The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad
Encyclopedia
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is a 1958 fantasy film
released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Nathan H. Juran and produced by Charles H. Schneer
. It was the first of three Sinbad films made by Columbia which were conceptualized and animated by Ray Harryhausen
and which used a special stop-motion technique called Dynamation (the others being The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger
).
While similarly named, the film does not follow the plot of the tale "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor" but instead has more in common with "The Second Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor", which featured the giant roc
bird, and "The Third Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor", which featured the cyclops roasting Sinbad's crew.
In 2008, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
by the Library of Congress
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
(Kerwin Mathews
) and his crew are lost on the ocean but accidentally find the island of Colossa. They land for provisions, and find it to have many fruits. While exploring, Sinbad finds an enormous hoof-print, and stone carved in the shape of a giant face. He encounters Sokurah the magician (Torin Thatcher
), fleeing from a giant cyclops
. They are able to escape, when Sokurah orders the genie
of his magic lamp to create a magical barrier, but Sokurah drops the lamp when the cyclops throws a boulder into the sea, overturning their boat. The cyclops finds and keeps the lamp after the barrier disappears. Though Sokurah offers Sinbad much to get it back for him, telling him that the Cyclops has gathered many times the jewels he has offered Sinbad, Sinbad refuses. He and Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant
), from the kingdom of Chandra, are on their way to Sinbad's native Baghdad
to be married. They are in love and the union would also cement ties between their two nations.
The Caliph
of Baghdad (Alec Mango
) allows Sokurah to provide entertainment for the night before the wedding, and the magician combines Parisa's maid and a cobra to create a snake-woman that gives an exotic dance, though he restores her when the snake tail tries to strangle her. The Caliph refuses to provide Sokurah a ship and crew to retrieve his treasure and threatens to have him blinded if he is not out of Bagdad before sunset the next day after he prophecies war between the two nations, the magician secretly shrinks Parisa to the size of a hand. When she is found like this, Sinbad finds the magician leaving the city and tells him to return, while Parisa's father threatens Bagdad with war. Sokurah claims he knows of a potion that can restore her, but it requires a piece of the eggshell of a roc, a giant, two-headed bird that coincidentally nests on the island of the cyclopses. The caliph has no choice but to provide a ship. Sinbad enlists his loyal men from the previous voyage, but they are not enough, so he also has to recruit thieves and murderers from the Caliph's prison.
Before they reach the island of Colossa, the cutthroats mutiny and capture Sokurah, Sinbad, and his men. However, the sounds of screaming demons from an island south of Colossa madden the crew, and the ship is in danger of being dashed upon the rocks. Sokurah had warned Sinbad of this, meaning his ears are protected with wax
and cloth. One of the mutineers releases Sinbad so he can save the ship, while the leader of the mutiners falls into the sea. Afterwards, Sinbad regains control of the men.
On the island of Colossa a giant crossbow begins being asembled, and when the men enter the valley of the Cyclops, Sokurah insists on splitting into two groups, so that if one is caught, the other can try to rescue them. When Sinbad's party is captured by the cyclops when they enter its treasure chamber, Sokurah refuses to release them from their wooden cage, instead pressing on to retrieve the magic lamp. The rest of the men drink from a river, which 'tastes like choice wine', and become drunk. The cyclops chases Sokurah, forcing him to drop the lamp. Meanwhile, Sinbad has the miniature Parisa slip between the bars and unlatch the cage. Three of the drunk men are crushed to death by the Cyclops. Sinbad manages to blind the cyclops with a torch and trick it into falling off a cliff to its death.
Sinbad still needs Sokurah to guide him, but takes possession of the lamp, though he does not know how to use it. Parisa suggests she enter the lamp. Inside, she finds the unhappy boy genie Barani (Richard Eyer
). He tells her how to summon him in return for a promise to try to free him.
The party reaches the nest of the two-headed roc, just as a giant hatchling emerges from its shell. Some of the men slay it as they feel hungry, which incites an attack by the infuriated parent. In the confusion, Sokurah kills Sinbad's faithful lieutenant when he prevents him getting the lamp, abducts the Princess, and takes her to his underground fortress, while Sinbad is flown to the Roc's nest and knocked out.
