Hollywood Presents Jules Verne: The Father of Science Fiction on Screen

by Brian Taves

Even for those who have never read Jules Verne (1828--1905), the author's very name conjures visions of the submarine in "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," the epic race in "Around the World in Eighty Days," the spacecraft in "From the Earth to the Moon," and the daring descent in "Journey to the Center of the Earth." One of the most widely translated authors of all time, Verne has inspired filmmakers since the early silent period and continues to fascinate audiences more than one hundred years after his works were first published. His riveting plots and vivid descriptions easily transform into compelling scripts and dramatic visual compositions.

In "Hollywood Presents Jules Verne," Brian Taves investigates the indelible mark that the author has left on English-language cinema. Adaptations of Verne's tales have taken many forms -- early movie shorts, serials, feature films, miniseries, and television shows -- and have been produced as both animated and live-action films. Taves illuminates how, as these stories have been made and remade over the years, each new adaptation looks back not only to Verne's words but also to previous screen incarnations. He also examines how generations of actors have portrayed iconic characters such as Phileas Fogg and Captain Nemo, and how these figures are treated in pastiches such as " Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" (2012). Investigating the biggest box-office hits as well as lower-budget productions, this comprehensive study will appeal not only to fans of the writer's work but also to readers interested in the ever-changing relationship between literature, theater, and film.

Genres: Nonfiction

370 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 2015

Reviews

[Steve Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading a preview copy of Hollywood Presents Jules Verne - The Father of Science Fiction on Screen by Brian Taves, I am completely convinced that any film not covered in this book under the stipulated parameters is the film that has not been produced yet. I'm of equal mind that these parameters are defined in an admirably lucid manner; by the end of the introduction, the book's scope is entirely laid out to the reader without a smidgeon of ambiguity. That's a more difficult feat than might first be imagined given the length (time-wise) and breadth (adaptation-wise) of the material (some ninety productions are covered spanning a period of approximately a century).

Taves defines the Hollywood in his work's title as "...not simply for those productions filmed or shot within the city's geographical locality, but to indicate the industry's commercial influence in the Anglo-American world..." and runs the gamut from the silent and sound blockbusters to the made-for-TV (be it one-shot or series) to the direct-to-video to serials to animation and then over to non-fiction Verne biographies. I appreciated the fact that while giving us a thorough lowdown and analysis on all of these entries, that he's nonetheless willing to also treat us to tangents on associated events regarding Verne's book printings (e.g. improved translations), theatrical adaptations (especially in the earlier years), radio dramas as well as - in the later years - comics and then even theme parks and video games. Perspective never goes wanting at any time and each chapter sketches out a new chronological era or cycle carefully layered upon prior discussions.

Like any of the better volumes of this nature, Hollywood Presents Jules Verne succeeds on multiple fronts. For those with a casual interest, the book provides not only an interesting read but a jumping off point to delve further into Jules Verne's cinematic oeuvre. It's very useful for sorting the wheat from the chaff and/or picking and choosing future viewings to taste. (I know that speaking for myself, there are a few 50s T.V. shows that I'd especially like to track down such as Disneyland's tie-in to 1954's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a Tales of Tomorrow adaptation of the same title and, yes, Phil Silvers in "Bilko goes around the World") Further, when it comes to old favorites, reading Taves' critiques can only enhance the viewer's experience. Last but not least, the book is going to be a great reference for future researchers. However, that statement comes with a warning! After all, the bar has been raised; to wit, where else could you find illustrations like the one of David Niven reading Around the World in 80 Days (taken from an unused prologue to the eponymous 1956 film) or references to an unpublished interview of Lucien Hubbard, director of Mysterious Island 1929-style?

In his epilogue, the author notes that there are still Verne stories as yet un-filmed. Just a few of those he names leave me chomping at the bit: The Will of an Eccentric, The Hunt for the Meteor, Propeller Island, Paris in the 20th Century, The Steam House and others. Here's hoping that if these potential projects ever do come to fruition that Mr. Taves is there to cover them in some capacity or the other.

[Ace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many people regard Brian Taves as the world’s foremost expert on Jules Verne and film. This book demonstrates why that is so. From now on, other scholars will quote this book, and other works will be compared to it. Taves, who is the series editor of the North American Jules Verne Society’s Palik Series and a film archivist with the Library of Congress, provides the history of Jules Verne’s works on screen, and by screen, I mean movies, television, mini-series, animation, and the occasional video game. He has limited himself to Jules Verne’s works filmed in English in order to make the subject manageable, but even there, he sometimes goes beyond his self-imposed restrictions and discusses foreign films. Taves starts with silent films and ends in 2012. He discusses the adaptations of the novels into films and then the transformations of the adaptations. Of particular interest, I think, is his analysis of how the films have become part of our culture so that one film builds on and refers to others, and the audience comes to view each new screening equipped with the knowledge of earlier films. One of Taves’s greatest strengths is his ability to look at this process on its own terms. In spite of his intimate knowledge of Verne’s works in both English and French and his natural love for the original texts, he treats the various forms of film and television with the respect they deserve. Often, he points out the strengths of an underestimated film or provides just that extra bit of information that shows the depth in a seemingly lighthearted interpretation. He says, for instance, of Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D with Brendan Fraser, “The homage to the source is warm, never campy, and steadily leavened with humor” (282). His style is straightforward and clear, never cluttered with jargon but always supported by deep learning and happy enthusiasm. The book has notes to chapters, a selected bibliography, a thorough index, and black and white illustrations.

[Kelly Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

From a technical standpoint, this book is amazing. It is a very detailed and critical analysis of every English language Jules Verne screen adaptation that has been made since the advent of film. It's obvious from the text that Taves is not only an expert on Verne's work, but is incredibly passionate about it. That being said, it does tend to get somewhat tedious in parts, and almost repetitive. There have been so many of adaptations of Verne's work and at a point, there's only so much that can be said about them. Overall, it was interesting enough, but nothing I'd read again.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource covering all the Hollywood adaptations of Jules Verne's stories from the early days of film all the way through to today. Highly recommended for any fan of Verne, especially those like myself, who found their way into Jules Verne viewing these films. For me, my earliest memory is the 1961 Columbia "Mysterious Island," featuring the stop-motion animation work of Ray Harryhausen.