I just saw this film and loved it. But, I think that Pat Boone gave one of the worst performances that I've ever seen from an "actor." He was clearly cast because of his singing, not acting talents. Though he was preposterous, it actually fit well with the film. In a movie about a journey to the center of the Earth, you expect hammy acting. And that phony Scottish accent! Yikes.
shareI thought his performance was acceptable. The real trouble is that movie wastes so much time beefing up his role: giving him time to sing songs, romance a girl and remove most of his clothes. We want to see the hot lava and the giant lizards.
... Justin
Ha! Well said Spurlin. Just watched this for the first time since I was a little one. The entire cast seemed to be hamming it up for their roles.
James Mason, a veteran actor, even seemed to be having problems. Still a fun ride and good nostalgia from my childhood.
Would the Owner of an Ounce of Dignity Please Contact the Mall Security?
I enjoyed it, too. I'll watch James Mason in about anything. And I like Jules Verne. The movie couldn't go wrong, and it didn't. Not too much, at least.
...Om
Boy, you have had to miss a lot of movies to think Pat Boone gives the "worst screen performance ever"!
Actually I think he comes off quite well as the young hero here - he had a refreshing presence on screen - he had little to no training as an actor but some natural ability which Fox made use of in a string of high profile films, mainly semi-musicals..
ever catch Johnny Ray in THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS ? - now there is a better candidate for your award - no wonder he never did another film.
Personally, I think that acting which is not entirely realistic is quite a bit more entertaining. If you want to see the most realistic performances ever, I suggest you look out the window, rather than at the television.
shareThis was one of my favorite movies as a kid and I still love it today. Actually I like Pat Boone in this movie more than any other---I just watched it on cable last night and bought the restored version on DVD. Love this movie and all the performances--even Arlene Dahl was at her best I think.
shareActually Johnny Ray never did another film or much music recording after that movie because I hollywood columnists made aq vague reference to his homosexualityt, which in the 1950's destroyed his career.
sharePat Boone was just fine. And we can all be glad that he did not play the character the way Verne wrote him: a whiny, annoying, nagging, drama queen. I'm surprised the professor took him along and even more surprised he didn't leave him down there.
shareIndeed! How about Denise Richards in anything. ugh.
sharePat Boone gave a GREAT performance in this WONDERFUL film.
I saw JTTCOTE today for about the 150th time.... I think Pat Boone did an okay job in this role, arguably the best of his career -- granted, that's not saying much as most of his other films were fairly poor. Here, he's pretty effective, certainly overdoing it a bit in some scenes to be sure -- but acceptable, as a previous poster aptly put it.
James Mason was one of the finest, and underappreciated, actors of his era and I don't agree that he or anyone else in the cast "hammed it up". In terms of his performance, Mason was by far the best one in the film -- though it seems clear he was having some fun with the part, obviously not taking it quite as seriously as, say, A STAR IS BORN. But excellent, as always. Even the film's non-professional, the late Peter Ronson, was quite good and believable in his key role as Hans -- better than Boone, I think.
he has a very french insouciant vibe going.
Season's Greetings!
worst performance? have u seen him in 'all hands on deck' ,'the horror of
it all'.i would hardly call it his worst acting of all.and there are more.
I think Pat Boone was fine in JOURNEY. Most people don't realize that this movie was meant as "Family Entertainment" with a little everything in it, including comedy. The only thing "serious" in this film is Bernard Herrmann's music. By the way, JOURNEY was something that Boone has said he really didn't want to do, but his agent made him do. Now he says he's glad because it's probably the one he'll be best remembered for.
shareFor a really bad performance, check out Glen Campbell in True Grit. Pat Boone was fine in this movie although his accent was poor.
shareMy problem is not with Boone's performance (which is fairly typical singer turned actor fare) - it's with the fact he got top-billing over Mason.
That's absurd.
Pat boone also said that he didn't want to do it, but the producers threw in a couple of songs, so he agreed to it.
Another interesting fact: Journey saved Fox studios- at the time Journey was released, Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor was being filmed. The cost overruns were horrendous, and Fox would have gone under except for the surprising success of Journey at the box office.
I don't think so:it is in keeping w\the tone of the film and the times.
Pat represented wholesomeness and he succeeds at that level;he's harmless
enough and is solid\believable as a Scot student.Being nit-picky at this
juncture is simply futile....
-the mighty bo
...in fact,Pat is altogether pleasant and likable;his humor is transparent.
-and he is always the perfect gentleman around Diane Baker.
Another fact: if you needed someone to play the "White Knight" in the '50's
you undoubtedly called Pat Boone or a facsimile.Because Boone was considered
non-threatening as opposed to the greasy delinquent named Elvis Presley !
