Around the World in 80 Days
Was it possible to travel around the earth in eighty days in 1873? Jules Verne’s time-obsessed Phileas Fogg thought so and bet all his wealth he could do it. As Orson Welles points out in a documentary on impresario Michael Todd, Todd’s monumental film adaptation of Verne’s classic novel was also autobiographical because Todd’s crazy venture was equally thought impossible by all informed. Like Fogg’s journey, the film production was a quixotic race against time, requiring tons of money, with many seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
David Niven is perfection as Fogg, a role he considered his favorite of his long career; he embodies Fogg’s propriety, steadfastness and punctuality. Mexican comedian Cantinflas as the French Passepartout is an odd choice; the screenplay requires him to be a degenerate womanizer, one of many — too many — instances of Todd changing Verne’s story for a perceived 1956 audience. Shirley MacLaine is also oddly cast in a thankless role as Princess Aouda. She doesn’t have much to do except look admiringly up at Niven’s face. The rest of the cast is made up of famous actors begged, cajoled and flattered into appearing onscreen for a short time; Todd even coined the term “cameo role” to describe their appearances. The wealth of celebrities is too long to list here; it includes Noel Coward, Frank Sinatra, Sir John Gielgud, David Carradine, Red Skelton, Buster Keaton, and Marlene Dietrich.
Like the early ’50s wide-screen extravaganzas, such as This Is Cinerama (1952), Todd’s Around the World is a travelogue, much of it shot on location, designed to present Todd’s Todd-AO 70 mm cinematography. In fact, the film is half travelogue and half story, butchering Verne’s tightly wound tale in the process. Fogg and Passepartout begin their journey in the film on a balloon. Many film fans think of that balloon when they think of the film. There was no balloon ride in Verne’s novel (though there was Verne’s earlier, unrelated novel, Five Weeks in a Balloon). The entire long sequence is just an excuse for beautiful scenery.
And thus it goes for the rest of the film. The progress of the plot is interrupted by a seemingly endless bullfighting sequence in Spain (there is no travel to Spain in the novel). Sequences suspenseful and carefully paced in the novel are rushed through frivolously in the film, in order to make room for more landscape shots and “local color.” S. J. Perelman is listed as one of the three screenplay writers, but little of Verne’s droll and satirical observations survive in the film. It’s one of Verne’s funniest books. In short, nearly every scene in the book is shortened, trivialized, and made less effective in Todd’s movie. Those who haven’t read the book and have no expectations may better enjoy Todd’s colorful parade. It looks like no expense was spared, with colorful vistas impressive on a wide screen.
Victor Young’s score is loved by some, by our recent viewing found it far too obvious, cliched and relentless, using old tunes to tell us where in the world the characters are — something we can already plainly see.
Warner Bros.’ two-disc DVD set includes the aforementioned late ’60s documentary on Michael Todd, a truly remarkable wheeler-dealer and unlikely success story; in some ways it’s more enjoyable than the film it accompanies. Also included: a commentary track, newsreels of the film’s premiere, highlights of the 1957 Academy Awards ceremony and more. Around the World won the Academy Award for Best Picture, somehow beating that year’s Giant and The Searchers to the punch. Because of this, Around the World in 80 Days is frequently listed as one of the worst films to win that award.
—Michael R. Neno, 2016 Jun 1