General Questions

1. What nickname did Ray give the skeleton model that he always took to conventions, and what does it have to do with William Shakespeare?

2. In what sole Harryhausen movie does producer Charles Schneer have a cameo?

3. Aside from stunt man Dale Van Sickel and Ray Harryhausen himself, name the 18 principal actors who each appeared in two Harryhausen movies.

3. Actor Leo Carillo, famous as “Pancho,” the sidekick to The Cisco Kid in the popular 1950s western TV series, has two connections with Harryhausen movies. Name them.

4. What Harryhausen creature does the name “Magog” refer to, and where is the only place it appears?

5. In the 1930s Ray experimented with marionettes and gave puppet shows at the Leimert Theater in Leimert Park (in Los Angeles). Leimert Park was the site of what notorious crime in 1947? (Which, of course, Ray had nothing to do with.)

6. What was the religious affiliation of Ray’s mother, Martha Harryhausen, and what did this cause her to object to during Ray’s military service?

7. James Franciscus (The Valley of Gwangi) and Nancy Kovak (Jason and the Argonauts) appeared together in what other film as husband and wife?

8. Name at least 3 things that the James Bond film Goldfinger has in common with Ray Harryhausen movies.

9. Human skeletons appear in 3 Harryhausen movies. How many total skeleton models did Ray make over the course of these films?

10. A character played by Charlie Sheen referred to what Harryhausen film as “a damn fine movie!”?

11. Producer Charles Schneer coined the name “Dynamation.” What was the origin of the name? (Hint: It was not an acronym for “Dynamic Animation,” as some have thought.)

12. Where did Ray come face-to-face with a giant spider?

13. What connection does the Harryhausen family have with Laurel and Hardy?

14. Where did Ray get the first public reaction to his work?

15. What is the origin of the Harryhausen name?

16. How did Ray come to know Dr. Seuss?

17. What incident did Ray also blame for the early loss of his hair?

18. Where did Ray first see the original animation models for King Kong?

Ray Harryhausen’s Fairy Tales

19. What were the "teardrops" made of when Gretel sheds a tear over the spilt milk in Hansel and Gretel? And what did Ray use for the "milk"?

20. What does Ray's character "The Stranger" from The Story of King Midas have in common with Alexander Korda?

21. What name is misspelled in the on-screen credits in Ray’s Fairy Tale films?

The Puppetoons®

22. What connection does one of the George Pal Puppetoons® that Ray animated have with the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby “Road” comedies of the 1940s?

Mighty Joe Young

23. The faux poster for "Max O'Hara's Earthquake Ballet" was later seen in an episode of what 1960s U.S.-made TV series?

24. What was Terry Moore actually playing on the piano?

25. Name two connections between Mighty Joe Young and the 1950s TV series I Love Lucy.

26. What line of dialog did Ray himself dub in Mighty Joe Young?

27. What connection does Mighty Joe Young have with the U.S. TV series The Waltons?

28. What song was originally considered as Joe’s “musical theme” before the production settled on Beautiful Dreamer?

29. What matte painting included a misspelled word on the first take (later corrected)?

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms

30. The name "Rhedosaurus" starts with Ray's initials and the first syllable sounds like "Ray.” Intentional or coincidence?

31. Who wrote Cecil Kellaway's dialog when he was inside the diving bell, and how is that writer associated with the westerns of Sergio Leone?

32. Why was it impossible for The Beast to have come from 20,000 fathoms?

33. What connection does the song being played on the concertina by the younger of the two lighthouse keepers have with Errol Flynn?

It Came From Beneath the Sea

34. What shot has something in common with an Alfred Hitchcock movie?

35. What color was Faith Domergue's dress in the restaurant scene?

36. The submarine that Kenneth Tobey captains is not mentioned by any name, either real or fictional (such as “Nautilus”) in the film or the script. What was the name of the real submarine hired for the film, and in what significant political event did it participate some years later?

37. San Francisco’s “City Fathers” objected to the film company “destroying” the Golden Gate Bridge. What connection did the “City Fathers” have with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy eight years later? (They probably objected to the assassinaton, too, but that's not what we're getting at.)

38. One of the screenwriters of It Came From Beneath the Sea later won an Academy Award® for writing what film?

The Animal World

39. What connection does The Animal World have with 3D?

40. When Ray reminisced about The Animal World, why did he often think of clam chowder?

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

41. What does The Three Stooges Meet Hercules have in common with Earth vs. the Flying Saucers?

42. What does the 1999 X-rated video Attack of the Bimbos From Outer Space have in common with Earth vs. the Flying Saucers?

43. Who coined the term “solidified electricity” in reference to the external suits that the aliens wear?

44. Location filming in Washington D.C. prevented Joan Taylor from participating in what family event?

20 Million Miles to Earth

45. What material did Ray use for the Ymir's "egg"?

46. What did Ray use to simulate the "sulphur" that the Ymir eats in the barn?

47. What is the connection between 20 Million Miles to Earth and the 1965 film Two on a Guillotine?

48. Of the cast, who travelled to Italy for principal photography?

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad

49. An article on Ray promoting The 7th Voyage of Sinbad appeared in the March, 1959 issue of Argosy magazine. What connection does that article itself have with Marilyn Monroe? (To clarify: there is no connection in the content of the article, rather the article itself.)

