Journey to the Center of the Earth
1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne
Journey to the Center of the Earth (), also translated with the variant titles A Journey to the Centre of the Earth and A Journey into the Interior of the Earth, is a classic science fiction novel written by French novelist Jules Verne. It was first published in French in 1864, then reissued in 1867 in a revised and expanded edition. Professor Otto Lidenbrock is the tale's central figure, an eccentric German scientist who believes there are volcanic tubes that reach to the very center of the earth. He, his nephew Axel, and their Icelandic guide Hans rappel into Iceland's celebrated inactive volcano Snæfellsjökull, then contend with many dangers, including cave-ins, subpolar tornadoes, an underground ocean, and living prehistoric creatures from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras (the 1867 revised edition inserted additional prehistoric material in Chaps. 37–39). Eventually the three explorers are spewed back to the surface by an active volcano, Stromboli, located in southern Italy.
The category of subterranean fiction existed well before Verne. However his novel's distinction lay in its well-researched Victorian science and its inventive contribution to the science-fiction subgenre of time travel—Verne's innovation was the concept of a prehistoric realm still existing in the present-day world. "Journey" inspired many later authors, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his novel "The Lost World", Edgar Rice Burroughs in his "Pellucidar" series, and J. R. R. Tolkien in "The Hobbit".
Plot.
The story begins in May 1863, at the home of Professor Otto Lidenbrock in Hamburg, Germany. While leafing through an original runic manuscript of an Icelandic saga, Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel find a cyphered note written in runic script along with the name of a 16th-century Icelandic alchemist, Arne Saknussemm. When translated into English, the note reads:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />Go down into the crater of Snaefells Jökull, which Scartaris's shadow caresses just before the calends of July, O daring traveler, and you'll make it to the center of the earth. I've done so. Arne Saknussemm
Lidenbrock departs for Iceland immediately, taking the reluctant Axel with him. After a swift trip via Kiel and Copenhagen, they arrive in Reykjavík. There they hire as their guide Icelander Hans Bjelke, a Danish-speaking eiderduck hunter, then travel overland to the base of Snæfellsjökull.
In late June they reach the volcano and set off into the bowels of the earth, encountering many dangers and strange phenomena. After taking a wrong turn, they run short of water and Axel nearly perishes, but Hans saves them all by tapping into a subterranean river, which shoots out a stream of water that Lidenbrock and Axel name the "Hansbach" in the guide's honor.
Following the course of the Hansbach, the explorers descend many miles, during which, Axel accidentally gets separated from Lidenbrock and Hans and briefly gets lost in the caverns, but survives a rockslide before being found again. Eventually, the explorers reach an underground world, with an ocean (which Lidenbrock christens the Lidenbrock Sea, after himself) and a vast ceiling with clouds, as well as a permanent Aurora giving light. The travelers build a raft out of semipetrified wood and set sail. On the shoreline, they see the gazelle-like "Leptotherium", the cattle-like "Merycotherium", a "Lophiodon" (which is described to be tapir-like), an "Anoplotherium" (which is described to be a compound of a horse, a rhinoceros, a camel, and a hippopotamus), a mastodon, a "Megatherium", and a "Protopithecus" while a "Pterodactylus" flies in the sky.
While at sea, they encounter prehistoric fish such as "Pterichthyodes" (here called "Pterichthys") "Dipterus" (referred to as "Dipterides") and giant marine reptiles from the Age of the Dinosaurs, namely an "Ichthyosaurus" and a "Plesiosaurus", in which a fight between the monsters almost endangers the raft. A lightning storm threatens to destroy the raft and its passengers, but instead throws them onto the site of an enormous fossil graveyard (which Lidenbrock, at first, thinks is on the coast they'd departed from, assuming the storm blew them back the way they'd come), including bones from a "Pterodactylus", a "Megatherium", a "Deinotherium, a Glyptodon," a mastodon, and the preserved body of a prehistoric hominid.
Lidenbrock and Axel venture into a forest featuring primitive vegetation from the Tertiary Period. In its depths they are stunned to find a prehistoric humanoid that is described to be more than twelve feet in height with a head that was huge and unshapely like a European bison, a mane that is similar to a prehistoric elephant that hid most of its head, and wielding a primitive staff. It was watching over a herd of mastodons like a shepherd and surpassed the height of the known prehistoric hominids that Lidenbrock and Axel know. Fearing the humanoid may be hostile, Lidenbrock and Axel leave the forest before it can see them.
