Podcasts

Episode 4 of the Ray Harryhausen Podcast sees John Walsh answering your questions! Join us as we investigate various aspects of Ray’s life and work in depth, with a special prize announced for the best question at the episode’s end.

Enjoy, and let us know what you think on our Twitter and Facebook accounts!

Episode Five - One Million Years BC 50th Anniversary Special

Episode 5 of the Ray Harryhausen Podcast celebrates the 50th Anniversary of ‘One Million Years BC’. Released in 1966, this film has gone on to be one of Ray’s most recognised and memorable projects.

Join Foundation trustee John Walsh and Collections Manager Connor as we discuss the film, its actors, creatures and legacy. Interspersed with exclusive clips taken from a previously unreleased commentary with Ray Harryhausen and Martine Beswick, this is a must listen for all fans of this prehistoric epic!

Episode Six - Vanessa Harryhausen

Join us for an exclusive interview with Ray Harryhausen’s daughter Foundation trustee, Vanessa Harryhausen!

In this fantastic interview, Vanessa discusses what life was like growing up with a special effects titan. Packed with anecdotes, this entertaining conversation provides a unique insight into the life and work of one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. With exclusive clips from a previously unreleased commentary for ‘The Valley and Gwangi’, recorded with Vanessa and Ray in 2012, this is a must listen for all Ray Harryhausen fans!

This special interview has been recorded to mark what would have been Ray’s 96th birthday. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more information on our #Harryhausen100 initiative!

Episode 7- Clash of the Titans 35th Anniversary Special

Join us for a celebration of one of Ray Harryhausen’s most beloved movies, Clash of the Titans!

2016 marks the movie’s 35th anniversary, and this extended podcast discusses the film’s creation and legacy. Clash of the Titans was to be Ray Harryhausen’s final film, as well as his biggest and most action packed project to date. Foundation trustee John Walsh and Collection Manager Connor Heaney explore the film’s impact in 1981 as well as its lasting legacy, with previously unreleased clips of Ray discussing the movie. Packed with anecdotes, personal recollections and revelations from Ray’s archive, this show is a must listen for all fans of Clash of the Titans, Ray Harryhausen and classic cinema.

Release the Podcast!

Episode 8- Into The Unknown: A Journey Through Science Fiction

Foundation trustee John Walsh interviews Neil McConnon and Patrick Gyger from the Barbican Centre in London about their new Science Fiction exhibition planned for Summer 2017. Featuring models, objects and artwork from Ray Harryhausen’s science fiction movies, we discuss Ray’s place in the history of the genre.

Episode 9- Into The Unknown: A Journey Through Science Fiction

Join us as we look back on our appearance at the Starburst Magazine International Film Festival, which took place in August 2016.

As well as recapping our ‘Ray Harryhausen- Lost Treasures’ event, we host a series of interviews from the festival, including ‘Golden Voyage of Sinbad’ star Caroline Munro, ‘One Million Years BC’’s Martine Beswick, Editor of Skwigly Magazine Steve Henderson, #Harryhausen100 competition winner Mike Tharme, and ‘Inside Number 9’ producer Adam Tandy. Finally, we host a fascinating discussion with the BFI’s Justin Johnson, a long standing friend of Ray’s and of the Foundation. Justin was the host of many of the weekend’s events, including our own Q&A session, and so it’s wonderful to hear his thoughts about the festival and his memories of Ray Harryhausen.

All of these great interviews are capped by clips of previously unheard commentary interviews with Ray Harryhausen alongside Caroline and Martine. A must listen for all fans of Ray Harryhausen, Starburst Magazine and classic cinema!

Episode 10- Cinestrange Festival

Episode 10 sees us reminisce on our time at the Cinestrange Festival in Braunschweig, Germany, where we celebrated the 60th anniversary of ‘Earth vs the Flying Saucers’ by presenting the European premiere of the colourized version of the film. Guest of honour at the event was legendary director John Landis, who was a close friend of Ray Harryhausen’s.

During our time in Germany, we were able to catch up with friends of the Foundation, old and new. We chatted to ‘Starcrash’ director Luigi Cozzi about Ray’s influence on his science fiction work, and spoke with German cinema expert Professor Rolf Giesen. We then chatted with actresses Caroline Munro and Martine Beswick, who were celebrated at the festival for their roles in classic Harryhausen, Hammer and James Bond movies.

We were then lucky enough to catch up with #Harryhausen100 logo competition Lars Seiffert, who gave us an insight into his logo design. ‘Commando’ and ‘Class of 1984′ director Mark L Lester then shared his Harryhausen memories with us. The episode is capped off with unique clips taken from the previously unreleased commentary for ‘Mighty Joe Young’ with the festival’s special guest, John Landis.

