Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)

Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)
Name	Around the World in 80 Days
Caption	Theatrical release poster
Director	Michael Anderson
Producer	Michael Todd
Screenplay	James Poe, John Farrow, S. J. Perelman
Based on	Around the World in Eighty Days, Jules Verne
Starring	David Niven, Cantinflas, Shirley MacLaine, Robert Newton
Music	Victor Young
Cinematography	Lionel Lindon
Editing	Gene Ruggiero, Paul Weatherwax
Studio	Michael Todd Company
Distributor	United Artists
Released	1956, 10, 17, New York City, 1956, 12, 22, United States
Runtime	182 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$6 million
Gross	$42 million

Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film) is a CinemaScope epic film adventure comedy produced by Michael Todd and directed by Michael Anderson. The film is an adaptation of Jules Verne's 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days and stars David Niven as the unflappable English gentleman Phileas Fogg and Mexican comedian Cantinflas as his resourceful valet Passepartout. Renowned for its all-star cameo appearances, globe-trotting narrative, and innovative Todd-AO widescreen process, the film was a major critical and commercial success, winning five Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Plot

In Victorian London, the meticulous Phileas Fogg makes a wager of £20,000 with members of his Reform Club that he can circumnavigate the globe in eighty days. Accompanied by his new valet Passepartout, Fogg departs immediately, pursued by a Scotland Yard detective, Mr. Fix, who believes Fogg is a bank robber. Their journey aboard steamships, trains, and even an balloon takes them from Suez to Bombay, where they rescue a young Rajah and acquire an elephant. In Allahabad, they save a Princess Aouda from a funeral pyre, and she joins their expedition. Traveling across the Pacific Ocean to the American frontier, they encounter a buffalo stampede, a Sioux attack on a Union Pacific Railroad train, and a San Francisco saloon brawl. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, they arrive in London seemingly a day late, only for Fogg to realize they gained a day by traveling east, winning the wager and marrying Princess Aouda.

Cast

* David Niven as Phileas Fogg * Cantinflas as Passepartout * Shirley MacLaine as Princess Aouda * Robert Newton as Mr. Fix The film is famous for its extensive roster of cameo appearances by prominent stars, including Frank Sinatra as a saloon pianist, Marlene Dietrich as a Barbary Coast hostess, Buster Keaton as a railroad conductor, John Gielgud as a Reform Club steward, Charles Boyer as Monsieur Gasse, Joe E. Brown as the Carnival barker, Ronald Colman as a railway official, Noël Coward as a Holland agency clerk, and Fernandel as a Paris coachman. Other notable appearances feature John Carradine, Charles Coburn, Glynis Johns, Evelyn Keyes, Beatrice Lillie, Peter Lorre, Edmund Lowe, Victor McLaglen, John Mills, Robert Morley, Jack Oakie, George Raft, Cesar Romero, Red Skelton, and Ava Gardner.

Production

The ambitious production was spearheaded by the innovative showman Michael Todd, who secured financing through his Michael Todd Company and a distribution deal with United Artists. The screenplay was written by S. J. Perelman, John Farrow, and James Poe, with Perelman winning an Academy Award for his work. Filming utilized the groundbreaking Todd-AO 70mm widescreen process, with cinematography by Lionel Lindon. Principal photography spanned over 75 days across 13 countries, including England, France, Spain, India, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States, with major sequences shot at the RKO Pictures backlot. The score was composed by Victor Young, whose song "Around the World" became a standard.

Release and reception

The film premiered on October 17, 1956, at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City before a wide release across the United States in December. It was a massive box office hit, earning approximately $42 million worldwide against a $6 million budget. Critical reception was largely positive, with praise directed at its spectacle, humor, and star-studded cast. Reviewers for The New York Times and Variety highlighted its entertainment value and technical achievements. The film's success was bolstered by a savvy promotional campaign, including illustrated program books and global premiere events.

Awards and honors

At the 29th Academy Awards, the film won five Oscars: Best Picture, Best Cinematography (Color) for Lionel Lindon, Best Film Editing for Gene Ruggiero and Paul Weatherwax, Best Original Score for Victor Young, and Best Adapted Screenplay for James Poe, John Farrow, and S. J. Perelman. It also won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The film is recognized by the American Film Institute on its lists of greatest American films.

Legacy

Around the World in 80 Days is considered a landmark of mid-century Hollywood spectacle, influencing the production of large-scale roadshow attractions throughout the 1960s. Its use of the Todd-AO format helped popularize widescreen cinema. The film's "cameo" strategy became a widely imitated promotional tactic. While later adaptations of Jules Verne's novel have been produced, including a 2004 feature film and a 2021 television series, the 1956 version remains the most iconic. It is preserved in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Category:1956 films Category:American films Category:Best Picture Academy Award winners