Continuing to explore the coastline, the travellers find a passageway marked by Saknussemm as the way ahead, but it has been blocked by a recent cave-in. The adventurers lay plans to blow the rock open with gun cotton, meanwhile paddling their raft out to sea to avoid the blast. On executing this scheme, they open a bottomless pit beyond the impeding rock and are swept into it as the sea rushes down the huge open gap. After spending hours descending at breakneck speed, their raft reverses direction and rises inside a volcanic chimney that ultimately spews them into the open air. When they regain consciousness, they learn that they have been ejected from Stromboli, a volcanic island located off Sicily.
The trio returns to Germany, where they enjoy great acclaim; Professor Lidenbrock is hailed as one of the great scientists of the day, Axel discovers that the poles on the compass got reversed during the storm and marries his sweetheart Gräuben, and Hans returns to his peaceful, eiderduck-hunting life in Iceland.
Publication notes.
The original French editions of 1864 and 1868 were issued by J. Hetzel et Cie, a major Paris publishing house owned by Pierre-Jules Hetzel.
The novel's first English edition, translated by an unknown hand and published in 1871 by the London house Griffith & Farran, appeared under the title "A Journey to the Centre of the Earth" and is now available at Project Gutenberg. A drastically rewritten version of the story, it adds chapter titles where Verne gives none, meanwhile changing the professor's surname to Hardwigg, Axel's name to Harry, and Gräuben's to Gretchen. In addition, many paragraphs and details are completely recomposed.
An 1877 London edition from Ward, Lock, & Co. appeared under the title "A Journey into the Interior of the Earth". Its translation, credited to Frederick Amadeus Malleson, is more faithful than the Griffith & Farran version, though it, too, concocts chapter titles and modifies details. Its text is likewise available at Project Gutenberg.
There are 2 modern English translations by Frank Wynne, edited by p. W. Gogman of Penguin Classics in 2009 and by Matthew G. Jonas in 2022.
Adaptations.
Other.
https://dn790005.ca.archive.org/0/items/JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth_201902/Journey%20to%20the%20Center%20of%20the%20Earth.pdf
References.
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External links.
 (original French text, 1864)

A Journey to the Center of the Earth (1977 film)
A Journey to the Center of the Earth is a 1977 Australian animated film originally based on the 1864 novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne. It was directed by Richard Slapczynski from a screenplay by John Palmer and produced by Walter J. Hucker.

Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959 film)
1959 film by Henry Levin
Journey to the Center of the Earth (also called Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth) is a 1959 American science fiction adventure film directed by Henry Levin and starring James Mason, Pat Boone, Arlene Dahl and Diane Baker. Based on the 1864 novel of the same name by Jules Verne, it was written for the screen by Charles Brackett (who also produced) and Walter Reisch. Bernard Herrmann wrote the film score.
The film was released by 20th Century Fox on December 16, 1959. It was a commercial success and well-received by critics, earning three Academy Award nominations.<templatestyles src="Template:TOC limit/styles.css" />
Plot.
In 1880 Edinburgh, Professor Sir Oliver Lindenbrook, a geologist at the University of Edinburgh, is given a piece of volcanic rock by his admiring student, Alec McEwan, who is in love with Lindenbrook's niece Jenny. Finding the rock unusually heavy, Lindenbrook discovers a plumb bob inside bearing a cryptic inscription. Lindenbrook and Alec discover that it was left by a scientist named Arne Saknussemm, who, almost 100 years earlier, had found a passage to the center of the Earth by descending into the volcano Snæfellsjökull, in western Iceland. After translating the message, Lindenbrook immediately sets off with Alec to follow in the Icelandic pioneer's footsteps.
Professor Göteborg, upon receiving correspondence from Lindenbrook regarding the message, attempts to reach the Earth's center first. Lindenbrook and McEwan chase him to Iceland. There, Göteborg and his assistant kidnap and imprison them in a cellar. They are freed by local Hans Bjelke and his pet duck Gertrud. They later find Göteborg dead in his hotel room. Lindenbrook finds potassium cyanide crystals in Göteborg's goatee and concludes that he was murdered.
Göteborg's widow, Carla, who initially believed Lindenbrook was trying to capitalize on her deceased husband's work, learns the truth. She provides the equipment and supplies that her husband had accumulated, including much sought after Ruhmkorff lamps, but only on the condition that she accompanies them to protect her husband's reputation. Lindenbrook grudgingly agrees. Hans and Gertrud also join the new expedition.
