Ray Harryhausen wanted faithful WOTW

[FALLINGSTAR]

Don't know if anyone here in the UK saw it but the great Ray Harryhausen was on Film 2005 last night and he said that he originally wanted to make an adaptation of WOTW set in the correct location and time of Wells book but surprise, surprise - he couldn't get the backing to do it.

Must be the same ars*holes in Hollywood now as there was then.

[EvilNerfherder]

Yeah I saw that. Shame he didn't expand on it. Perhaps his book goes into it more.

[Poyks]

I saw it too. I've got to get the book, the bloke was a total genius.

[krys666]

Saw it to, isn't that the one with some pictures on the Wotw Picture site with some images of storyboards for a film? Shame it didn't get made...

[FALLINGSTAR]

I know the pics you mean. I think some of those were for a modernised version though. Must get that book too!

[Thunder Child]

Here are some pics:






Johan

[Thunder Child]

[FALLINGSTAR]

Thanks Thunder. That's the ones! Even though the first pic suggests he might have been forced to make it modernised in the end by the Hollywood goonsquad, what a shame it never got made.

[sunnyrabbiera]

Well both Harryhausen and George Pal had wanted to do a faithful adaption to the book...
in Pal's case it was a matter of money, in Harryhausen's case it was a matter that Paramount held a sword to the WOTW copyright...

if given the chance and technoloy I am sure both of them would have done great films that were very faithful to the book...
on the other hand Spielberg had the chance and oppertunity and still messed it up...

[Anim8tr]

Harryhausen's work is the stuff of legend. What a pity this was never made. It would doubtless outshine the most current film versions in many ways.

[mctoddridesagain]

A period WOTW?

Yes, and No, depending on the source...

In a lengthy article on Harryhausen in 'Cinefantastique' from the early 1980s, it says Ray tried to get Jesse Lasky of RKO interested in doing a period version in 1949, but Lasky turned him down as costume pics were too expensive.

However, the recent 'Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life' (get it, it's a must!), which relies massively upon interviews with the great man, expands upon this and puts on a different gloss, in that Ray says he conceived of making WOTW in the army and wrote treatments in 1942 and 1944, in which he updated it to contemporary America, and wanted the first cylinder landing near a circus! The main sfx action would have focused on the destruction of New York's greatest landmarks.

As you know, he filmed about a minute's worth of colour 16mm footage of a Martian emerging from a plaster cylinder made by his dad. This can be seen in its entirety in the DVD 'Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years'.

He never filmed (or even built) a tripod.

He even tried to get Frank 'It's A Wonderful Life' Capra interested in 1950.

It is said in 'Cinefantastique' that he also offered his Martian to Howard Hawks for 'The Thing'.

Anyway, period or not, Ray's WOTW would have sh*t on anyone else's version, ever.

[1953]

I really really wish somehow that the british film industry could make war of the worlds. Seeing some of those period dramas you sometimes see on BBC and ITV I think they could really do it with of course a Billion quid for special effects ;D

I dont think we will ever see a faithful american film seeing as americas box office rules the roost

[mctoddridesagain]

I agree, they could potentially do a great job, and not spend billions either. After all, look at some of the documentaries they've done with superb CGI effects - Walking With Dinosaurs, Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, Space Race, blah blah, I'm sure they could do it.

Back in the '80s, the guy who produced Tripods wanted to have a go at WOTW. Although, back then, the miniatures would probably have been compromised a little by slightly dodgy CSO work, I think they could have done a good job even then.

As for Ray Harryhausen, I've just got 'The Art of Ray Harryhausen' (a signed copy!) and it has a couple more of his sketches, including a great rough sketch of a scene involving a tripod attacking a zeppelin at a landing field, which he based on the images of the Hindenburg sinking to the ground in flames at Lakehurst!

[marciano]

HARRYHAUSEN RULES!!!

[Thunder Child]

including a great rough sketch of a scene involving a tripod attacking a zeppelin at a landing field, which he based on the images of the Hindenburg sinking to the ground in flames at Lakehurst!

WOW

Could you scan and post that one for us?

Johan

[mctoddridesagain]

Okay, TC! (to be said in a Benny the Ball voice from 'Top Cat'...)

The airship attack:


A farm is attacked


The death of the Martians:


I cannot overemphasise what a beautiful book this is! It's a companion to 'Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life' - both are published by Aurum and both co-authored by Tony Dalton.

[Thunder Child]

Oh My God!!!

That looks SO cool!

That Dead London picture is great!

[Thunder Child]

Thanks for posting that McTodd!!!!

[Tripod]

Fantastic!

Tripod

[mctoddridesagain]

thunderchild3 said:

Thanks for posting that McTodd!!!!

No problem, I'm happy to spread the Word of Harryhausen.