The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and How Ray Harryhausen Changed my Life

I was extremely saddened the other day when I heard of the passing of the special effects legend Ray Harryhausen. While I was a fan of most of his work, there was always one film that was very special to me: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad from 1958. The first time I saw this movie was on the last day of second grade on a projector. Now when I say projector, I mean the old reel to reel machines, not the digital projectors they have now (I had to explain what a reel to reel was to my stepson today). The whole school was there and everyone was very excited about it being the last day. However, I was much less concerned with the last day of school and much more invested in the fantasy film playing before me.


For a boy around 8 or 9, this film took me to a place and showed me things that to that point in my life, only existed when I played with my toys. Cartoons and animated films were my bread and butter at the time so I was no stranger to fantastical places, strange creatures, giant robots, etc. However, there was something about seeing the stop-motion animation in 7th Voyage, that connected with my brain. I knew it was fake but it looked so real and the jerky movement of the creatures actually added to this effect. I drank it in like plant in the desert, savoring every frame.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to see this movie again on the big screen. It would probably be the only other time I would get to see the film in a theater and with an audience. I couldn't pass that up. It was also the first half of a double feature with The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, so it was basically like God telling me that I needed to go experience this film again.

I had to rush there as my stepson's baseball lesson ran later than expected so I missed the first half hour of 7th Voyage. However, if there was any time to miss in this film it would be the first half hour. As I was hustling up the sidewalk to the front of Santa Monica's Aero Theater, I saw the old school marquee which read Sinbad 7:30 and Ray Harryhausen Triple Feature Fri on the other side. This warmed my heart to realize that this little discovery of mine truly existed and I got into the theater.

The guy who took my ticket was some kind of artist because he was sketching a very realistic looking bird. We had a nice exchange and I went into the theater. I didn't have time to take in any of the small pleasantries of the Aero, though I will be sure to do that the next time I am there. Once inside, I found a spot near the middle back and was surprised how many people were in the theater. I had got to the film at the perfect time because they had just arrived back on the island of Colossa. This is where the film takes off and all the best sequences are here. I settled in and enjoyed the film.

I will say that 7th Voyage in particular seemed to be very well loved. On this viewing with an audience that knew the movie so well, the poor acting and fighting from all involved definitely stood out. In some cases it was celebrated. In others it was not. For example, most of Princess Perisa's lines drew a good amount of laughter. Her character was very degrading to women by today's standards but it helps to remember this was shot in the late 50's, which was not exactly the height of the women's lib movement. The audience was very much into the film. There was clapping and applause after many thrilling sequences including killing the first cyclops, the battle with the skeleton and the Dragon killing the second Cyclops.

When the movie was over and I was waiting during the intermission for Golden Voyage to start, I couldn't help but reflect on how much 7th Voyage meant to me. I turned the dial all the way back to that first viewing in second grade and sitting in that theater in Santa Monica, I was transported back to Anchorage, Alaska circa 1990. I had one of those rare moments in life when I was able to fully appreciate what something had meant to me (and still means to me). Sitting in that theater, I had an emotional epiphany and it warmed my heart to see groups of friends, couples, dads with small boys had a similar connection to this movie.


There were no previews before the beginning of the second film, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. The houselights slowly dimmed then went dark then the movie started with the old school Columbia logo. Ray Harryhausen's name was heavily applauded when it showed up in the credits.

The score was very loud in places and not nearly as good as the Bernard Herrman tones of 7th Voyage. John Phillip Law was a better Sinbad than Kerwin Williams and his crew had less "overactors". 7th has the better villain with Soccura and the better monsters and sequences. The Cyclops is a truly mean antagonist, while in Golden Voyage their main foes throughout the film are a wooden ship's mast come to life and a little flying goblin. At the end of Golden Voyage there is a great sword battle with a 6-armed statue that is worth the price of admission and this is where the film really gets good. The final battle with Sinbad vs the invisible wizard was anti-climactic but overall Golden Voyage is a fun film that has some good moments. The classic "tie up your camel" ending doesn't seem to get old, even though it's corny as hell. Overall the film is a mixed bag but I still enjoyed getting to see on the big screen for the first time.

As I drove home on the deserted PCH with my windows down and the Malibu/ocean air surrounding me, it was one of those moments like at the end of Ocean's 11 around the Bellagio fountains. I had just experienced something great that I knew I would probably never get to see again so that was bittersweet. But the joy of the experience and the sense of appreciation I had that I was there, made the sweet that much more powerful and cemented those few hours as a great moment in my life.

I've already stated how much the 7th Voyage of Sinbad had an effect on my childhood and really catapulted me into a love of stop motion animation and creatures. Sometimes in film you run into the embodiment of what you have visualized in your head but have never seen with your eyes.This was what my 2nd grade brain encountered when I saw the creature designs in 7th Voyage. However, it wasn't just the look of the creatures on screen, it was the way they moved and emoted. It was how each creature felt like a true character in the story and had personality. The ability of Ray Harryhausen to imbue this life into his models and have that translate on celluloid to audiences around the world shows not only that he was exceptional at his craft but that Ray had a gift. The Cyclops and the Dragon specifically were just so realistic (keep in mind I was 8) that I was in awe of how they moved and the way they seemed to interact with the actors. I knew they were special effects but I had no idea how they were created. This was the genius of Harryhausen. Without his wonderful work, I would never have seen the perfect embodiment of a dragon or felt the rage of an angry cyclops. His creatures, designs and animation opened a door for me that I walked through and have never looked back.

I discovered such a sense of joy during this first viewing that I'm always chasing that feeling every time I watch 7th Voyage. In fact, I'm chasing that feeling nearly every time I watch a film. Sometimes I get lucky and get to experience that feeling again (The Avengers, Pacific Rim, The Incredibles, etc.) and those end up being the films that I return to again and again. No matter the film, I know where it all started. In a large, noisy multipurpose room at Spring Hill Elementary in Anchorage, Alaska, but really I wasn't there at all. I was on the island of Colossa, fighting a Cyclops and running from an angry Dragon. On that day I experienced the special joy that can only come from seeing your dreams emobodied in physical reality through the magic of the movies. Ray Harryhausen did that for me and I thank him for it. Cheers to you Ray.

Quick Note
I drove down the canyon to Time by Pink Floyd. Revelatory experience. Totally connected to the song and the lyrics. Drove back after the movie through the canyon to It Was a Good Day by Ice Cube. Very nice.