On a specific date, they mark the sunrise's exact location on Snæfellsjökull and descend into the Earth from there, following markings left by Saknussemm. However, they are not alone. Göteborg's murderer, Count Saknussemm, believes that, as Saknussemm's descendant, only he has the right to be there. He and his manservant trail the group secretly. When Alec becomes separated from the others, he comes upon Saknussemm. When Alec refuses to take the place of Saknussemm's servant, who has died from overexertion, Saknussemm shoots Alec in the arm. Lindenbrook locates them through the gunshot's echoes and, after a quick trial for murder, sentences Saknussemm to death. No one is willing to execute him, however, so they reluctantly take him along.
The explorers eventually come upon a subterranean ocean. They construct a raft to cross it, but not before narrowly escaping a family of large "dimetrodons". Their raft begins circling in a large mid-ocean whirlpool. The professor deduces that this must be the center of the Earth: The magnetic forces of north and south meet there and are powerful enough to snatch away even the gold in their rings and tooth fillings. Now completely exhausted, they reach the opposite shore.
While the others are asleep, a hungry Saknussemm catches and eats Gertrud. When Hans finds out, he rushes at the count. Reeling back, Saknussemm inadvertently loosens a column of large stones and is buried beneath them, killing him. Right behind the collapse, the group comes upon the ruins of the sunken city of Atlantis. They also find the skeleton of Arne Saknussemm, whose right hand points toward a volcanic chimney. While a strong updraft suggests it leads directly to the surface, a huge rock partially blocks the way. Lindenbrook decides to blow up the obstruction with gunpowder left by Saknussemm, and they take shelter in a large sacrificial altar bowl. A giant lizard attacks, but is buried under molten lava released by the explosion. The bowl floats toward the passage and is finally driven upward at great speed by a lava plume. It finally reaches the surface, where the explorers are ejected, coming down away from the lava eruption.
When they return to Edinburgh, they are hailed as heroes. Lindenbrook turns down all the honors due to the loss of their documented evidence, but encourages the next generations to follow in their footsteps. Alec soon marries Jenny, and Lindenbrook and Carla kiss, a pledge of their coming wedding.
Cast.
<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>* James Mason as Sir Oliver Lindenbrook
Production.
The film was a co-production between 20th Century-Fox and Joseph M. Schenck, who had been instrumental in helping establish Fox in 1935. The film was produced by Charles Brackett, who said:
Our picture describes action and events, with not the slightest shadow of Freud. The serious thing about Jules Verne is that all he does is tell a story in exciting episodes, but his stories have always pushed man a little closer towards the unknown. What we've tried to do is retell his story in the best way of all - in the Verne vernacular.
Brackett called the original story "a delightful book, written for young people. We simply couldn't have any solemnity about it. I wanted very much to do it at this time. I'm tired of all these films based on thoughts at the back of sick minds."
The script was written by Walter Reisch who later said:
I had written a lot of science fiction for magazines, and Charles Brackett knew about that. They also knew that I had written magazine articles on Jules Verne. I had studied Jules Verne, and always wanted to write his biography, but I never got around to doing it. When they bought the Jules Verne novel from his estate and assigned me, I was delighted. The master's work, though a beautiful basic idea, went in a thousand directions and never achieved a real constructive "roundness". With the exception of the basic idea, there is very little of the novel left in the film. I invented a lot of new characters—the Pat Boone part, the part of the professor's wife played by Arlene Dahl, the [part of the] villain—and the fact that it all played in Scotland.
Pat Boone was the first star announced. He said he was reluctant to make the film because it was science fiction, even after Fox promised to add some songs. It was only when they offered him 15% of the profits that he agreed at the urging of his management. He said, "Later on, I was very glad I did it, because it was fun to do, it had some good music and it became a very successful film".
Following up on that point, "Diabolique" magazine later observed:
It remains a mystery why Boone never appeared in another fantasy/sci-fi adventure in his entire career. Boone was believable in them, and he could easily sing a song over the credits if he wanted. He wouldn’t have to worry about kissing any of his co-stars or “morality” issues. And it wasn’t as though Fox weren’t making them. When he was under contract they turned out "The Lost World" (1960), "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (1961) and "Five Weeks in a Balloon" (1962). The last two even featured pop stars Frankie Avalon and Fabian respectively, but no Boone. Was he too expensive? Did the dates not work out? Did he insist on playing the lead? Whatever the reason it was a great shame. For me, this is the biggest misstep Boone made in his film career.
