The visual effects godfather and producer, whose creations made famous the Sinbad films and Jason And The Argonauts, has died aged 92.

Harryhausen was born in Los Angeles in 1920 and developed an early passion for dinosaurs into a penchant for model making.

He entered the film business and quickly established himself as a singular talent. His credits include The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad and the original Clash Of The Titans.

In a statement to the BBC, Harryhausen’s foundation said: “Harryhausen’s genius was in being able to bring his models alive. Whether they were prehistoric dinosaurs or mythological creatures, in Ray’s hands they were no longer puppets but became instead characters in their own right.”

In 2010, he donated his entire collection of models and artwork to the National Media Museum in Bradford.

Filmography

  • How to Bridge a Gorge (1942) (pro)
  • Tulips Shall Grow (1942) (chief animator)
  • Mother Goose Stories (1946) (pro)
  • The Story of Little Red Riding Hood (1949) (pro, animator)
  • Mighty Joe Young (1949) (first tech)
  • The Story of Rapunzel (1951) (pro)
  • The Story of Hansel and Gretel (1951) (pro)
  • The Story of King Midas (1953) (pro)
  • The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) (VFX)
  • It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) (VFX)
  • The Animal World (1956) (effects tech)
  • Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956) (animation effects)
  • 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) (VFX)
  • The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) (AP, VFX)
  • The Three Worlds of Gulliver (1960) (VFX)
  • Mysterious Island (1961) (VFX)
  • Jason and the Argonauts (1963) (AP, VFX)
  • First Men in the Moon (1964) (AP, VFX)
  • One Million Years B.C. (1966) (VFX)
  • The Valley of Gwangi (1969) (AP, VFX)
  • The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974) (pro, VFX)
  • Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) (pro, VFX)
  • Clash of the Titans (1981) (pro, VFX)
  • The Story of The Tortoise & the Hare (2003) (director, co-producer, animator)

Topics