The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

Dynamic Dynamation. Captain Sindbad and his crew land on the island Colossa and come under attack from a Cyclops. Aided by the magician Sokurah and his magic lamp, they manage to escape back on board with their lives intact. However, the lamp which contains a helpful genie, is left behind in the Cyclops' hands. Once back in Bagdad, Sokurah sets about getting a crew together to reclaim the lamp off of Colossa, but the chiefs of Bagdad refuse to sanction such action. After failing to impress all with his magic tricks, Sokurah shrinks the princess of Bagdad to the size of a hand, then craftily offers to restore the princess to normal the next day. Only trouble being that the ingredients needed for the cure are of course on Colossa. So Sinbad and his men, and the dastardly magician, set sail for an adventure that is fraught with danger... Stop-motion maestro Ray Harryhausen, for his first film in colour, delves into the mythical legend of Sinbad The Sailor. Thus, along with director Nathan Juran, putting life into the Sinbad legacy that had been viewed as a no go area after less than favourable responses to prior attempts at the legend. Though not adhering to the Persian fable source, the 7th Voyage was nothing like this one and The Rocs for instance actually appear in the 5th voyage fable, Juran and Harryhausen turn the merchant seaman of the origin into a dashing hero figure. Someone that children and adults of both sexes can easily get on side with. Visually it's a treat, admire as Sinbad (in the form of a handsome sword swashing Kerwin Matthews) does battle with Cyclops', Rocs and a Harryhausen calling card, the Skeleton. Throw in a fire breathing Dragon, a genie of the lamp, a pretty princess (Kathryn Grant) and a devilishly creepy magician villain (the always great value Torin Thatcher) and the result is unadulterated joy. Some churlish folk will point to being able to see the lines between the real footage and Harryhausen's marvellous creatures, but quite frankly those people should be rounded up and sent to live on Colossa with all the other monsters. For to not appreciate the craft and genius on offer here is as sad as it is foolish. And with master composer Bernard Herrmann laying a brisk mystical flecked score over proceedings, it's a treat for the ears as well. When you consider the budget afforded this production, it's high quality film making, and it's now, along with the two sequels that followed it, still being enjoyed by those of us who remember before computers controlled such magical things. 8/10

I really enjoyed this film as a kid - and that's because, like in so many of these Sinbad films, the visual effects from Ray Harryhausen are great and here Torin Thatcher's efforts as the malevolent and scheming "Sokurah" work really well too. Kerwin Matthews does fine as the hero, hoping to be married to the princess "Parisa" (Kathryn Grant) until they run into the aforementioned magician whom they rescue from an island. Thing is, he really wants to get back there armed with a mighty crossbow. "Sinbad" is, however, completely loved up and has no intention of returning once they reach Baghdad, so the evil one conjures up a spell that turns the princess into something a little more diminutive. You help me get back to my island and I'll restore "Parisa" from bite size. With caliphs and their armies ready to start a war over their predicament, "Sinbad" is left with no choice than to trust the plotting sorcerer - and yep, betrayal looms large. What's all the fuss about? Why does he want to get back so urgently? Well - that's down to the kindly but all-powerful genie (Richard Eyer) who must obey the person who says the magic words. Can our intrepid sailor fend off his foe, restore his love and make it back against giant rocks (birds), a cyclops and a great big dragon? Well no, jeopardy isn't really the point here - but the hand-crafted, stop-motion, animation shows off well what a creative man Harryhausen was and with Nathan Juran keeping the pace rollicking along we can easily overlook the rather wooden efforts of the couple and the unremarkable writing. I love this genre of cinema, swash and buckle and action all the way - and this is a good example, well worth ninety minutes.