Bonus Episode- Forrest J Ackerman Centenary

November 24th 2016 marks the 100th birthday of sci-fi legend Forrest J Ackerman, founder of ‘Famous Monsters of Filmland’ magazine. Forry was also one of Ray Harryhausen’s oldest friends, the two having met in the late 1930′s after discovering a shared interest in ‘King Kong’.

We caught up with former ‘Famous Monsters’ editor David Weiner to discuss the friendship between Ray, Forry and Ray Bradbury. We also heard a clip of the three legends in discussion, taken from an interview which can be found on the ‘Ray Harryhausen- the early years collection’ DVD.

Enjoy our celebration of Forrest J Ackerman on his centenary!

Episode 11- Conservation and Restoration with Alan Friswell

Episode 11 of the Ray Harryhausen Podcast sees us interview Alan Friswell, the Foundation’s official conservator, about the work he has carried out in maintaining Ray’s models for future generations.

Listen to Alan speak about how he ended up working with Ray, and the amazing models which he has restored over the years, including most recently the original latex model of ‘Gwangi!’

Stay tuned for an exclusive competition after Alan’s interview, and find out how to win one of 5 copies of the new, fully restored ‘One Million Years BC’ Blu-Ray from Studio Canal. We will be announcing the competition’s winners on December 30th to mark the film’s 50th anniversary, so be sure to get your answers in before then!

Episode 12- 2017 Preview Show

Join us for the first Ray Harryhausen podcast of 2017!

This action packed episode sees us look forward to an action packed year for Ray Harryhausen fans worldwide. The show contains:

- Fan memories for ’20 Million Miles to Earth’ and ‘Sinbad & The Eye of the Tiger’
- Discussion with official Foundation restorer, Alan Friswell, on his latest model repairs
- Extended interview with author Richard Holliss on his latest project- a poster book detailing the classic artwork used to promote Ray Harryhausen films worldwide; plus a call to arms for fan contributions!
- Exclusive clips of Ray Harryhausen discussing his films and techniques.
- Announcement of an exhibition of Ray’s science fiction creations at the Barbican this Summer.

Send images of your favourite or rare Ray Harryhausen posters to Posters@rayharryhausen.org.uk! And as always, send us your feedback and questions for future episodes.

Episode 13- Jason and the Argonauts- interview with John Cairney

‘Jason and the Argonauts’ actor John Cairney gives an in-depth interview on his memories of Ray Harryhausen, and of his part in this most beloved film.

Join us for Episode 13, where we chat with the legendary actor about what it was like to be a part of one of Ray’s classic movies. John reminisces about on-set incidents, what it was like to shoot the live-action sequences for the Dynamation processes, and his thoughts on the film more than 5 decades later. As an actor, writer, painter and raconteur, John’s interview makes for a fascinating listen!

Also- more new on the Ray Harryhausen poster book project, the announcement of a special video commemorating Ray’s Academy Award of 1992, and up-to-date news on the Foundation’s activities.

Episode 14- ‘Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger’: 40^th Anniversary Special

Join us for a celebration of Ray Harryhausen’s third ‘Sinbad’ movie, as it reaches its 40th anniversary!

Foundation trustee John Walsh and Collections Manager Connor Heaney discuss the film and its legacy in depth. Previously unreleased commentary clips of Ray Harryhausen and Colin Arthur are included throughout the show, as they discuss behind the scenes memories from the film’s creation. Ray’s daughter, Vanessa Harryhausen, relates her memories of time spent on the set of the movie, and her feelings for it all these decades later.

We then go behind the scenes during a photography session for our new Ray Harryhausen Poster Book, due to be released by Titan Press in 2018. Foundation photographer Andy Johnson, ‘Master of the Majicks’ author Mike Hankin and poster collector Simon Greetham discuss the Harryhausen posters that mean the most to them, alongside their memories of ‘Eye of the Tiger’.

Enjoy!

Episode 15- ’20 Million Miles to Earth’: 60^th Anniversary Special

Join us for a celebration of Ray Harryhausen’s 1957 classic, ’20 Million Miles to Earth’. Our 15th episode sees Foundation trustee John Walsh and Collections Manager Connor Heaney discuss the adventures of the Ymir- one of Ray’s most beloved and sympathetic creations.

We then discuss the first exhibition of Ray Harryhausen material in the USA for several years, opening at the Science Museum Oklahoma from July through to December. We describe this incredible display with museum director Scott Henderson, alongside his own lifelong enthusiasm for Harryhausen films.

An exclusive interview follows, recorded on location at the Barbican Centre’s ‘Into the Unknown’ exhibition with Terry Marison. Terry was one of the suited Selenites in the 1964 classic ‘First Men in the Moon’, and discusses his experiences of being one of Ray Harryhausen’s living creatures!

In other news, The Ray Harryhausen Podcast has been nominated in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Please register & vote for our show in the ‘TV & Film’ category through the following website: www.podcastawards.com/

Enjoy this action packed show!

Episode 16- The music of Ray Harryhausen Vol.1- The Early Years

Join us for an exploration of the wonderful film music of Ray Harryhausen!