Another interesting fact: Journey saved Fox studios- at the time Journey was released, Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor was being filmed. The cost overruns were horrendous, and Fox would have gone under except for the surprising success of Journey at the box office.
More likely best performance. How many other Pat Boone movies have you seen? First off there aren't that many, second besides "State Fair" this is actually one of his best performances. I don't think that he overdid his acting or singing and even though it is true he was a popular singer at the time this movie was made, I think he gave an acceptable performance. If he hadn't I doubt this would be one of my all time favorite movies.
shareActually, his best performance was probably "The Cross And The Switchblade", although I liked "The Perils Of Pauline". He probably could have concentrated on acting more, but he got that variety show on TV and that basically killed his movie career.
The Christian Left - there's more of us than you think.
I disagree with it being considerred as "family entertainment". Nowadays, it might be considerred as such with its absurd premise, the dated special effects, and the slightly overblown performances, but the audiences of the time saw this as a thriller adventure, not for young eyes. Hans' duck being eaten, the huge lizards, the one lizard's tongue being nailed, this was stuff for older audiences when it was made...far too realistic for children. Calling it "family entertainment" is like calling LOTR family entertainment. Hey, to this day I'm terrified of reptiles because of this movie.
Now on the not of performances, we are talking an action thriller in 1959, I agree they weren't going for Death of a Salesman, they were going for something fun and exciting. Because that's what the film is.
"audiences of the time saw this as a thriller adventure, not for young eyes."
And yet I was in the audience, all of 7 years old, when it came out. "Family entertainment" is relative with the decades. I remember at the same time freaking out at the Chinese looking guy being squashed between two boulders - blood running out his mouth - in SAMSON and DELILAH when Samson tears down the temple. And when the red hot poker comes right at the camera when they blind Samson. And yet, a 7 year old was allowed in the theatre without a parent then. Today those scenes would be ignored or seen as lame by today's desensitized 7 year old.
I don't remember losing sleep over anything in JTTCOTE but it made an impression because I still plug it in the DVD now and again to watch. And I think that's because it touches the sleeping adventurer in us all who has been shackled by today's paper-pushing, nose-to-the-grindstone, money chasing society. Remember Lindenbrook's last line in his speech to the college kids? "The spirit of man can't be stopped." That's what spoke to us back then - reaching out, or in, for your personal life adventure and not letting anything stop you. Where do kids hear that today?
I thought Boone was quite good in this movie, as were Mason and Dahl.
sharePat Boone's function in this movie was to remove nearly all his clothing as soon as the script provided the slightest excuse, and to provide some eye candy for the remainder of the film. He performed that function admirably. Indeed, in retrospect, considering that the movie was made in 1959, Boone's performance was outstanding. Besides, with James Mason in the cast, no one would have noticed whether Pat Boone could act or not.
shareCertainly not the worst performance ever by an actor. In fact, I was a little surprised to find that he actually was'nt really even poor in this picture. He actually gives an acceptable performance. Have you ever seen Robert Wagner in Prince Valiant? Now, THERE is a performance worthy of an award for worst performance in a lead role that actually hit the big screen!
shareEvery acting performance by any actor from 1955-1965 was exactly the same, aka overacting, so how can you tell?
Do I CAUSE YOUR FAILURE? Just like you caused Ozzy Osbourne's?
Maserati777
I thought it was odd that IMDB gave Pat Boone top billing above James Mason.
Boone had a supporting role, but far from a lead.
IMDb are correct - one my DVD Boone's name comes before Mason's on the credits. lol.
share"IMDb are correct - one my DVD Boone's name comes before Mason's on the credits. lol. "
I've always found that shocking, slightly disgraceful and odd. It would be like crediting Paris Hilton over Judy Dench today. And it's strange in fact because James Mason was still a big actor at the time of this film.
"Nothings gonna change my world!"
[deleted]
I've always been amused that Pat Boone plays a 19th-century Scottish lad who travels to Iceland and who then spends months underground yet when he takes off his shirt, his torso has the beautiful sort of tan best acquired on California beaches.
shareNo, there have been worse performances in worse films Watch some of the episodes of Mystery science Theater 3000 to see worse aCTING IN FILMS
Oh GOOD!,my dog found the chainsaw
Pat Boone was a huge deal in the mid -late 50s and into the 60s. I will be 70 in 2015 and I remember him well. Very religious guy who wrote a book that nearly every kid I new had read : "Twixt Twelve and Twenty"
shareCompared to Keanu Reeves in DRACULA (1992), Pat Boone's performance was Oscar-worthy.
share