The role of the professor was meant to be played by Clifton Webb. Reisch said:
That was absolutely the most beautiful idea, because Clifton Webb had a certain tongue-in-cheek style, suited to playing a professor with crazy notions, which could be paired with Pat Boone as his favorite disciple. Every week Clifton visited Brackett's office, where we described scenes to him and he became very excited at the prospect of playing that kind of part. Maybe two or three weeks before we actually began to shoot, Clifton Webb went to the hospital for a checkup, and they never let him out. He had to undergo major surgery. Unless my memory fails me completely, it was a double hernia, and he was, as you can imagine, a very sensitive man, very touchy about sickness. He called Zanuck himself on his private line, and said he could not play the part because it was such a physical part.
Webb was replaced at the last minute by James Mason, who had previously appeared as Captain Nemo in Disney's earlier adaptation of Jules Verne's novel, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954). Reisch:
I think it was [longtime head of Twentieth Century-Fox casting] Billy Gordon or Lew Schreiber [Twentieth Century-Fox production executive] who suggested James Mason. James Mason was, of course, British, with a beautiful voice, and he liked the idea [of the part]. He felt it was his duty as Clifton's colleague to take over. From there on it was clear sailing, except that Pat Boone had about three or four songs, if not more, and I think all of them died in the end, with the exception of one or two. The moment that Zanuck saw [their effect on] the action, those songs just fell by the wayside.
Some of the underground sequences for "Journey to the Center of the Earth" were filmed at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Other shooting locations included Amboy Crater and Sequit Point, California, as well as Edinburgh, Scotland. Principal photography took place from late June to mid-September 1959.
Originally, "Life" magazine editor and science writer Lincoln Barnett was to write the screenplay and later acted as one of the technical advisers on the film.
The giant "Dimetrodon" depicted at the center of the Earth action sequence were actually rhinoceros iguanas with a large, glued-on make-up appliance added to their back. The giant chameleon seen later in the ruins of Atlantis scene was actually a painted Tegu lizard or a monitor lizard.
Boone recalled filming the dramatic whirlpool sea scene:
 James Mason, Arlene Dahl, Peter Ronson and I were on a raft, caught in a giant whirlpool. It was a tricky thing to shoot — the raft was on a revolving platform that tilted when it went around. It had to look like we were being tossed violently. Hundreds of gallons of water were being dumped on us to simulate a stormy sea. The noise was deafening, but not enough to drown out Dahl, who started screaming as she held on for dear life. She screamed at the director, Henry Levin, 'Get me off this thing. Get me down. I'm going to pass out!' She kept yelling. Mason had little patience for it. He thought Dahl had already overplayed the role of a dainty creature when we had to wear very heavy parkas, feigning winter amid very hot July weather, for another scene (Dahl complained then of heat prostration). Mason was not amused as this time he yelled back at her, 'Shut up woman! We're going to have to do this ten times if you don't keep quiet.' We were going to have to dub dialogue anyway, and they got the shot.
Dahl became unconscious and it took 30 minutes to revive her.
Reception.
Box office.
At the time of release, "Journey to the Center of the Earth" was a financial success, grossing $10,000,000 at the box office (well over its $3.44 million budget).
Critical response.
Film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes assigns a rating of 84% based on 31 critics, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critical consensus describes "Journey to the Center of the Earth" as "a silly but fun movie with everything you'd want from a sci-fi blockbuster – heroic characters, menacing villains, monsters, big sets and special effects".
Upon the film's release, "New York Times" film critic Bosley Crowther said "Journey to the Center of the Earth" is "really not very striking make-believe, when all is said and done. The earth's interior is somewhat on the order of an elaborate amusement-park tunnel of love. And the attitudes of the people, toward each other and toward another curious man who happens to be exploring down there at the same time, are conventional and just a bit dull".
Ian Nathan, writing a retrospective review for "Empire", gave the film four stars, stating that "it has dated a fair bit, but it's a film that takes its far-fetchedness seriously, and delivers a thrilling adventure untrammelled by cheese, melodrama or ludicrous tribes of extras, shabbily dressed bird-beings or lizard men", ultimately concluding that the film is "still captivating despite the obviously dated effects".
Accolades.
"Journey to the Center of the Earth" won a second place Golden Laurel award for Top Action Drama in 1960.
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards: for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Lyle R. Wheeler, Franz Bachelin, Herman A. Blumenthal, Walter M. Scott, Joseph Kish), for Best Effects, Special Effects, and for Best Sound (Carlton W. Faulkner).
References.
Notes.
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Bibliography.
