Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life

by Ray Harryhausen, Tony Dalton, Ray Bradbury (Foreword)

Ray Harryhausen is arguably the greatest stop-motion animator in the history of motion pictures, blazing new trails in special effects from the 1950s to the 1980s creating realistic dinosaurs, fantastic aliens, and imaginative mythological creatures. In the animator's own words, accompanied by hundreds of previously unpublished photographs, sketches, and storyboards from his personal archive, this book details Harryhausen's entire film career, from 20 Million Miles to Earth and Earth vs. The Flying Saucers to Clash of the Titans and Jason and the Argonauts . In words and images, this book explains the basics of special effects and stop-motion animation, along the way telling entertaining tales of working with the film stars of the day, such as Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, and Lionel Jeffries. Film buffs will relish such revelations as how Raquel Welch was picked up by a flying dinosaur in One Million Years B.C. , why the octopus in Mysterious Island was really only a sixtopus, and what Medusa's blood was made from in Clash of the Titans .

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Art, Memoir

304 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Dan Blackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book from a local merchant, Monsters in Motion when it first came out. They had a signing and I met Mr. Harryhousen who signed my book and talked to us about making the Sinbad movies. It has been one of my treasures ever since.

[Anthony Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this age of CGI it's easy to forget that creature effects were once often reliant on stop motion animation, a singular and hugely laborious craft that found its greatest expression in the works of Ray Harryhausen, '1 Million Years BC' and 'Jason and the Argonauts' being the most famous examples. In this richly illustrated book Harryhausen recounts his career in fascinating detail, from working with the legendary Frank Capra on the 'Why We Fight' series in WWII to his seminal works in the 1960s-70s. At one point Harryhausen reveals he once considered adapting 'Lord of the Rings' but considered it unfilmable 'How wrong I was.' A real festival of delights for any film buff.

[Brett Marcus Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dunno, Harryhausen's work is great, I loved seeing the shots of his models and his own Gustav Dore inspired art, but the writing was so dry and technical, lacking in personality, and I realized how...quaint and old fashioned all the movies he worked on are, so simplistic in their execution, devoid of any real message.

Also, I dunno, I've been watching an old 90s TV show called Movie Magic on YouTube this year, and Harryhausen rubbed me the wrong way in the dinosaur special when he commented on Godzilla being a ripoff of the Beast From 20000 Fathoms.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Release the kraken!"

[Dean Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the prehistoric days before the advent of a thousand digital channels, DVD's and VCRs, my local television channel would run a Sunday Afternoon Matinee. My brothers and I would sit, enthralled, watching Godzilla stomp Tokyo into smoky rubble, or some slithery beast ooze out of a bog and chase down some hapless passerby, or watch, as some wooden-voiced actor bounded about the screen improbably fighting a dozen skeletal swordsman or a towering bronze statue.


More often then not, we were watching the uniquely detailed work of Ray Harryhausen.


Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life is a glorious, fascinating and fun meander through the life, films and career of one of Hollywood's pioneering special effects masters. Harryhausen's magical beasts and evocative stop-action special effects were a source of inspiration for dozens of today's directors and directly led to the current state-of-the art work of such luminaries as George Lucas and Steven Spielberg (although Harryhausen himself notes that despite the exquisite detail of today's computer-generated special efffects, he still prefers models and stop-animation for their "soul").


Harryhausen's highly illustrated book traces his roots in the special effects industry, his mentors Willis O'Brien and George Pal, and the various film influences (King Kong naturally enough)that shaped and impacted his work on such films as Mighty Joe Young, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Valley of the Gwangi, Jason and the Argonauts, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Clash of the Titans, and, my personal favorite, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.


An Animated Life is fundamentally a book for a film buff, so temper any expectations of a detailed or seamy insider look at Hollywood in the 50's and 60's. You will however love having the curtain pulled aside on how Harryhausen and his cohorts pulled off much of their cinematic sleight-of-hand. For someone infected with the romance of the pulp films of the era, An Animated Life is a fabulous book but...


If however you really don't care for silver screen derring-do, the deep background on the Rhedosaurus, foul monsterous creatures from the depths or magical mythological beasts.. well, ...what the heck is wrong with you? Get a life.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is NOT a simple coffee table book...but a truly wonderful book divulging secrets of the one true special effects genius in movie history. Today’s special effects artisans are enamored with the over use of CGI (computer generated imagery); unlike the art of Ray Harryhausen, which had significant heart and soul added to every frame of film he worked on. Harryhausen blazed a trail for four decades as the premier master of his craft..."Stop-motion Animation!" Ray Harryhausen has always been a hero of mine, he is the absolutely best there every was in his field (and ever will be). Read the book, and then enjoy his movies!

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all my coffee table books, this is the only one that actually stays on the coffee table because I keep reading it... I loved HH's movies when I was a kid, and I love them even more as an adult. Understanding the history and artistry that went into them only deepens the appreciation.

[Leon Braun · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there's such a thing as stop-motion porn, this is it.

[MagicDave · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detailed though thoroughly entertaining autobiography by the man who is arguably, the greatest stop motion animator in cinema history.