BTC: Ray Harryhausen’s Monster Menagerie

Hooray, Halloween is almost heeeere. What better way to greet the final stretch than to wake and stretch with this bonafide monster mash, courtesy of the great master of make believe, stop-motion model animator, Ray Harryhausen? (Added bonus: Tito Puente!)

More rousting clips of Harryhausen’s creations under the cut.


The famous skeleton scene from Jason and the Argonauts (1963)


The Valley of Gwangi (1969) Cowboys + Dinosaurs = EPIC WIN.


Kali’s dance for the wicked sorcerer from The Voyage of Sinbad. (1974)


The unintentionally(?) hilarious Phorusrhacos attack from Mysterious Island. (1961)


Mollusc mania in It Came From Beneath the Sea. (1955)

Posted by Meredith Yayanos on October 27th, 2008
Filed under Animation, Art, Better than coffee, Fairy Tales, Film, Flora & Fauna, Sculpture

10 Responses to “BTC: Ray Harryhausen’s Monster Menagerie”

  1. Jani Says:
    October 27th, 2008 at 2:55 am

    Thanks for posting this!
    I have amused myself for years with this tribute to Ray Harryhausen
    http://www.funfreepages.com/flash/tribute_to_skeletor.php
    Great (Korean?) version of YMCA!

  2. Jani Says:
    October 27th, 2008 at 2:57 am

    Thanks so much for posting this.
    I have been amusing myself with this great Ray Harryhousen tribute video for years, it even has amazing YMCA Cover version…
    http://www.funfreepages.com/flash/tribute_to_skeletor.php

  3. an9ie Says:
    October 27th, 2008 at 3:33 am

    The scariest thing is that I remember watching most of the movies with these scenes in them … gah, showing my age! Great post :)

  4. VJESCI Says:
    October 27th, 2008 at 4:36 am

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Monster_Party%3F

  5. Jack Says:
    October 27th, 2008 at 7:01 am

    What I wouldn’t give for a pocket full of hydra’s teeth…

  6. Mer Says:
    October 27th, 2008 at 12:35 pm

    Jani, that’s hilariously random. Thanks for sharing.

    No worries, Vjesci, Mad Monster Party is going to get a holiday shout-out as well. :)

  7. Ruby Says:
    October 27th, 2008 at 1:20 pm

    i suppose a list of what films were in that is WAAAAAY out of the question?

  8. Mer Says:
    October 27th, 2008 at 2:45 pm

    Ruby, if I had a bit more time right now, I’d happily cobble a list together, but I don’t. Alas. What I CAN do is point you in the direction of these two lovely collections:

    http://www.amazon.com/Fantastic-Films-Ray-Harryhausen-Mysterious/dp/B00062IVPI/ref=pd_bxgy_d_img_b

    http://www.amazon.com/Fantastic-Films-Ray-Harryhausen-Legendary/dp/B00069L0X6/ref=pd_bxgy_d_img_b

    A majority of the clips are from films included in those two volumes. :)

  9. thievingmagpie Says:
    October 27th, 2008 at 7:55 pm

    Films featured in the clip (in order of appearance):
    Mighty Joe Young
    Beast From 20,000 Fathoms
    It Came From Beneath the Sea
    Earth vs the Flying Saucers
    20 Million Miles to Earth
    7th Voyage of Sinbad
    3 Worlds of Gulliver
    Mysterious Island
    Jason & the Argonauts
    1st Men in the Moon
    1 Million Years BC
    Valley of Gwangi
    Golden Voyage of Sinbad
    Sinbad & the Eye of the Tiger
    Clash of the Titans
    That’s roughly most of Harryhausen’s films in chronological order. I may have missed a title or 2. I think the only ones not featured are his animated fairy tales. You can check on any of his titles at imdb.com.

  10. Jerem Morrow Says:
    October 29th, 2008 at 10:43 am

    I turn into a yippy little grrrl over Ray’s work.