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008 direct-to-video film)
2008 direct-to-video film
Journey to the Center of the Earth (released in the UK as Journey to Middle Earth) is a 2008 American science fiction action adventure film created by The Asylum and directed by David Jones and Scott Wheeler.
The film is a loose adaptation of the original 1864 novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne, but bears a close similarity to "At the Earth's Core", a similar 1914 novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is also the second film by The Asylum to be based on a Jules Verne novel, the first being "30,000 Leagues Under the Sea". A mockbuster, it was released to capitalize on the higher-budgeted film of the same title starring Brendan Fraser.
Plot.
The film follows two intertwined subplots: a drilling operation that is taking place in South America, and a rescue mission to save a research team that has been teleported 600 km beneath the Earth's crust.
The drill, a fully Argentinian project, is powerful enough to send miniature drills through solid rock at a fast pace and is used to try to rescue the team from their fate. The operation begins, but the drills accidentally break through the Earth's crust and into the very mantle of the Earth. This is where the operators encounter hidden dangers awaiting them at the Earth's core. The team has to deal with prehistoric creatures in order to both save the research team and to return safely to the surface of the Earth.
References.
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (TV series)
1967 American animated TV series
Journey to the Center of the Earth is an American science fiction Saturday-morning cartoon, consisting of 17 episodes, each running 30 minutes. Produced by Filmation in association with 20th Century Fox Television, it aired from September 9, 1967, to September 6, 1969, on ABC Saturday Morning. It featured the voice of Ted Knight as Professor Lindenbrook/Sacknussem. It was later shown in reruns on Sci Fi Channel's Cartoon Quest.
It appears to have taken the 1959 film, "Journey to the Center of the Earth", as its starting point rather than Jules Verne's original 1864 novel; e.g., including the character of Count Sacknussem and Gertrude the duck. However, it moved even further away from Verne's novel than the 1959 film did.
There are currently no plans to release the series on DVD and/or Blu-ray Disc from 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment, although most of the series is available for viewing on YouTube.
Opening narration.
"Long ago, a lone explorer named Arne Sacknussem made a fantastic descent to the fabled lost kingdom of Atlantis at the Earth's core. After many centuries, his trail was discovered: first by me, Professor Oliver Lindenbrook, my niece Cindy, student Alec McEwen, our guide Lars and his duck Gertrude. But we were not alone. The evil Count Sacknussem, last descendant of the once noble Sacknussem family, had followed us... to claim the center of the Earth for his power-mad schemes. He ordered his brute-like servant, Torg, to destroy our party. But the plan backfired, sealing the entrance forever. And so, for us, began a desperate race to the Earth's core... to learn the secret of the way back. This is the story of our new journey to the center of the Earth!"
References.
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (1993 film)
Journey to the Center of the Earth is a 1993 TV film first aired on NBC. Starring Oscar-winning actor F. Murray Abraham and sitcom actress Farrah Forke, the film doubled as a pilot for a possible TV series. The film is based on the 1864 novel of the same name by Jules Verne, about scientists trapped in a subterranean world.
Other cast members include David Dundara, Jeffrey Nordling, Tim Russ, John Neville, and Kim Miyori. Outside the United States, the film was released theatrically in other territories by Columbia Pictures.
Plot.
A team of explorers sets on a voyage to the Earth's core, following an earlier attempt years before. Their ship, "Avenger", enters the lava chamber of an active volcano and uses an energy ray called a "sonic blaster" to blast through the flow. They enter in a subterranean world over 100 kilometers below the Earth's surface. The place is filled with many strange creatures. As they explore deeper into the caverns they encounter a yeti which the crew named Dallas that serves as their guide. Meanwhile, an unknown malevolent entity is attempting to recover the missing pieces of an Atlantean artifact known as the "book of knowledge" one of which a crew member of the Avenger brought with him, that will supposedly give massive powers to whomever possesses it.
References.
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (disambiguation)
Journey to the Center of the Earth (French title "Voyage au centre de la Terre") is an 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne.
Journey to the Center of the Earth may also refer to:
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See also.
Topics referred to by the same term
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 This page lists associated with the title .

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008 theatrical film)
2008 American theatrical film
Journey to the Center of the Earth (also promoted as Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D or Journey 3D) is a 2008 American 3D science fantasy action-adventure film directed by Eric Brevig and starring Brendan Fraser in the main role, Josh Hutcherson, and Anita Briem. Produced by Walden Media, it is an adaptation of Jules Verne's 1864 novel (which had previously been adapted multiple times, most notably in the 1959 film of the same name) and was released in 3D theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures through their New Line Cinema division on July 11, 2008. It tells the story of a volcanologist and his nephew who embark on a mission to go look for his missing brother with help from an Icelandic guide as they come across the center of the Earth.
