AlanSKaufman An unexpected pleasure of the 1959 movie adaption of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth was the charming character of Gertrude, the pet duck of Hans, an Icelandic gentleman who joins the adventure. When the group conducts a roll call, he proudly announces Hans and Gertrude Belker as though they are a couple.The film has many moments of humor including the singing voice of Pat Boone which deflects the dangerous descent into our planet. When the group need choose which way to proceed, Gertrude always senses the correct one. When members find themselves being flooded with water, the duck easily floats on top locating a means to escape.One feels certain that the good guys will eventually prevail over the bad guys who are trying to unfairly claim credit for the scientific discoveries. Unlike real life where evil can prevail, we expect this work of fiction to be upbeat. And yes, this is what happens, except for one shocking deviation as the movie approaches its grand finale.Gertrude wanders off again perhaps in search of an escape. The bad guy follows. Soon we see the sickening sight of bloody feathers. The poor creature has been eaten by the villain! How frightening for young viewers as well as any humane adult.The group learns about this crime and Hans attempts to strangle the murderer, but is stopped by everyone. The wretch tries to flee but is buried by an avalanche of boulders. At least mother nature takes proper revenge.At the movie's conclusion where the survivors are being honored, Boone's character is wedded, and another couple are engaged, but Hans remains alone. How tragic.What obviously should have been done is depicting Gertrude easily evading the villain. Killing her off is like killing Lassie! An otherwise fine movie was ruined. I watch the film now only to enjoy Gertrude's early scenes.

oomanopt Was much better when I saw it in 1959, when I was 10. I bought the VHS tape several years ago when my son was young believing he would enjoy it as much as I did when I was his age. He was bored to tears with it. The part that sticks in my mind was the part with the dinosaurs in it. They were obviously live lizards, impressive for the time, but I never understood what kind they were. It looked to me the one was actually stabbed with a spear. I figure it was illegal in 1959 to actually harm animals while filming a movie.It also looked to me that they were actually/really feeding off an other dead lizard, not trickery. Anybody have any ideas?

AaronCapenBanner Based on the classic novel by Jules Verne, this adaptation stars James Mason as a Scottish professor who organizes an expedition into Iceland in order to locate the entrance to the center of the Earth, where a volcanic piece of rock he came into possession of originated from. Along with him are the widow of a colleague(played by Arlene Dahl) and a student(played by Pat Boone) They further enlist the services of local guide Hans, who brings along his duck Gertrude. They encounter an amazing array of things in the vast caverns including dinosaurs, and end up lost, though they meet up with the treacherous leader of a rival expedition(played by Thayer David). Can this group survive their attempts to return to the surface? Entertaining film is overlong and dated to an extent, but is still elaborate and imaginative, with a good ending(though poor Gertrude is another matter...)

montecellic Great memories of watching this movie on what turned out to be the last night of my carefree youth..."Journey to the Center of the Earth" is a well-produced family-friendly film with a good cast and gorgeous cinematography. James Mason is perfect as is Arlene Dahl. Pat Boone even sings one of his ballads.The special effects are quite good and the whole thing is pleasant diversion that leaves you feeling good at the end.For me, the film has unforgettable meaning: I saw it at mom's house the night before my grandmother had a stroke, an event which triggered a series of strokes in my mother as well. I lost them both and the family never fully recovered. So whenever I see this film's title, it reminds me of that last, "perfect" day at my long-gone home.