Abu: there are octopi at the bottom of the pit!

The movie also has a great score by Miklós Rózsa (who also did the music for THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD), a memorable genie (Rex Ingram) and a fine villain: the cunning Jaffar, played by Conrad Veidt.

A massive genie's foot! — A massive genie’s foot!

Here are just some of the posters that have been produced for this film. Get ready for lots of renditions of Sabu astride a flying carpet and giant, laughing genies!

Enjoy…