The film also introduced the 4DX movie format, featuring "4D" motion effects in a specially designed cinema in Seoul, South Korea, using tilting seats and other effects to convey motion, wind, sprays of water and sharp air, probe lights to mimic lightning, fog, scents, and other theatrical special effects.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics and earned $244.2 million against a $60 million budget. A sequel, "", was released on February 10, 2012 with only Hutcherson returning of the main cast.
Plot.
In 2007, Trevor Anderson is a Bostonian volcanologist whose 13-year-old nephew, Sean, is supposed to spend ten days with him. Trevor learns at work that his brother's lab is being shut down because of a lack of funding. Trevor has forgotten that Sean is coming until he receives several messages from Sean's mother Elizabeth. When Sean's mother drops him off, she leaves Trevor with a box of items that belonged to Max, Trevor's brother and Sean's father, who disappeared 10 years before. Sean suddenly takes interest in what Trevor has to say after he tells him about his father, whom he never really had a chance to know. In the box, Trevor discovers the novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne. Inside the book Trevor finds notes written by his late brother. Trevor goes to his laboratory to find out more about the notes. There he realizes that he must go to Iceland to investigate for himself.
He intends to send Sean back to his mother, but relents at Sean's protest and brings Sean to Iceland with him. They start by looking for another volcanologist. When they get to that scientist's institution, they meet his daughter Hannah, who informs them he is dead. She also tells them that both her father and Max believed that Jules Verne's books were factual accounts. However she offers to help them climb up to the instrument that has suddenly started sending data again. While hiking the mountain, a lightning storm forces the three into a cave. The cave entrance collapses, trapping them, so they have no alternative but to go deeper in the cave, which turns out to be an abandoned mine.
Trevor, Sean, and Hannah investigate further into the mine until they fall into a deep hole, taking them to the "Center of the Earth". They all continue until they discover a cave-dwelling that Max lived in. Trevor and Sean find Max's old journal. Hannah and Trevor discover Max's dead body and bury him. Trevor reads a message from Max's journal that was written on Sean's 3rd birthday (8.14.97). Trevor continues to read Max's journal until he realizes from his notes that they must quickly leave, as the temperature is steadily rising.
Trevor figures that they must find a geyser that can send them to the surface. They must do this in 48 hours or all of the water to create the geyser will be gone. They also figure that they must get out before the temperature rises past 135 degrees. They start building a raft to cross the underground ocean, and then the two adults become separated from Sean. Sean's guide is now a little glowing bird who has been present since the trio entered the center, and it takes him towards the river. However, he encounters an albino "Giganotosaurus", and Trevor – who desperately is searching for him – saves him. When they arrive at the geyser it is all dried up. All the water is on the other side of the walls.
Trevor uses a flare to ignite the magnesium in the wall and causes a geyser to shoot them through Mount Vesuvius in Italy. When they destroy the vineyard of an Italian man, Sean gives him a diamond that he had found earlier. Trevor sees that he has many more in his backpack and he uses them to fund his brother's laboratory. Throughout the adventure, Hannah and Trevor gradually become so attached to each other that they share a kiss.
On the final day of Sean's visit with Trevor (and now Hannah), he is leaving their new home, which was purchased with some of the diamonds Sean took from the cave, and Trevor hands Sean a book titled "Atlantis", suggesting they could maybe hang out at Sean's during Christmas break. It was also shown that the glowing bird was also smuggled out by Sean in attempt to keep it as a pet only for Trevor to turn it down as the bird flies off.
Production.
Development and filming.
In September 2001, Walden Media announced that Eric Brevig was hired and set to direct "Journey to the Center of the Earth" based on the book of the same name by Jules Verne. Michael D. Weiss, Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett wrote the script for the film. Beau Flynn and Charlotte Huggins produced the film with the budget of $60 million for release in 2008. In 2003, Brendan Fraser, Anita Briem, Josh Hutcherson, Seth Meyers, Jean-Michel Paré, Jane Wheeler, Giancarlo Caltabiano and Garth Gilker joined the film. Andrew Lockington composed the music for the film. The development and filming of the film were completed in Canada and Iceland in March 2006, followed by principal photography and production which began on April 20. In January 2007, New Line Cinema acquired distribution rights to the film. The film transposes the novel into the present day and is mostly live action, with only the landscape and creatures supplied by computer-generated graphics. The film is projected using Real D Cinema and Dolby 3D.
