A tribute to stopmotion supremo and special effects genius extraordinaire Ray Harryhausen, the man behind some of cinema's greatest fantasy films - The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Jason & The Argonauts and One Million Years BC. Featuring exclusive footage of Harryhausen at work on his first stopmotion for over 20 years, and contributions from many of Hollywood's top special effects directors and creators.
As an actor, director and producer, Ray Harryhausen has been a vibrant figure in Hollywood, working on everything from family films to mind-bending sci-fi. But his true genius lay in the creation of special effects for movies such as Mighty Joe Young and It Came from Outer Space. Narrated by Leonard Nimoy and featuring appearances by George Lucas and Ray Bradbury, this film documents Harryhausen's remarkable life's work.
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, he graduated from Columbia University in 1940. Serving in the US Army's Signal Corps Photographic Unit during the war, and moved to Hollywood following demobilisation. After joining Columbia Pictures, he was introduced to Harryhausen by a mutual friend from Schneer's time in the Army.[1] Together they made It Came From Beneath The Sea (1955), about a giant octopus that wreaks havoc on the Golden Gate Bridge. The octopus had only six tentacles, which Schneer is reported to have been correct in claiming no one would notice.[2] This film made use of stop-motion photography which the two men were to use to greater effect in later films including Jason and the Argonauts (1963), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973), and Clash of the Titans (1981). In 1960, he moved his base of operations to London, where he remained for 45 years. Beside the fantasy films, he also produced the film version of the stage musical Half a Sixpence (1967) starring Tommy Steele and Hellcats of the Navy (1957), the only film starring both Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan (as Nancy Davis).[3] Schneer died in Boca Raton, Florida, aged 88.
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