Sixty-seven years ago, a single film revolutionized the fantasy movie genre and essentially created a new type of fantasy adventure. Before this, most popular fantasy films were either adaptations of fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast, family-friendly movies such as The Wizard of Oz, or horror films like Frankenstein. But in the 1950s, everything changed thanks to the work of a special effects artist. Building on techniques first seen in King Kong, this artist, Ray Harryhausen, pushed the boundaries of what fantasy films could achieve. It all began with his 1958 film, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
Directed by Nathan Juran and released in 1958, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad actually feels more like a continuation of the classic third and fifth stories of Sinbad the Sailor. Throughout the film, Sinbad battles a variety of monsters – a massive cyclops, a terrifying serpent, living skeletons, and other huge beasts – ultimately leading to a showdown with a dragon held captive by chains.
Ray Harryhausen spent nearly a year bringing the stop-motion effects in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad to life, and it revolutionized the fantasy film genre. He also introduced his Dynamation technique with this film, which he would continue to use in later projects. The battle between the Cyclops and the Dragon is considered one of the most creative and impressive scenes ever filmed in a fantasy movie. Harryhausen then refined these techniques in subsequent films such as Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans.
7th Voyage of Sinbad Led to Fantasy’s Most Inventive Hits
Only five years after working on The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Ray Harryhausen perfected his stop-motion animation and contributed to the classic film Jason and the Argonauts. At the Academy Awards ceremony where Harryhausen received a special Oscar, Tom Hanks famously declared Jason and the Argonauts to be the greatest movie of all time.
Filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, James Cameron, George Lucas, John Landis, and Nick Park all credit Ray Harryhausen as a major influence on their work. His pioneering techniques likely paved the way for iconic films like Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and the memorable creatures in George Lucas’s Star Wars. In fact, Lucas has stated he wouldn’t have attempted Star Wars without being inspired by Harryhausen’s films.
Today’s popular stop-motion films, like those from Aardman (known for Nick Park’s work) and Laika (including Coraline), wouldn’t exist without the skills of Ray Harryhausen. His pioneering work began 67 years ago with the innovative film The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
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2025-12-24 05:12