Five Weeks in a Balloon (film)
| Five Weeks in a Balloon | |
|---|---|
 Original film poster | |
| Directed by | Irwin Allen |
| Written by | Irwin Allen and Charles Bennett |
| Produced by | Irwin Allen |
| Starring | Sir Cedric Hardwicke Red Buttons Barbara Eden Peter Lorre Fabian |
| Cinematography | Winton Hoch, ASC |
| Music by | Paul Sawtell title song by Jodi Desmond performed by The Brothers Four |
Production company | Cambridge Productions |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date | 22 August 1962 |
Running time | 101 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Five Weeks in a Balloon is a 1962 science fiction comedy adventure film based on the novel of the same name by Jules Verne filmed in CinemaScope. It was produced and directed by Irwin Allen; his last feature film in the 1960s before moving to producing several science fiction television series. Though set in Africa, it was filmed in California. Balloonist Donald Piccard acted as the film's technical advisor.
Plot
In 1862, Professor Fergusson (Cedric Hardwicke) seeks financing for his revolutionary balloon, Jupiter. The balloon is able to ascend and descend without the loss of gas or ballast. Instead he is given a mission by Her Majesty’s Government to use his craft to claim areas of uncharted Africa for the Crown before slave traders make their claim to the territory.
Competition
One of the themes of Five Weeks in a Balloon is a race. Verne’s novel features the Professor attempting to make discoveries ahead of other explorers whilst Allen’s film has the Professor trying to beat the claims of a slave trading expedition. Verne’s novel also featured a race between two producers attempting to be the first to film it; Irwin Allen and the Woolner Brothers 1961 Flight of the Lost Balloon directed by Nathan Juran. Though Verne’s novel was in the public domain, Fox and Allen brought legal pressure against the Woolner’s to drop all mention of Jules Verne from their film. The Woolner’s also were stopped from using another title for the film, Cleopatra and the Cyclops exploiting the hype of Fox’s own Cleopatra.[1] Allen's film is played much more for comedy than Juran's film.
Cast
Sir Cedric Hardwicke ... Fergusson
Red Buttons ... Donald O'Shay
Fabian ... Jacques
Barbara Eden ... Susan Gale
Peter Lorre ... Ahmed
Richard Haydn ... Sir Henry Vining
Barbara Luna ... Makia
Billy Gilbert ... Sultan
Herbert Marshall ... The Prime Minister
Reginald Owen ... Consul
Henry Daniell ... Sheik Ageiba
Mike Mazurki ... Head Slaver
Alan Caillou ... Inspector
Quotes
"Trafficking in human lives is everone’s concern. Either you’re for it or you’re against it" - Missionary Susan Gale
"Well, I’m for it" - Slave trader Ahmed
References
- ^ p.234 Taves, Brian, Michaluk, Stephen & Baxter, Edward The Jules Verne Encyclopedia Scarecrow Press, 1996
External links