Headless Horsing Around

 

HORSE WITHOUT A HEAD: THE KEY TO THE CACHE-1963-A mobster (Herbert Lom) and his gang (including Leo McKern) rob a train. One of them hides a key to the cash in a toy horse (with no head) that some annoying kids (including Pamela Franklin from THE INNOCENTS (1961)) in a French village like to ride. Jean Pierre Aumont is Inspector Sinet and Michael Gwynn and Peter Vaughan are also in it. 

This was shown in the US on TV's “The Magical World of Disney”. It was directed by Don Chaffey, a British TV director who made a few interesting features like JASON AND THE ARGONAUNTS (1963) and ONE MILLION YEARS BC (1966).

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Harryhausen

 

 

 (alamy.com)

JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS-1963-Jason (Todd Armstrong) and his men set out on the Argo and have many wild adventures in this super great adaptation from mythology. They encounter a giant animated statue, harpies, a talking masthead, Triton and the sorceress Medea (Nancy Kovack) while in search of the golden fleece. After being betrayed by Acastus (Gary Raymond), Medea helps them. Jason kills the multi-headed Hydra and secures the fleece. In the best part skeleton warriors created from the Hydra's teeth battle the group. All the time, Zeus (Niall MacGinnis) & Hera (Honor Blackman) watch from Olympus. Argonauts include Nigel Greene as Hercules, Lawrence Naismith and uncredited John Crawford. Patrick Troughton is the blind prophet, Phineus. 

English director Don Chaffrey had worked a lot in TV but later made ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. (1966) and CREATURES THAT TIME FORGOT (1971). He later worked in American TV and stuff like PETE'S DRAGON (1977) and C.H.O.M.P.S.(1979). His direction here is good but the main attraction is the fantastic stop animation creatures created by the legendary Ray Harryhausen (also a co-producer). Bernard Herrmann did the soundtrack. It was a critical success but a box office disappointment.

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