I recently saw this again in the following circumstances:
1. I saw it on the Big Screen at Loew's in Jersey City
2. Arlene Dahl was at the pre-movie reception and later participated in a Q&A session with one of the hosts. If she isn't one of the most charming and gracious Hollywood types I've ever met then she's an even better actress than she's ever been given credit for.
This IS a Big Screen Movie, it must be seen on the Big Screen to be fully appreciated and enjoyed. Despite the fact that it has what I would call a small set quality-once they begin the descent there are only 5 actors with regular lines and they are usually in close proximity to one another, this is an Epic and deserves Epic viewing. Yes it has its share of Movie Mistakes-I noted that all the male actors remain clean shaven throughout and receive regular haircuts. In the scene where Pat Boone discovers the forest of mushrooms and they go hog-wild eating them, Arlene Dahl reminds them that they will soon find the taste of salt beef appealing, it occurred to me than an individual could carry rations for at most 1 week, and here it is the 256th day of the Expedition.
The writers took liberties with Verne's story. In a program note handed out at the theater it was pointed the heroes were changed from Germans to Scots, a Swede and an Icelander because 14 years after the end of WWII English speaking audiences would not accept German heroes. Arlene Dahl's character is a new addition, what Verne stories I've read have almost no female characters. But in addition to eye appeal she also is the translator for Big Hans. Having first seen this movie as a 10 year old the "battle of the sexes" went completely over my head (though 10 year old boys like to look at pretty ladies too)this time around I appreciated it, especially as her character and her portrayal are of a strong willed and assertive woman-they had plenty of those in the 19th Century.
Before the screening there were some introductory remarks. The host said the story can be seen as both straight adventure in a physical sense and as a psychological adventure-penetrating deeper into the human psyche with Count Saknussem representing the Dark Side of humankind but not completely evil. He said note how Bernard Herrman's score uses lower registers as they go deeper into the Earth.
Some of Arlene Dahl's comments:
1. Gertrude the Duck had 4 stand ins, she had one.
2. She said the bats in some of the caves took a liking to Pat Boone, and he seemed to get along with them, so they called him "Bat" Boone. She said he was a much better actor than he is credited as being, said he was fairly easy to work with.
3. She said they all, and Pat Boone especially, worked on their accents. Pat Boone developed a very convincing Scottish burr. Then they got back to the US, Daryly Zabuck decided the dialog in accent s was to hard to follow, they had to re dub their dialog. Naturally the dubbers missed spots-you will hear them.
4. And when she saw it with us she hadn't seen it in 50 years.
