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Mysterious Island
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Mysterious Island (1961) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   1,969 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
John Prebble (screenplay) &
Daniel B. Ullman (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Mysterious Island on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 December 1961 (USA) more
Tagline:
adventure! mystery! excitement! more
Plot:
During the US Civil War, Union POWs escape in a balloon and end up stranded on a South Pacific island... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
Put it back on the big screen more (48 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Michael Craig ... Capt. Cyrus Harding
Joan Greenwood ... Lady Mary Fairchild
Michael Callan ... Herbert Brown
Gary Merrill ... Gideon Spilitt

Herbert Lom ... Captain Nemo
Beth Rogan ... Elena Fairchild
Percy Herbert ... Sgt. Pencroft
Dan Jackson ... Cpl. Neb Nugent
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Jules Verne's Mysterious Island (UK) (complete title)
L'île mystérieuse (Belgium: French title) (poster title) (France) [fr]
La isla misteriosa (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Den hemlighetsfulla ön (Sweden) [sv]
Den hemmelighedsfulde ø (Denmark) [da]
Die geheimnisvolle Insel (West Germany) [de]
Esrarengiz ada (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Het geheimzinnig eiland (Belgium: Flemish title) (poster title) [un]
I mystiriodis nisos (Greece) [el]
L'isola misteriosa (Italy) [it]
Salaperäinen saari (Finland) [fi]
more
Runtime:
101 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The armature for the crab is covered with the shell of a real crab instead of the usual latex. Ray Harryhausen bought three crabs for the production, having one humanely killed by a museum employee as boiling it would have changed the color of the shell. The other two were used for close-ups of the crabs' mandibles, which would otherwise have required a huge amount of time to properly animate. These crabs subsequently served as a dinner entrée for Harryhausen and producer Charles H. Schneer. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The "neck" of the balloon is shown blown out of position when first seen. It is then shown in place, too quickly to have been repaired. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Confederate soldier: All right, now get down.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Toccata and Fugue more

FAQ

How does the movie end?
Is "Mysterious Island" available for reading online?
Where did the women come from?
more
16 out of 18 people found the following comment useful.
Put it back on the big screen, 30 July 2003
Author: solongsuckers from In a Confederate Prison camp

Mysterious Island is a very political movie as it progresses, which is a sign of the times as opposed to the very traditional Journey to the Center of the Earth which was released just two years earlier. While Journey to the Center of the Earth was absolutely magical, Mysterious Island is explosive and dynamic. The magic is on hand, with wondrous shots and music to go along with the island's flora and fauna. The movie is also extremely charismatic. Michael Craig is too good to be true as the lead, Captain Cyrus Harding, but he has a hard edge that gets respect. The supporting players, especially Gary Merrill and Percy Herbert, more then pull their weight. Merrill's role reminds me a little of Dr. Smith from Lost in Space, and Percy Herbert is a gas as Pentcroft. Neb's character is treated like one of the gang, although I believe that Union regiments in the Civil War were either all white or all black so it is somewhat unrealistic. Indeed, how the character's mix together for the good of all is a hallmark of the movie. The strengthening of Michael Callan's character seems to be a major plot point but it gets lost along the way and is moot when Nemo shows up. Beth Rogan is sexy as Elena and the Lady Mary Faichild character ( I can't remember the actresses' name) shoots the movie full of musky, female intensity. The special effects are brilliant and (I hate to keep harping on it) blow away the "movie within a movie" digital nonsense of today. The bees are worth the price of admission alone and the movements of the crab are top notch. When Nemo arrives, the movie gets so political that I feel that I'm back in college. Herbert Lom is a little too snitty for me as Nemo but he's a cool guy and is great in other things so I accept him. The music is absolutely awesome and is one of my favorite musical scores of all time. A grossly underrated movie overall that is clearly meant to manipulate at the end. Along with Journey to the Center of the Earth, this movie would look incredible back on the big screen.

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