Journey To The Center Of A Child's Imagination

I was 9 years old the year the original version of Journey To The Center Of The Earth, (JTTCOTE), saw release. This adaption of fantastical French writer Jules Verne's 1864 novel by the same name, was nominated for 3 Academy Awards, and captured a 1959 nation's imagination.

The cinematography made this child clap her hands with delight, as visions of crystalline gem grottoes, salt-laced subterranean forests, storm-tossed underground seas, and early split-screen action with dinosaur-style monsters made indelible impressions which have lasted a lifetime.

The visual feast was heightened by Bernard Hermann's award-nominated score. Gut-wrenching foreboding was signaled by ominous bass notes on a Lucifer's own organ, while more whimsical bits, (interactions between Hans and Gertrude), were enlivened with gossamer harp glissandos. This is in decided contrast to his plucked-string dominated frenzy in other works, most notably Psycho.

This 1959 screenplay adapts a fair portion of Verne's original novel, though the professor's nationality is changed from German to Scottish, the action moves between Scotland and Iceland, and the "rescue" takes place in Italy and the surrounding seas, rather than in Asia.

Retained are the mid-1800's costumes and customs, though 50's crooner, Pat Boone, is at times discordant in his role of the eager assistant, Alec McEwen. One of the few low points of this delightful adventure, is the convention of Boone mouthing pop-style love songs in the midst of an otherwise impeccable soundtrack. Fortunately these outbursts are brief, Pat is on tune, and we all have the ability to fast-forward past these Disneyesque bits.

The acknowledged star of the ensemble, is without any doubt, the brilliant James Mason, ably carrying the plum role of Professor Oliver Lindenbrook. Beautiful diction and ringing vowels accompany Mason's obsessive yet stodgy portrayal of this driven scientist, whose driving ambition is to find the origin of the Earth's core.

While Boone and love interest, Diane Baker, are flirting about Edinburgh, Mason has received a most interesting artifact encased in native lava. Perhaps there was nothing like Pele's curse in those days, or at least no National Park rangers to perpetuate the myth, but the Professor's interests are flamed with the discovery of a manuscript carved into the igneous rock.

This leads to an expedition to an island off Iceland, and the decision to descend into a supposedly extinct volcano.
While gathering provisions in a local inn, the Lindenbrook group finds they are not alone in their quest. Tensions are heightened when one of the rivals is found murdered, and this allows for the entrance of Arlene Dahl. As the widow Carla Goetaborg, the titian-tressed lady puts up a convincing argument for the group to combine resources, and she provides both the strong female lead, and a delicious frisson of tension between the sexes.

Mason is well-matched here, and the little group is rounded out by native guide, Hans Belker, a gentle giant and saving force portrayed by Peter Ronson. Both stolid and steadying force, Hans smuggles his best friend, Gertrude the Goose, onto the quest, and this provides needed levity in an otherwise slightly dark, and at least to a 9 year old's imagination, menacing production.

The pacing lags a bit in the first third of the 132 minute flick, during the storyline's somewhat ponderous foundation, but picks up nicely as the expedition begins its descent into the bowels of the caldera. Along the way, we learn that a sinister party, lead by the maniacal Count Saknussen, (Thayer David), is out to sabotage the Lindenbrook Expedition...or worse.

I'm not exactly sure why, but some of the interior shots, (actually Carlsbad Cavens in New Mexico), gave me the same roiling gut reaction as did the dank and gloomy cave scenes from Tom Sawyer. This is not a place for claustrophobics and the skulking Sarknussen replaces "Injun Joe" as the dastardly villain. With each deliberate miscue and murderous moment, kids the world around flinched each time the evil Count's low register and funereal "theme music" reverberated through the theater.

As captive puppets on the strings of director Henry Levin's constructs, some scenes were intense, maybe too intense for young children. Gertrude's last scene, the iguanas doing double duty as winged monster reptiles, emerging from coastal caves, forked tongues darting and great tails dragging through the sand, and bits with skeletons and floods are engraved in my mind's eye.

The VHS release displeases me, with the narrow band approach, (formatted to fit your television screen), and a DVD release is long overdue. Yes, these are 1959 special effects, amazing for their day, but not likely to stand up to current day CSI. All things considered, this remains a thrilling, bizarre, daring fantastic and imagination-stirring film classic; one I highly recommend.

Following on the heels of Disney's release of the also highly recommended Verne classic, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, JTTCOTE joined the ranks of blockbuster cinematic releases, raising the bar on fantasy/light science fiction productions.

James Mason, the score, and the cinematography rate 5 stars. Pat Boone's songs, (though the actor's bland performance was surprisingly adequate), a few of the more rubberized looking special effects, the current format and the unwarranted demise of Gertrude bring this otherwise excellent film down to 4 stars.

I will forever recall Boone falling from a tree, standing as God made him, in front of a gaggle of (appreciate?) giggling Italian nuns, hastily grabbing a lamb before him and bleating, "Pantalones? Pantalones?"
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I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this contribution to the Magic Carpet Write/Off, a celebration of products that spark kids’ imaginations, hosted by another fantasy buff, Greatpilgrim. Be sure to check out the inventive reviews of the other participants:

angel011, arjita, bluehawq, CJsMommy, cripper, Donnie013, fallyn96, Greatpilgrim, jankp, jenb123, Jeremy1456,jillmkk, MaryTara, mind-full, nscanuck, tritter72