The first of three episodes which will delve into the soundtracks and composers that helped to make Ray’s films so memorable, this edition explores the movie music of the 1940s and 1950s. From ‘Mighty Joe Young’ until ’20 Million Miles to Earth’, we discuss some of the talented artists and unsung heroes who created the soundtracks to the very earliest Harryhausen projects, alongside our favourite tracks from this era. This show is a must listen for all fans of classic science fiction, iconic creature features and dramatic film compositions!

Track listing:

Intro- ‘The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms: Main Title’ (David Buttolph, 1953)

Mighty Joe Young- ‘Joe and the Lion’ (Roy Webb, 1949)

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms- ‘Extinguishing the Lighthouse’ (David Buttolph, 1953)

It Came from Beneath the Sea- ‘It Came From Beneath The Sea/Tentacle_It vs. Golden Gate Bridge/Mister Monster #2’- (Mischa Bakaleinikoff, 1955)

The Animal World- ‘Survival/The Ceratasaurus’ (Paul Sawtell, 1956)

Earth Vs the Flying Saucers- ‘Main Title’ (Mischa Bakaleinikoff, 1956)

20 Million Miles to Earth- ‘Birth of the Creature’ (Mischa Bakaleinikoff, 1957)

Mighty Joe Young- ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ (Roy Webb, 1949)

King Kong- ‘Original Main Title’ (Max Steiner, 1933)

Outro- 20 Million Miles to Earth- ‘Moon Mystery and End Title’ (Mischa Bakaleinikoff, 1957)

All of this wonderful music and more can be found on Monstrous Movie Music, a record label dedicated to preserving the soundtracks of these classic films. Check them out at www.mmmrecordings.com

Episode 17- Ray Harryhausen and Ray Bradbury

A very special episode of the Ray Harryhausen podcast, as we explore the Ray’s lifelong friendship with legendary author Ray Bradbury.

Phil Nichols from The Centre for Ray Bradbury Studies joins us for an in depth discussion on a relationship which was to span 8 decades. After meeting in the mid-1930s, the two became best friends, and would speak on at least a monthly basis for the rest of their lives. We explore the circumstances that would lead both men to become legends within their own fields of interest, and the early influences which inspired them both to greatness. Both Rays left an incredible archive of their own, and so we examine the parallels between the collection of the Centre for Ray Bradbury Studies, and the Foundation’s own archive.

The show also contains a never-heard-before interview with Ray Bradbury’s daughter Susan, recorded at Ray Harryhausen’s memorial in 2013, where she shares her memories of ‘Uncle Ray’ and their enduring friendship.

For more information on the work of Phil Nichols and The Centre for Ray Bradbury Studies, head to bradburymedia.blogspot.co.uk

A must listen for all fans of the two Rays, science fiction literature and classic cinema!
#Harryhausen100

Episode 18- The music of Ray Harryhausen Vol.2: Bernard Herrmann

Celebrate the legendary collaborations of Ray Harryhausen and Bernard Herrmann!

Episode 18 of the Ray Harryhausen Podcast sees part two of our retrospective on the music of Harryhausen movies. We explore in depth the relationship between Ray and one of the most influential and important film composers of the 20th century, Bernard Herrmann. Four of Ray’s most beloved movies were scored by Herrmann- ‘The 7th Voyage of Sinbad’, ‘The 3 Worlds of Gulliver’, Mysterious Island’ and ‘Jason and the Argonauts’. We discuss a selection of the most important pieces from each of these soundtracks, each taken from their original movie recordings.

We are then joined by special guest Guenther Koegebehn from the Bernard Herrmann society, for an in-depth discussion on the music of Hermmann, and a little more context on his wider life and works. We investigate the reasons why Herrmann did not eventually score ‘First Men in the Moon’, as originally planned, as well as exploring the ongoing work of the Herrmann society.

Finally, we recap news and plans from the Foundation for 2018, including our upcoming exhibition at Valence House, our article in Infinity Magazine, and news on the publication of our poster book.

Don’t miss it!
#Harryhausen100

Episode 19- ‘The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad’ 60th Anniversary Special

Celebrate 60 years of ‘The 7th Voyage of Sinbad’!

Join us as we mark the anniversary of one of the most influential and beloved fantasy films of all time. ‘The 7th Voyage of Sinbad’ changed the face of special effects in cinema, and inspired a generation of directors, actors and artists.

Trustee John Walsh and Collections Manager Connor Heaney discuss the background and legacy of this incredible film, interspersed with the thoughts of Ray Harryhausen himself. We explore the move from black and white to colour, and the challenges this presented to Ray. Join our discussion of the film’s iconic creatures and cast, alongside the surviving models which remain in the Foundation’s collection to this day.

‘From the land beyond beyond’- enjoy our ‘7th Voyage’ podcast!
#Harryhausen100