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Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)

Director(s) Henry Levin
Producer(s) Charles Brackett
Top Genres Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction
More Films Directed by Henry Levin More Films Produced by Charles Brackett More Films from 1959 More Films from the 1950s Top Classic Movies of the 1950s

Journey to the Center of the Earth Overview:

Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) was a Adventure - Family Film directed by Henry Levin and produced by Charles Brackett.

Academy Awards 1959 --- Ceremony Number 32 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler, Franz Bachelin, Herman A. Blumenthal; Set Decoration: Walter M. SNominated
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Journey to the Center of the Earth BlogHub Articles:

Rewind Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)

By The Metzinger Sisters on Feb 25, 2024 From Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film Lovers

Back in 1864, Jules Verne penned "Journey to the Centre of the Earth", a novel about a group of intrepid individuals who undertake a subterranean journey to discover the very center of our Earth. Why would anyone want to take such a journey? As one of the explorers in this expedition explains, "Why ... Read full article

Monsters and Matinees: Pat Boone shares memories of ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’

By Toni Ruberto on Dec 10, 2022 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

The importance of horror and sci-fi movies from the classic film era tends to be overshadowed when compared to today’s big-budget CGI-films. So when you learn a 1959 sci-fi flick helped save the day when a big-budget epic was sucking a major movie studio dry, classic film fans want to share the... Read full article

Journey to the Center of the Earth ( 1959 )

By The Metzinger Sisters on Feb 25, 2020 From Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film Lovers

Back in 1864, Jules Verne penned "Journey to the Centre of the Earth", a novel about a group of intrepid individuals who undertake a subterranean journey to discover the very center of our Earth. Why would anyone want to take such a journey? As one of the explorers in this expedition explains, "Why ... Read full article

Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)

By Beatrice on Dec 5, 2016 From Flickers in Time

Journey to the Center of the Earth Directed by Henry Levin Written by Walter Reisch and Charles Brackett from the novel by Jules Verne 1959/USA Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation/Cooga Mooga/Joseph M. Schenk Enterprises First viewing/Netflix rental I thought this was fairly dull for what is s... Read full article

Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)

on May 6, 2015 From Journeys in Classic Film

I understand the appeal of the 1950s CinemaScope adventure movies like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in 80 Days. While their special effects are dated, the practical effects are always spellbinding to see in a world gone to CGI and the actors take it seriously. However, these sam... Read full article

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Journey to the Center of the Earth Quotes:

Carla Göteborg: Someone is walking up there. I heard footsteps, human footsteps.
Sir Oliver Lindenbrook: Since the beginning of time all women have heard footsteps up there.
[in front of a church in Edinburgh after a service]
Dean: Miss Jenny! I saw you turn pale when the Domini spoke of those in peril at the far ends of the earth.
Jenny: Far ends of the earth; at least that would be somewhere.
Sir Oliver Lindenbrook: Thank you, Scartaris.
Carla Göteborg: Sir Oliver, you are not going to listen to a murderer?
Sir Oliver Lindenbrook: Never interrupt a murderer, madam.
Sir Oliver Lindenbrook: Are we to be abducted every day in Iceland?
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Journey to the Center of the Earth Facts
Pat Boone didn't want to make this film but was talked into it by his agent. Years later he stated he's glad he did it because of the regular residual checks it brings in and because it's the movie he'll probably be best remembered for.
Fox gave the green light to this big-budget CinemaScope production partially on the basis of the success of the recent Jules Verne adaptations, Walt Disney's 20000 Leagues Under the Sea and Michael Todd's Around the World in Eighty Days. As with those earlier films, the heavy cost proved to be a good investment, resulting in a big hit at the box office.
James Mason replaced an ailing Clifton Webb in the part of Professor Lindenbrook before filming began. Alexander Scourby started shooting at Carlsbad Caverns in the Count Saknussem role, but the producers were unhappy with him and he was replaced with Thayer David.
The professor's name in the original novel (French language) was Otto Lidenbrock, a German. In the movie it was changed to Oliver Lindenbrook, a Scotsman. The name of his assistant Axel was Caledonized into Alec. (This was done because of historical hindsight, as 19th-century Scots had become known as the best field geologists, with Germans preferring lab-bound geology.) A more drastic change had already been made with the first (anonymous) English translation of the novel when the Professor's surname became Hartwig and Axel became an English student named Henry Lawson.
Many of the people in the crowd scenes were students of Edinburgh University.
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