50. Although they had no scenes together, in what film did both Kerwin Mathews and Kathryn Grant appear prior to The 7th Voyage of Sinbad?

The 3 Worlds of the Gulliver

51. For what sequence did Ray use the frontlight/backlight matting technique instead of his usual rear projection?

52. What does The 3 Worlds of Gulliver have in common with Walt Disney’s 1950s Mickey Mouse Club TV series?

53. Cinematographer Wilkie Cooper’s real name is Douglas Ralph Cooper. What was the origin of the nickname “Wilkie”?

Mysterious Island

54. Who was the "stunt swimmer" for Herbert when he and Elena jumped into the water to escape from the Nautilus grotto?

55. Neb was played by Dan Jackson. Was was Neb’s last name?

56. Prior to the sequence being cut (and never filmed), what actor, who appeared in a later Harryhausen movie, was signed to play Thomas Ayrton, a castaway on the island who was attacked by a giant man-eating plant?

Jason and the Argonauts

57. Who provided the dubbed voiceovers for Todd Armstrong and Nancy Kovak? And what additional connection did the male voiceover performer have with Jason?

58. Why was the actor who played Triton, Bill Gungeon, especially qualified for this role?

59. First there was “Dynamation” (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad), then “SuperDynamation” (The 3 Worlds of Gulliver and Mysterious Island). Early publicity for Jason and the Argonauts touted “Dynamation 90.” What did the “90” in “Dynamation 90” refer to? (This was later dropped and “Dynamation” was not mentioned at all in the final publicity campaign for Jason.)

First Men “In” the Moon

60. Why is the car that Martha Hyer drives an anachronism?

61. Cavour's sphere landed in an area known as Mare Imbrium. Which of NASA’s Apollo moon missions also landed in that region?

62. When Cavour gets stuck in the rocks on the moon he calls out, "S.O.S.! S.O.S.!" Why was this not possible?

63. Cavour (Lionel Jeffries) introduces himself to Kate (Martha Hyer) as “Joseph Cavour.” What is unusual about that name?

64. Who provided the voice of the Grand Lunar in the climactic scenes?

65. The sodium-light traveling matte process had been used with great success in The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, Mysterious Island, and Jason and the Argonauts. Why was the process (still in general use) not used in Ray’s next film, First Men “In” the Moon?

66. Actor Peter Finch was brought in at the last minute to play the official in the brief scene when Kate Calendar is served with a lawsuit. He reads the summons to Martha Hyer, but is actually holding what piece of paper?

67. Who directed the above-mentioned scene with Peter Finch?

68. Having been filmed in 35mm widescreen Panavision, First Men “In” the Moon was blown up to create one 70mm release print as a test for what film that was being considered for production in 70mm?

69. Why did someone regret allowing the film crew to film at his home?

One Million Years B.C.

70. What were Ray's nicknames for the Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus?

71. What “Bond Girl” was Raquel Welch signed to play, but was released from that contract to make Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C. for 20th Century-Fox?

72. What prehistoric beast was suggested by Michael Carreras but rejected by Ray Harryhausen?

73. What was Raquel Welch’s connection to Gone With the Wind?

74. What is significant about “Giant Panamation,” a format touted in early publicity for One Million Years B.C.?

75. Name at least two instances in which Ray's dinosaur animation was used as stock footage in later films.

76. What does One Million Years B.C. have in common with 2001: A Space Odyssey?

The Valley of Gwangi

77. What was the name of the elephant?

78. The live action stand-in for the Eohippus was what animal?

79. Who did the stunt horse riding for Gila Golan?

80. Gila Golan plays "T.J. Breckinridge.” What do the initials "T.J." stand for? (Correct spellings, please.)

81. During the time that Ray was doing the animation, the special effects for what science fiction film were being produced in the studio next door?

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad

82. On what silent movie actor did Ray pattern the face of the Homunculus?

83 The actor who played the sailor who gets strangled by the Siren Figurehead was related to what famous Hollywood star?

84. What connection does Caroline Munro have with actress Janet Munro, star of Darby O’Gill and the Little People and other films?

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger

85. Who owned the cat whose eyes open in a big closeup at the end, and why was that a particularly difficult shot to film?

86. What was the original name of the character Melanthius?

87. Who came up with the idea for Jane Seymour's braided hairstyle in the early scenes, and why was this a regrettable decision?

Clash of the Titans

88. What was Ray's "cameo" appearance in Clash of the Titans?

89. Which one of the "gods" on Mount Olympus was related to a famous singer in a rock band?

90. The armature for Calibos' goat-like leg was used previously by Ray in what two earlier films?

(end)

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This is a Pre-Order - Production is underway for Fall 2018

Majicks Update #5

Ray Harryhausen - Master of the Majicks

Special DeLuxe Limited Edition Boxed Set of
Volumes 1, 2, and 3

Revised and updated with over 700 new or upgraded photos,
new information and interview material, and corrections and fixes.

Ray Harryhausen Trivia Questions!

Test your knowledge! Amaze your friends!
(Answers will be published here once the books are sold out.)

In addition to detailed and in-depth coverage of Ray's animation and visual effects work, the Master of the Majicks books contain extensive information and detail about the movies themselves. Just for fun, we assembled a list of 90 obscure trivia questions related to Ray's movies.