Josh Hutcherson's character, Sean, is named after the professor and conservation biologist Dr. Sean Anderson.
The computer graphics in the film were produced by the Canadian company Meteor Studios, which declared bankruptcy immediately after having finished work on "Journey to the Center of the Earth", leaving its employees and freelancers unpaid after having postponed their paychecks for three months; after a lawsuit and the direct intervention of Brendan Fraser, the former Meteor personnel settled for 70% of what was owed.
Release.
Marketing.
The first trailer was shown before screenings of "Meet the Robinsons", the re-release of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and the release of "Beowulf", with the "", and during the 2008 Kids' Choice Awards. Warner Bros. marketed the film like a theme park attraction. However, the studio had to slightly tweak the campaign (including dropping "3D" from the title) when it became clear that the film would be shown in 3-D in far fewer theaters than anticipated.
Theme parks.
In May 2009, the film premiered as "Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D" at Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. It also opened in the motion simulator at Dollywood under the same name on June 12 the same year. It also featured the new 4D Cinema at the Weston Super-Mare Grand Pier in the U.K. and was shown in Movieworld on the Gold Coast.
Home media.
"Journey to the Center of the Earth" was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 28, 2008, in standard 2D format as well as a magenta / green anaglyph. It opened at #2 at the DVD sales chart, selling 843,224 units in the 1st week which translates to $13,238,617 in revenue. As per the latest figures, 1,642,994 DVD units have been sold, bringing in $25,346,260 in revenue. This doesn't include Blu-ray Disc sales / DVD rentals. The 2008 2-disc BD edition of the movie doesn't conform to the – only later established – 3D Blu-ray specifications, which means that this version doesn't take advantage of any dedicated 3D HDTVs, although it can be watched on 3D HDTVs, as well as on any other TV in anaglyph 3D, by using red-cyan paper glasses (four pairs are included). A 3D Blu-ray version was released on January 17, 2012. Both the "Standard 2D Version" and the 3D BD version, released in 2008 by Roadshow Home Entertainment in Australia, appeared under the title "Journey to the Centre of the Earth".
Reception.
Critical response.
On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 61% based on 158 reviews with an average rating of 6/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Modern visuals and an old fashioned storyline make this family adventure/comedy a fast-paced, kitschy ride". Metacritic gave the film a 57 out of 100, based on 35 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A−" on scale of A to F.
Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film two stars out of four, and wrote: "This is a fairly bad movie, and yet at the same time maybe about as good as it could be. There may not be an 8-year-old alive who would not love it." Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" gave it two and a half out of four, but warned "Remove a star from the rating if you take this Journey without wearing 3-D glasses. That’s where the real fun comes in." Owen Glieberman of "Entertainment Weekly" gave it a B− and said "Journey is just the new version of a 1950s comin'-at-ya roller coaster, with a tape measure, trilobite antennae, and giant snapping piranha thrust at the audience."
Box office.
"Journey to the Center of the Earth" grossed $101.7 million in the United States and $142.5 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $244.2 million.
The film opened at #3 in North America, behind "" and "Hancock". The film grossed $21 million in 2,811 theaters in its first week of release with an average of $7,477. In its second weekend, it dropped to $12.3 million, and $9.7 million in its third.
Sequel.
In March 2009, Universal and Walden Media announced a sequel film, "", starring Hutcherson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Luis Guzman, and Vanessa Hudgens. Fraser and Briem did not return, and Jane Wheeler was replaced by Kristin Davis. "Journey 2" was filmed between November 2010 and February 2011 and was released in February 2012. Like the first movie, the sequel was shot in 3D, and the script is loosely based on a Verne novel – "The Mysterious Island".
"Journey to the Center of the Earth: 4-D Adventure".
"Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D Adventure" is a 15-minute 4D film shown at various 4D theatres all over the world. It retells the condensed story of the film with the help of 3D projection and sensory effects, including moving seats, wind, mist and scents. Produced by SimEx-Iwerks, the 4D experience premiered in 2009. Locations included Warner Bros. Movie World (2010–2012), Dollywood (2009–2012), Enchanted Kingdom (2009–), Stone Mountain, and Rainbow's End.
References.
