Mysterious Island (1961)

6.7Approved97 minDirector: Ray Harryhausen

1961 film by Ray Harryhausen, Cy Endfield

Mysterious Island (UK: Jules Verne's Mysterious Island) is a 1961 science fiction adventure film about prisoners in the American Civil War who escape in a balloon and then find themselves stranded on a remote island populated by giant animals.

Loosely based upon the 1874 novel The Mysterious Island (L'Île mystérieuse) by Jules Verne (which was the sequel to two other novels by Verne, 1867's In Search of the Castaways and 1870's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas), the film was produced by Charles H. Schneer and directed by Cy Endfield.

Shot in Catalonia, Spain, and at Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, England, the film serves as a showcase for Ray Harryhausen's stop motion animation effects. Like several of Harryhausen's classic productions, the musical score was composed by Bernard Herrmann.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Mysterious Island about?
Mysterious Island (1961) — During the US Civil War, Union POWs escape in a balloon and end up stranded on a South Pacific island, inhabited by giant plants and animals. They must use their ingenuity to survive the dangers, and to devise a way to return home. Sequel to '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'.
Is Mysterious Island based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Mysterious Island scary?
Content rating: Approved. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.