Sinbad comes to, climbs down, and after hearing from the Genie what happened, follows, slipping past the chained guardian dragon
. Sokurah restores Parisa to her normal size in return for the lamp. However, he reneges when Sinbad says he will not give him the lamp before they get back to the ship, animating a skeleton swordsman (an effect Ray Harryhausen would reuse in Jason and the Argonauts), but Sinbad defeats it by knocking it off the top of a spiral staircase. He and the Princess flee. As they cross over a river of molten lava
after the Genie provides them with a rope, Parisa recalls part of the prophecy the genie told her about. She persuades Sinbad to let her throw the lamp into the lava, freeing the genie from his slavery.
When the two leave the cave, they meet a second Cyclops. Sinbad releases the dragon to fight and the cyclops, resulting in the Cyclops's death, while making good their escape back to the shore. Sokurah then orders the dragon to follow and kill Sinbad. However, Sinbad has time to organize his men to slay the fire-breathing creature with a giant crossbow ballista
, which was originally designed by Sokurah as a defence against the cyclops. The mortally-wounded dragon falls on Sokurah, killing him, then dies soon after on the beach. Sinbad, Parisa, and the other survivors depart, joined by the genie, Sinbad's new cabin boy, who has placed the treasure of the Cyclops in Sinbad's cabin as a wedding gift.
Harryhausen gave the cyclops a horn, furry goat legs and cloven hooves, an idea based upon the concept of the Greek god Pan
. He lifted much of the creature's design (for example the torso, chest, arms, poise and style of movement) from his concept of the ymir (the monster from 20 Million Miles to Earth
). He used the same armature for both creatures.
He researched the cobra-woman sequence (when Sakourah entertains the Caliph and the Sultan) by watching a belly dancer
in Beirut
, Lebanon
. During the performance, Harryhausen says "smoke was coming up my jacket. I thought I was on fire! It turned out the gentleman behind me was smoking a hookah!" The cyclops is the film's most popular character, but Harryhausen's personal favorite was the snakewoman, a combination of Princess Parisa's maid, Sadi, and a cobra.
The film's original script had a climax that involved two cyclopes fighting. However, in the final version, the climactic battle featured a cyclops versus a dragon. The model of the dragon was over three feet long and very difficult to animate; the fight took two to three weeks of Harryhausen's time. Originally it was planned to have the dragon breathing fire out of its mouth during the sequence, but the cost would have been too high. For the scenes where the dragon does breathe fire, Harryhausen used a flamethrower
against a night sky and shot it out about 30 to 40 feet, then superimposed the shot in the area close to the dragon's mouth.
The sword fight scene between Sinbad and the skeleton proved so popular with audiences that Harryhausen recreated and expanded the scene by having an army of armed skeletons fight the Greek hero Jason and his men in Jason and the Argonauts.
The term "Dynamation" was first used for this film.
, better known for his collaboration with the director Alfred Hitchcock
. Herrmann went on to write the scores for three other Harryhausen films, namely Mysterious Island
, The Three Worlds of Gulliver
, and Jason and the Argonauts, but Harryhausen regarded the score for The 7th Voyage of Sinbad as being the finest of the four due to the empathy which Herrmann's main title composition displayed for the subject matter. The soundtrack producer Robert Townson, who re-recorded the score in 1998 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
, described the music as rich and vibrant, commenting "I would cite The 7th Voyage of Sinbad as one of the scores which most validates film music as an art form and a forum where a great composer can write a great piece of music. As pure composition I would place Sinbad beside anything else written this century and not worry about it being able to stand on its own."
, with several reviewers citing its nostalgic value. Mountain Xpress
critic Ken Hanke calls it "Childhood memory stuff of the most compelling kind".
American Film Institute
Lists
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Nathan H. Juran and produced by Charles H. Schneer
Charles H. Schneer
Charles H. Schneer was a film producer most widely known for working with special effects pioneer, Ray Harryhausen. He was born in Norfolk, Virginia and died in Boca Raton, Florida, aged 88....
. It was the first of three Sinbad films made by Columbia which were conceptualized and animated by Ray Harryhausen
Ray Harryhausen
Ray Harryhausen is an American film producer and special effects creator...
and which used a special stop-motion technique called Dynamation (the others being The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad is a fantasy film released in 1974 and starring John Phillip Law as Sinbad. It includes a score by composer Miklós Rózsa and is known mostly for the stop-motion effects by Ray Harryhausen...
and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger is a 1977 fantasy film, the third and final Sinbad film that Ray Harryhausen made for Columbia, after The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. The film was directed by Sam Wanamaker...
).
