Michael Todd's AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS DVD is damn good

This is one of those widescreen films I wish I'd seen in a theater; just never happened.

I think the score is wonderful, too; nicely done, Young was one of the greats(SHANE remains my fave). The rest of the film I'm more ambivalent about, since the ceaseless cameos by famous names is charming at first, and then, on repeated viewings, begins to seem the gimmick it really was...granted, the film has its charms, and Shirley MacLaine is luscious!....but imagine it without the suave David Niven, and...well, not much going on, after all. But nicely done, a good popcorn film for a rainy afternoon....

 

I was debating on getting this one or not. Guess I will! This is one of those "movies I saw when I was a little kid".

 

I thought I read somewhere that David Niven was cast as Phileas Fogg after Cary Grant turned down the role.

 

I do not think Cary Grant would have been "severe" enough in that role. He was also offered the role of Professor Harold Hill in the movie version of the Music Man. That would have been interesting.

 

Steve, I'm glad you enjoyed the DVD. I think Warner Brothers deserves a big thumbs up for putting this together....

 

TCM showed this one night a couple of weeks ago, as part of a retrospective honoring Saul Bass (who designed the closing credits). It was the first time I'd seen it in years, and I thought it held up rather well; I'd be interested to see it in restored form.

I wonder if there's any truth to the whispers that a special CGI "improvement" was made so that during the SF saloon scene, when the piano player turns to face the camera, it's not Sinatra but a certain bearded gent who's familiar to all of us.

 

Oh... I thought we were talking about Jackie Chan's movie... I was absolutely surprised to hear good comments about it!