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Around the World in Eighty Days is a 1956 adventure film made by the Michael Todd Company and released by United Artists. It was directed by Michael Anderson and John Farrow (uncredited) and produced by Michael Todd with Kevin McClory and William Cameron Menzies as associate producers. The screenplay was by James Poe, John Farrow and S. J. Perelman based on the classic novel of the same name by Jules Verne. The music score was by Victor Young and the cinematography by Lionel Lindon.
Production It is a big budget Hollywood movie, shot in producer Michael Todd's pioneering 70mm Todd-AO system to provide the highest-available picture resolution and sweeping widescreen vistas. Plot The action takes place around 1872. English gentleman Phileas Fogg (David Niven) places a £20,000 wager with several fellow members of his London gentlemen's club, the Reform Club, insisting that he can circumnavigate the world in eighty days. Together with his resourceful valet, Passepartout (Cantinflas), Fogg sets out on his world journey from Paris via balloon. Meanwhile, suspicion grows that Fogg has stolen his £20,000 from the Bank of England. Police Inspector Fix (Robert Newton) is sent out by the president of the Bank (Robert Morley) to bring Fogg to justice. Hopscotching around the globe, Fogg pauses in Spain, where Passepartout engages in a comic bullfight. In India, Fogg and Passepartout rescue young widow Princess Aouda (Shirley MacLaine) from being forced into committing suicide so that she may join her late husband. The threesome visit Hong Kong, Japan, San Francisco, and the Wild West. Only hours short of winning his wager, Fogg is arrested by the diligent Inspector Fix. Though exonerated of the bank robbery charges, he has lost everything — except the love of the winsome Aouda. But salvation is at hand when Passepartout discovers that, by crossing the International Date Line, there's still time to reach the Reform Club and win the bet. Cast The movie boasts a huge cast, with David Niven and Cantinflas in the lead roles of Fogg and Passepartout. Fogg is the classic Victorian gentleman, well-dressed, well-spoken, and extremely punctual, whereas his servant Passepartout (who has an eye for the ladies) provides much of the comic relief as a "jack of all trades" for the film alongside his master's strict formalities. Joining them are Shirley MacLaine as Princess Aouda and Robert Newton as the detective Fix, which would turn out to be his last role. The role of Passepartout was greatly expanded from the novel to accommodate the well-known Cantinflas. While Passepartout describes himself as a Parisian in the novel, this is unclear in the film--he has a French name, but speaks Spanish when he and his master arrive in Spain by balloon (an episode, together with the bullfighting scene, which does not occur in the novel). Indeed, when the film was released in non-English speaking nations, Cantinflas was billed as the lead. (see film poster below) Over 40 famous performers make cameo appearances. Indeed, it is Todd who is credited with inventing the term "cameo appearance", and part of the pleasure in this movie is playing "spot the star", including Marlene Dietrich, George Raft, and even Frank Sinatra to name a few. (For complete list of cameo appearances, see Complete Cast below). Highlights of their circumnavigation journey involve their adventurous, and often humorous, exploits from England through France, Spain, the Suez Canal, India, Hong Kong, Japan, and the American Old West. Some of the locations are authentic, but in other cases because of modern development scenes had to be shot on studio backlots. The movie holds the record for the highest number of animals ever employed. Of the massive credited cast, only MacLaine, Evelyn Keyes (playing a woman with whom Passpartout flirts in the Paris scene), and Glynis Johns (companion to the sporting lady who reports she has been robbed in the final London scene) remain alive after fifty years (2006). Complete cast David Niven - Phileas Fogg Cantinflas - Passepartout Robert Newton - Mr. Fix Shirley MacLaine - Princess Aouda Cameo appearances Charles Boyer - Monsieur Gasse Joe E. Brown - Station Master Martine Carol - Tourist John Carradine - Col. Proctor Stamp Charles Coburn - Clerk Ronald Colman - Railway Official Melville Cooper - Steward Noël Coward - Hesketh-Baggott Finlay Currie - Whist Partner Reginald Denny - Police Chief Andy Devine - First Mate Marlene Dietrich - Hostess Luis Miguel Dominguín - Bullfighter Fernandel - Coachman Walter Fitzgerald - Club Member John Gielgud - Mr Foster, the Butler Hermione Gingold - Sportin' Lady Jose Greco - Dancer Cedric Hardwicke - Sir Francis Gromarty Trevor Howard - Falletin Glynis Johns - Companion Buster Keaton - Conductor Evelyn Keyes - Flirt Beatrice Lillie - Revivalist Peter Lorre - Steward Edmund Lowe - Engineer Col. Tim McCoy - Colonel, U.S. Cavalry Victor McLaglen - Helmsman A.E. Matthews - Club Member Mike Mazurki - Character John Mills - Cabby Robert Morley - Ralph Alan Mowbray - Consul Edward R. Murrow - Narrator Jack Oakie - Captain of S.S. Henrietta George Raft - Bouncer at Barbary Coast Saloon Gilbert Roland - Achmed Abdullah Cesar Romero - Henchman Frank Sinatra - Saloon Pianist Red Skelton - Drunk Ronald Squire - Member Basil Sydney - Club Member Richard Wattis - Insp. Hunter Harcourt Williams - Hinshaw Ava Gardner - Spectator Academy Awards The movie was nominated for eight Oscars, of which it was awarded five: Golden Globes The movie was also nominated for three Golden Globes, of which it was awarded two: Other awards See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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