While similarly named, the film does not follow the plot of the tale "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor" but instead has more in common with "The Second Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor", which featured the giant roc
Roc
A roc or rukh is an enormous legendary bird of prey, often said to be white.-Eastern origins:...
bird, and "The Third Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor", which featured the cyclops roasting Sinbad's crew.
In 2008, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Plot
Legendary adventurer Sinbad the SailorSinbad the Sailor
Sinbad the Sailor is a fictional sailor from Basrah, living during the Abbasid Caliphate – the hero of a story-cycle of Middle Eastern origin...
(Kerwin Mathews
Kerwin Mathews
Kerwin Mathews was an American actor best known for playing the titular heroes in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad , The Three Worlds of Gulliver and Jack the Giant Killer .-Life and career:...
) and his crew are lost on the ocean but accidentally find the island of Colossa. They land for provisions, and find it to have many fruits. While exploring, Sinbad finds an enormous hoof-print, and stone carved in the shape of a giant face. He encounters Sokurah the magician (Torin Thatcher
Torin Thatcher
Torin Thatcher was an English actor born in Bombay, British India, India), to English parents. He was an imposing, powerfully built figure noted for his flashy portrayals of screen villains....
), fleeing from a giant cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
. They are able to escape, when Sokurah orders the genie
Genie
Jinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...
of his magic lamp to create a magical barrier, but Sokurah drops the lamp when the cyclops throws a boulder into the sea, overturning their boat. The cyclops finds and keeps the lamp after the barrier disappears. Though Sokurah offers Sinbad much to get it back for him, telling him that the Cyclops has gathered many times the jewels he has offered Sinbad, Sinbad refuses. He and Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant
Kathryn Crosby
Kathryn Crosby is an American actress and singer who also performed under the stage-name Kathryn Grant.-Early life and career:...
), from the kingdom of Chandra, are on their way to Sinbad's native Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
to be married. They are in love and the union would also cement ties between their two nations.
The Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
of Baghdad (Alec Mango
Alec Mango
Alec Mango was an English actor. He is best known for portraying El Supremo in the 1951 Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N., he also appeared in South of Algiers , The Strange World of Planet X , The 7th Voyage of Sinbad , Danger Man , and Frankenstein Created Woman, .-Selected filmography:* They Who...
) allows Sokurah to provide entertainment for the night before the wedding, and the magician combines Parisa's maid and a cobra to create a snake-woman that gives an exotic dance, though he restores her when the snake tail tries to strangle her. The Caliph refuses to provide Sokurah a ship and crew to retrieve his treasure and threatens to have him blinded if he is not out of Bagdad before sunset the next day after he prophecies war between the two nations, the magician secretly shrinks Parisa to the size of a hand. When she is found like this, Sinbad finds the magician leaving the city and tells him to return, while Parisa's father threatens Bagdad with war. Sokurah claims he knows of a potion that can restore her, but it requires a piece of the eggshell of a roc, a giant, two-headed bird that coincidentally nests on the island of the cyclopses. The caliph has no choice but to provide a ship. Sinbad enlists his loyal men from the previous voyage, but they are not enough, so he also has to recruit thieves and murderers from the Caliph's prison.
Before they reach the island of Colossa, the cutthroats mutiny and capture Sokurah, Sinbad, and his men. However, the sounds of screaming demons from an island south of Colossa madden the crew, and the ship is in danger of being dashed upon the rocks. Sokurah had warned Sinbad of this, meaning his ears are protected with wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
and cloth. One of the mutineers releases Sinbad so he can save the ship, while the leader of the mutiners falls into the sea. Afterwards, Sinbad regains control of the men.
On the island of Colossa a giant crossbow begins being asembled, and when the men enter the valley of the Cyclops, Sokurah insists on splitting into two groups, so that if one is caught, the other can try to rescue them. When Sinbad's party is captured by the cyclops when they enter its treasure chamber, Sokurah refuses to release them from their wooden cage, instead pressing on to retrieve the magic lamp. The rest of the men drink from a river, which 'tastes like choice wine', and become drunk. The cyclops chases Sokurah, forcing him to drop the lamp. Meanwhile, Sinbad has the miniature Parisa slip between the bars and unlatch the cage. Three of the drunk men are crushed to death by the Cyclops. Sinbad manages to blind the cyclops with a torch and trick it into falling off a cliff to its death.
