Around the World in Eighty Days (1956 film)
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| Around the World in Eighty Days | |
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Around the World in Eighty Days movie poster |
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| Directed by | Michael Anderson John Farrow |
| Produced by | Kevin McClory William Cameron Menzies Michael Todd |
| Written by | Novel: Jules Verne Screenplay: James Poe John Farrow S.J. Perelman |
| Starring | David Niven Mario "Cantinflas" Moreno Robert Newton Shirley MacLaine |
| Music by | Victor Young |
| Cinematography | Lionel Lindon |
| Editing by | Howard Epstein Gene Ruggiero Paul Weatherwax |
| Distributed by | 1956 - 1976: United Artists 1983 - present: Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | |
| Running time | 183 min |
| Country | |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6,000,000 |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Around the World in Eighty Days is a 1956 adventure film made by the Michael Todd Company and released by United Artists. It was directed by Michael Anderson and John Farrow (uncredited) and produced by Michael Todd with Kevin McClory and William Cameron Menzies as associate producers. The screenplay was by James Poe, John Farrow and S. J. Perelman based on the classic novel of the same name by Jules Verne. The music score was by Victor Young and the cinematography by Lionel Lindon.
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It was a big budget Hollywood movie, shot in producer Michael Todd's pioneering 70mm Todd-AO system to provide the highest-available picture resolution and sweeping widescreen vistas.
Around 1872, an English gentleman Phileas Fogg (David Niven) claims he can circumnavigate the world in eighty days. He makes a £20,000 wager with several skeptical fellow members of his London gentlemen's club, the Reform Club, that he can arrive back within 80 days before exactly 8:45 pm.
Together with his resourceful valet, Passepartout (Mario "Cantinflas" Moreno), Fogg sets out on his journey from Paris via a hot-air balloon. Meanwhile, suspicion grows that Fogg has stolen his £20,000 from the Bank of England. Police Inspector Fix (Robert Newton) is sent out by Ralph the bank president (Robert Morley) to trail and arrest Fogg. Hopscotching around the globe, Fogg pauses in Spain, where Passepartout engages in a comic bullfight. In India, Fogg and Passepartout rescue young widow Princess Aouda (Shirley MacLaine) from being forced into a funeral pyre so that she may join her late husband. The threesome visit Hong Kong, Japan, San Francisco, and the Wild West. Only hours short of winning his wager, Fogg is arrested upon returning to London by the diligent, yet misguided Inspector Fix.
At the jail, the humilated Fix informs Fogg that the real culprit was caught in Brighton. Though eventually exonerated of the charges, he has lost everything — except the love of the winsome Aouda. But salvation is at hand when Passepartout realizes the next morning that, by crossing the International Date Line, they have gained a day. There is still time to reach the Reform Club and win the bet. To the surprise of all waiting at the club, Fogg arrives just before the clock's chime at 8:45 pm, even Aouda and Passpartout arive. Noticing Fogg's whole travel party is here, Ralph announces the end of the journey.
The movie boasts a huge cast, with David Niven and Mario "Cantinflas" Moreno in the lead roles of Fogg and Passepartout. Fogg is the classic Victorian gentleman, well-dressed, well-spoken, and extremely punctual, whereas his servant Passepartout (who has an eye for the ladies) provides much of the comic relief as a "jack of all trades" for the film in contrast to his master's strict formality. Joining them are Shirley MacLaine as Princess Aouda and Robert Newton as the detective Fix, which would turn out to be his last role.
The role of Passepartout was greatly expanded from the novel to accommodate the well-known Mario "Cantinflas" Moreno, and winds up the focus of the film. While Passepartout describes himself as a Parisian in the novel, this is unclear in the film -- he has a French name, but speaks Spanish when he and his master arrive in Spain by balloon (an episode, together with the bullfighting scene, which does not occur in the novel). Indeed, when the film was released in non-English speaking nations, Cantinflas was billed as the lead. (According to the guidebook describing the movie, this was done because of an obstacle Todd faced in casting Cantinflas, who had never before appeared in an American movie and had turned down countless offers to do so. Todd allowed Cantinflas to appear in the film as a Latin, "so", the actor said himself, "to my audience in Latin America, I'll still be Cantinflas").
Over 40 famous performers make cameo appearances, including Marlene Dietrich, George Raft, and Frank Sinatra to name a few. (A complete list of cameo appearances is listed below.) Indeed, this film is credited with popularizing the term cameo appearance.
