Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1963
Running Times: 99m 25s (UK - PAL video); 99m 27s (UK - PAL video); 99m 35s (UK - PAL video); 104m
Length:
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: Eastmancolor
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 (negative ratio); 1.85:1 (intended ratio)
Sound: mono

DIRECTION

Directed by: Don Chaffey

PRODUCTION
Copyright: © MCMLXIII [1963] Morningside Worldwide Pictures
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures Corporation presents a Charles H. Schneer production
Produced by: Charles H. Schneer
Associate Producer: Ray Harryhausen
Production Executive: John Dark

SCRIPT
Screenplay by: Jan Read, Beverley Cross
Poem: The Argonautica by Apollonious Rhodios [uncredited]

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: Dennis Bertera
Continuity: Phyllis Crocker

PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographed by: Wilkie Cooper
Camera Operator: Harry Gillam

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Maurice Rootes
Eastmancolor by Pathe

MUSIC
Music by: Bernard Herrmann
conducting The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Musical Directors: Bernard Herrmann, Mario Nascimbene [both uncredited]

SOUND
Sound Recordists: Cyril Collick, Red Law
Sound Editor: Alfred Cox
Westrex Recording System

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Creator of Special Visual Effects: Ray Harryhausen
Model Scultor: Arthur Hayward [uncredited]

TITLES AND OPTICALS
Title Designer: James Wines

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Geoffrey Drake
Art Directors: Herbert Smith, Jack Maxsted, Tony Sarzi Braga

LOCATIONS
Locations: England; Paestum, Salerno, Campania, Italy; Palinuro, Salerno, Campania, Italy
Unit Manager: Leon Lenoir, Jimmy Komisarjevsky, Paul Maslansky

STUNTS
Fight Choreography: Ralph Faulkner [uncredited]
Swordfight Arranger: Ferdinando Poggi [uncredited]

CAST

starring
Todd Armstrong as Jason
Nancy Kovack as Medea

co-starring
Gary Raymond (Acastus)
Laurence Naismith (Argos)

with
Niall MacGinnis (Zeus)
Michael Gwynn (Hermes)
Douglas Wilmer (Pelias)
Jack Gwillim (King Aeetes)
Honor Blackman (Hera)
John Cairney (Hylas)
Patrick Troughton (Phineas)
Andrew Faulds (Phalerus)
Nigel Green (Hercules)

UNCREDITED CAST

John Crawford (Polydeuces)
Aldo Cristiani (Lynceus)
Ferdinando Poggi (Castor)
Douglas Robinson (Eupaemus)
Davina Taylor (Briseis)

Jason, who has been prophesied to one day assume the throne of Thessaly, is told of a fabled Golden Fleece and gathers together a band of adventurers to set sail in his ship, the Argo, to retrieve it. The Argonauts are protected by Hera, queen of the gods and they battle many mythological creatures (harpies, the giant bronze statue of Talos, the hydra, a skeleton army).

A first rate mythological adventure that contains some of the most enduring memories of sitting around TV sets watching slack-jawed as Jason and his merry men battle Talos and of course the astonishing skeleton battle. The actors don't seem to matter too much - it's Ray Harryhausen's crowd-pleasing monster animations that are the true heart of the film and the once again prove why traditional methods will be winning out over CGI for some time to come.

Germany
DVD Distributor: Columbia/Tristar

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Video Distributor: RCA/Columbia Pictures; Video Collection International (CC7295)
Laserdisc Distributor: Encore (EE 1014)
DVD Distributor: Columbia/Tristar Home Video CDR90037

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Laserdisc Distributor: Criterion (CC 1303L); Columbia/Tristar (76966 - 1996); RCA/Columbia (VLD 3191)
DVD Distributor: Columbia/Tristar (00259)

Finland
Rating: K-12

Norway
Rating: 11

UK
Rating: U

USA
Rating: G

1963
February
27: UK - rated U by the BBFC (for theatrical release - with unspecified cuts)

June
19: USA - theatrical release

August
15: UK - theatrical release

December
20: West Germany - theatrical release

1964
March
20: Finland - theatrical release

1988
July
27: UK - rated U by the BBFC (for video release)

1993
July
21: UK - rated U by the BBFC (for video release)

1995
March
Day Unknown: UK - laserdisc release (Encore (EE 1014))

1996
April
15: UK - video release (Video Collection International (CC7295))

October
3: USA - laserdisc distributor (Columbia/Tristar (76966))

1998
July
14: USA - DVD release (Columbia/Tristar (00259))

1999
August
2: Germany - DVD release (Columbia/Tristar)
23: UK - DVD release (Columbia/Tristar Home Video CDR90037)

October
15: UK - rated U by the BBFC (for video release)

December
13: UK - video deleted (Video Collection International (CC7295))

2000
December
6: France - theatrical re-release

The epic story that was destined to stand as a colossus of adventure!

Jason and the Golden Fleece - shooting title
Jason en de Argonauten
Jason en de Duistere Machten
Jason en de Duiveise Machten

SEE ALSO
Jason and the Argonauts (2000)

EXTRACTS INCLUDED IN
Making of Jurassic Park, The (1995)
Special Effects: Anything Can Happen (1996)

PERIODICALS

Halls of Horror 27 p.24 (UK)
note

Shivers 29 p.14 (UK)
review

BOOKS

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films II nu Walt Lee p.230
credits

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

Ancient Greece, boats, deities, Greek Mythology, Hydra, monsters, mythology, skeletons, statues, swordfights

Last Updated: 14 March, 2010