Sinbad still needs Sokurah to guide him, but takes possession of the lamp, though he does not know how to use it. Parisa suggests she enter the lamp. Inside, she finds the unhappy boy genie Barani (Richard Eyer
Richard Eyer
Richard Ross Eyer is a former American child actor during the 1950s and 1960s who taught elementary school in the eastern Sierra city of Bishop in Inyo County until he retired in 2006. He is the older brother of Robert Eyer Richard Ross Eyer (born May 6, 1945, Santa Monica, California) is a former...
). He tells her how to summon him in return for a promise to try to free him.
The party reaches the nest of the two-headed roc, just as a giant hatchling emerges from its shell. Some of the men slay it as they feel hungry, which incites an attack by the infuriated parent. In the confusion, Sokurah kills Sinbad's faithful lieutenant when he prevents him getting the lamp, abducts the Princess, and takes her to his underground fortress, while Sinbad is flown to the Roc's nest and knocked out.
Sinbad comes to, climbs down, and after hearing from the Genie what happened, follows, slipping past the chained guardian dragon
European dragon
European dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων,...
. Sokurah restores Parisa to her normal size in return for the lamp. However, he reneges when Sinbad says he will not give him the lamp before they get back to the ship, animating a skeleton swordsman (an effect Ray Harryhausen would reuse in Jason and the Argonauts), but Sinbad defeats it by knocking it off the top of a spiral staircase. He and the Princess flee. As they cross over a river of molten lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
after the Genie provides them with a rope, Parisa recalls part of the prophecy the genie told her about. She persuades Sinbad to let her throw the lamp into the lava, freeing the genie from his slavery.
When the two leave the cave, they meet a second Cyclops. Sinbad releases the dragon to fight and the cyclops, resulting in the Cyclops's death, while making good their escape back to the shore. Sokurah then orders the dragon to follow and kill Sinbad. However, Sinbad has time to organize his men to slay the fire-breathing creature with a giant crossbow ballista
Ballista
The ballista , plural ballistae, was an ancient missile weapon which launched a large projectile at a distant target....
, which was originally designed by Sokurah as a defence against the cyclops. The mortally-wounded dragon falls on Sokurah, killing him, then dies soon after on the beach. Sinbad, Parisa, and the other survivors depart, joined by the genie, Sinbad's new cabin boy, who has placed the treasure of the Cyclops in Sinbad's cabin as a wedding gift.
Cast
- Kerwin MathewsKerwin MathewsKerwin Mathews was an American actor best known for playing the titular heroes in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad , The Three Worlds of Gulliver and Jack the Giant Killer .-Life and career:...
as Sinbad, the main protagonist of the film - Kathryn GrantKathryn CrosbyKathryn Crosby is an American actress and singer who also performed under the stage-name Kathryn Grant.-Early life and career:...
as Princess Parisa - Richard EyerRichard EyerRichard Ross Eyer is a former American child actor during the 1950s and 1960s who taught elementary school in the eastern Sierra city of Bishop in Inyo County until he retired in 2006. He is the older brother of Robert Eyer Richard Ross Eyer (born May 6, 1945, Santa Monica, California) is a former...
as Barani, the genie - Torin ThatcherTorin ThatcherTorin Thatcher was an English actor born in Bombay, British India, India), to English parents. He was an imposing, powerfully built figure noted for his flashy portrayals of screen villains....
as Sokurah, the main antagonist of the film - Alec MangoAlec MangoAlec Mango was an English actor. He is best known for portraying El Supremo in the 1951 Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N., he also appeared in South of Algiers , The Strange World of Planet X , The 7th Voyage of Sinbad , Danger Man , and Frankenstein Created Woman, .-Selected filmography:* They Who...
as the Caliph of Bagdad - Harold KasketHarold KasketHarold Kasket, was a British actor in films and later TV from the 1940s. Kasket usually played Arabs or mainland European types in many films and TV programmes such as Maigret, The Saint, Danger Man, Z-Cars, Department S and The Tomorrow People. His last role was in the TV mini series War and...
as the Sultan, Parisa's father - Alfred Brown as Harufa, Sinbad's loyal right hand man
Production
It took Ray Harryhausen 11 months to complete the animation sequences for the film.Harryhausen gave the cyclops a horn, furry goat legs and cloven hooves, an idea based upon the concept of the Greek god Pan
Pan (mythology)
Pan , in Greek religion and mythology, is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. His name originates within the Greek language, from the word paein , meaning "to pasture." He has the hindquarters, legs,...