The movie holds the record for the highest number of animals ever employed.[citation needed]
(excluded are numerous extras)
David Niven - Phileas Fogg
Mario "Cantinflas" Moreno - Passepartout
Shirley MacLaine - Princess Aouda
Robert Newton - Mr. Fix
Cameo appearances
Charles Boyer - Monsieur Gasse, balloonist
Joe E. Brown - Station Master, rural Nebraska
Martine Carol - Tourist, Paris
John Carradine - Col. Proctor Stamp, San Francisco
Charles Coburn - Clerk, Hong Kong
Ronald Colman - Railway Official, India
Melville Cooper - Steward
Noël Coward - Hesketh-Baggott
Finlay Currie - Whist Partner
Reginald Denny - Police Chief, Bombay
Andy Devine - First Mate, S.S. Henrietta
Marlene Dietrich - Hostess, Barbary Coast Saloon
Luis Miguel Dominguín - Bullfighter
Fernandel - Coachman, Paris
Walter Fitzgerald - Club Member
Ava Gardner - Spectator
John Gielgud - Mr Foster, the Butler
Hermione Gingold - Sportin' Lady
José Greco - Dancer
Sir Cedric Hardwicke - General Sir Francis Gromarty, India
Trevor Howard - Falletin
Glynis Johns - Companion
Buster Keaton - Conductor
Evelyn Keyes - Flirt
Beatrice Lillie - Revivalist, London
Peter Lorre - Steward, S.S. Carnatic
Edmund Lowe - Engineer, S.S. Henrietta
Col. Tim McCoy - Colonel, U.S. Cavalry
Victor McLaglen - Helmsman, S.S. Henrietta
A.E. Matthews - Club Member
Mike Mazurki - Character (in Hong Kong bar)
John Mills - Cabby in London
Robert Morley - Ralph (Reform club)
Alan Mowbray - Consul
Edward R. Murrow - Narrator, prologue
Jack Oakie - Captain of S.S. Henrietta
George Raft - Bouncer at Barbary Coast Saloon
Gilbert Roland - Achmed Abdullah
Cesar Romero - Henchman
Frank Sinatra - Saloon Pianist
Red Skelton - Drunk, Barbary Coast saloon
Ronald Squire - Club Member
Basil Sydney - Club Member
Richard Wattis - Insp. Hunter
Harcourt Williams - Hinshaw
The movie was nominated for eight Oscars, of which it was awarded five:
- Won: Best Picture - Michael Todd, producer
- Won: Best Cinematography, Color - Lionel Lindon
- Won: Best Film Editing - Gene Ruggiero and Paul Weatherwax
- Won: Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture - Victor Young
- Won: Best Writing, Best Screenplay, Adapted - John Farrow, S. J. Perelman, and James Poe
- Nominee: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color - Ken Adam, Ross Dowd, and James W. Sullivan
- Nominee: Best Costume Design, Color - Miles White
- Nominee: Best Director - Michael Anderson
Although not nominated for best original song, the film's theme song "Around the World" (music by Victor Young, words by Harold Adamson), became very popular. It was a hit for Bing Crosby in 1957, and was a staple of the easy-listening genre for many years: "Around the world I searched for you / I traveled on when hope was gone to keep a rendezvous ... No more will I go all around the world / For I have found my world in you".
The movie was also nominated for three Golden Globes, of which it was awarded two:
- Won: Best Dramatic Motion Picture - Michael Todd, producer
- Won: Best Motion Actor in a Comedy/Musical Film - Mario "Cantinflas" Moreno
- Nominee: Best Director - Michael Anderson
- The film received the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Picture and Best Screenplay award for S. J. Perelman.
- The film won the Writers Guild of America Best Written American Comedy award for James Poe, John Farrow and S. J. Perelman.
The film was originally released by United Artists in two Todd-AO 70mm versions, one for Todd-AO 70mm release at 30 frames per second, and an alternate 70mm version at 24 frames per second reduced to 35mm for general release.
Around 1976, after its last network television broadcast on CBS, UA lost control of the film to Elizabeth Taylor (widow of producer Michael Todd and who had inherited some portion of Todd's estate). In 1983, Warner Bros. acquired the rights to the film from Taylor, and reissued the film theatrically in a re-edited 143-minute version. In the years that followed, a pan-and-scan transfer of the 35mm version (presented at its full 183-minute length) was shown on cable television.
In 2004, WB issued a digitally restored version of the 35mm incarnation on DVD, also at its full 183-minute length, but also including the original intermission, Entr'acte, and exit music segments that were a part of the original 1956 theatrical release, and for the first time on home video at its original 2.2:1 aspect widescreen ratio.
This restored version was reconstructed from the best available elements of the 35mm version WB could find, and was subsequently shown on Turner Classic Movies. The original elements from the 70mm Todd-AO version (as well as the original prints derived from these elements) still exist, albeit in faded condition due to the passage of time, but remains to be formally restored by WB.
Best available prints of the 70mm version have recently been exhibited in revival movie houses worldwide. As of 2007, WB remains the film's rights holder.
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by Marty |
Academy Award for Best Picture 1956 |
Succeeded by The Bridge on the River Kwai |
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Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since June 2007 | 1956 films | Films based on the works of Jules Verne | Best Picture Academy Award winners | Films over three hours long | Films shot in 65mm | Films featuring a Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe winning performance | English-language films