JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
Henry Levin / United States / 1959 / 132 min / Colour
This 1959 classic is loosely based on the homonymous novel by Jules Verne, and tells of the audacious voyage of Professor Lindenbrook to the centre of the earth. After finding directions on a piece of lead inside a lava stone, the professor and his companions set off on an adventure through a landscape within the Snæfell volcano in Iceland. On their way they discover the ruins of Atlantis, prehistoric creatures, and gigantic eatable mushrooms, but above all the malicious Saknussem, a descendent of the first explorer of those cavities, from whom they make a daring escape. In the end, they once again see the light of day, after overcoming narrow tunnels and a river of incandescent lava, reemerging on the surface at the mouth of the Stromboli vulcano.
Henry Levin
Henry Levin (1909 – 1980) was an American director. During his prolific, thirty-six-year career he made more than fifty films, moving amongst a variety of genres, including westerns (Non si può continuare ad uccidere, 1948), adventure (Il vendicatore nero, 1955), and fantasy (Viaggio al centro della Terra, 1959).
Credits
Subject Jules VerneScreenplay Walter Reisch, Charles BrackettCinematography Leo ToverEditing Stuart Gilmore, Jack W. HolmesMusic Bernard Herrmann, Jimmy Van HeusenMain cast James Mason:, Pat Boone, Arlene Dahl, Thayer David, Peter Ronson, Diane Baker, Alan Napier, Bert StevensProducer Charles BrackettProduction company Twentieth Century-Fox