. He lifted much of the creature's design (for example the torso, chest, arms, poise and style of movement) from his concept of the ymir (the monster from 20 Million Miles to Earth
20 Million Miles to Earth
20 Million Miles to Earth is a 1957 American science fiction film written by Bob Williams and Christopher Knopf from an original treatment by Charlott Knight. The film was produced by Charles H. Schneer's Morningside Productions for Columbia Pictures and directed by Nathan H. Juran...
). He used the same armature for both creatures.
He researched the cobra-woman sequence (when Sakourah entertains the Caliph and the Sultan) by watching a belly dancer
Belly dancer
A belly dancer is one who performs a belly dance. The phrase may also refer to:*"Belly Dancer" , a single by R&B singer Akon*"Belly Dancer" , a hip hop song*The Belly Dancer, a 2001 Turkish drama film...
in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. During the performance, Harryhausen says "smoke was coming up my jacket. I thought I was on fire! It turned out the gentleman behind me was smoking a hookah!" The cyclops is the film's most popular character, but Harryhausen's personal favorite was the snakewoman, a combination of Princess Parisa's maid, Sadi, and a cobra.
The film's original script had a climax that involved two cyclopes fighting. However, in the final version, the climactic battle featured a cyclops versus a dragon. The model of the dragon was over three feet long and very difficult to animate; the fight took two to three weeks of Harryhausen's time. Originally it was planned to have the dragon breathing fire out of its mouth during the sequence, but the cost would have been too high. For the scenes where the dragon does breathe fire, Harryhausen used a flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
against a night sky and shot it out about 30 to 40 feet, then superimposed the shot in the area close to the dragon's mouth.
The sword fight scene between Sinbad and the skeleton proved so popular with audiences that Harryhausen recreated and expanded the scene by having an army of armed skeletons fight the Greek hero Jason and his men in Jason and the Argonauts.
The term "Dynamation" was first used for this film.
The Score
The film's music was composed by the late Bernard HerrmannBernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann was an American composer noted for his work in motion pictures.An Academy Award-winner , Herrmann is particularly known for his collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock, most famously Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo...
, better known for his collaboration with the director Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
. Herrmann went on to write the scores for three other Harryhausen films, namely Mysterious Island
Mysterious Island (1961 film)
Mysterious Island is a 1961 film released by Morningside Productions. Based very loosely upon the novel The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, the film was produced by Charles H. Schneer and Ray Harryhausen. Directed by Cy Endfield, it was released through Columbia Pictures...
, The Three Worlds of Gulliver
The Three Worlds of Gulliver
The Three Worlds of Gulliver is a 1960 Columbia Pictures fantasy film loosely based upon the 18th-century English novel Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. The film stars Kerwin Mathews as the titular character, June Thorburn as his fiancée Elizabeth, and child actor Sherry Alberoni as...
, and Jason and the Argonauts, but Harryhausen regarded the score for The 7th Voyage of Sinbad as being the finest of the four due to the empathy which Herrmann's main title composition displayed for the subject matter. The soundtrack producer Robert Townson, who re-recorded the score in 1998 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is Scotland's national symphony orchestra. Based in Glasgow, the 89-member professional orchestra also regularly performs in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and abroad. Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company has performed full-time since 1950,...
, described the music as rich and vibrant, commenting "I would cite The 7th Voyage of Sinbad as one of the scores which most validates film music as an art form and a forum where a great composer can write a great piece of music. As pure composition I would place Sinbad beside anything else written this century and not worry about it being able to stand on its own."
Critical reception
The film was, and continues to be, well-reviewed by critics and audiences alike. It has a 100% rating at the aggregate movie review website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, with several reviewers citing its nostalgic value. Mountain Xpress
Mountain Xpress
The Mountain Xpress is a free alternative newspaper covering news, arts, local politics, and events in Asheville and western North Carolina. Published each Wednesday in print and online, it has a print circulation of about 29,000...
critic Ken Hanke calls it "Childhood memory stuff of the most compelling kind".
American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
Lists
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills - Nominated
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains:
- Sinbad - Nominated Hero
- AFI's 10 Top 10AFI's 10 Top 10AFI's 10 Top 10 honors the ten greatest American films in ten classic film genres. Presented by the American Film Institute , the lists were unveiled on a television special broadcast by CBS on June 17, 2008....
- Nominated Fantasy Film