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (1989 film)
1989 American science fiction film by Albert Pyun, Rusty Lemorande
Journey to the Center of the Earth is an American 1989 fantasy film directed by Rusty Lemorande and starring Nicola Cowper and Paul Carafotes. It was a nominal sequel to the 1988 film "Alien from L.A.", both of which are very loosely based on the 1864 novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne.
Plot summary.
Newly hired nanny Crystina arrives in Hawaii to discover that her charge is the dog of Nimrod, a rock star. Two brothers accidentally take the dog's basket to a local cave with their sister. The group of young people get lost in a cavern while exploring a volcano. The volcano explodes and while fleeing they discover the lost city of Atlantis, at the center of the Earth. Atlantis is inhabited, and view the arrival of the group along with a separate visitor from the surface, Wanda Saknussemm, as an invasion. This leads the Atlanteans to prepare to invade the surface. The children, nanny and Saknussemm must stop the invasion and escape to the surface.
Production.
The film marked the directorial debut of Rusty Lemorande and began shooting in June 1986 over the course of 40 days in Newport Beach, California with various underground scenes constructed within a vacant hangar at Long Beach Naval Shipyard.
After screening Lemorande's rough cut, producers Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan were dissatisfied with the results particularly with the lack of a beginning which had been shot with Christmas decorations but had to be scrapped when the film abandoned its intended Holiday 1986 release date. Lemorande had hoped the screening would convince Globus and Golan to allocate additional resources to finish the film, but instead they hired Albert Pyun to complete the film. Pyun accepted the job saying he would finish the film for free if they allowed him to film "Alien from L.A." for under $1 million which was a repurposed version of Pyun's own take on "Journey to the Center of the Earth", which they agreed.
Reception.
Moria called the film "an entirely incoherent hodgepodge".
Creature Feature gave the movie 1 out of 5 stars, calling the film a mess and something that only vaguely resembles a feature film.
Common Sense Media stated that the film's "plot is absurd and at times hard to follow, the acting is bad, and the film overall looks very low-budget" but that it was appropriate for most children.
References.
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (miniseries)
1999 miniseries
Journey to the Center of the Earth is a 1999 American science fiction miniseries produced by Hallmark Entertainment. It stars Treat Williams, Jeremy London, and Bryan Brown. It is based on Jules Verne's classic 1864 novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth".
Plot.
Theodore Lytton is an avid geologist and paleontologist who is aided by his nephew Jonas Lytton, a Harvard graduate. Theodore seeks for ways to finance his undertakings, including illegal street fighting. After one of his lectures, Theodore is approached by Alice Hastings who finances the Lyttons' journey into the center of Earth on a quest to find her lost husband Casper Hastings. Casper had 7 years prior gone to seek a fortune of gold rumored to exist far below the Earth's surface. The Lyttons meet McNiff, a gun for hire, in New Zealand. The Lyttons, McNiff, and Alice Hastings find their way miles underneath the Earth and reach an underground sea lit by a gaseous anomaly that provides light and life to this underground world.
After traveling across the sea, the travelers encounter dinosaurs, two human settlements, and a humanoid reptilian species, the Solaroids, that may have evolved from dinosaurs. Alice is captured by the Solaroids. The group find Casper Hastings, who years prior discovered the humans, taught them English, and then endorsed a polygamist culture inducing a split in the human settlement. Casper Hastings is known as the 'School Master' in this newer polygamist settlement, while the more established human settlement endorses monogamy. There is friction between the human settlements and also with the Solaroids. Casper, joined by the Lyttons, free Alice from a Solaroid prison cell and return to Casper's settlement. There he reveals his plan to leave for the surface, with his wife and the Lyttons. McNiff decides to remain behind with the natives. Casper also reveals a mysterious plant with nearly magical healing remedies and intends to market it on the surface.
The group of travelers, now joined by Ralna, a native tribeswoman for whom Jonas develops strong feelings, begin their journey to the surface. Casper is killed by the Solaroids before reaching the sea. The 4 travelers sail across the sea and begin to head back the way they came to the surface. Ralna, sensing danger, leaves in panic and is separated from Jonas. The Lyttons and Alice reach the surface through an underground vortex that feeds water to a lake on the surface. It is discovered the magical plant dies within a few hours of being on the surface. Weeks later, Theodore and Alice are engaged to wed while Jonas, who was previously engaged, leaves his fiancée to find Ralna in the underground world.
Reception.
"Journey to the Center of the Earth" received mostly negative reviews from critics. David Kronke, writing in the "Los Angeles Daily News", called the miniseries "thoroughly cheesy" and "flaccid." The "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" opined that the effects work "[couldn't] overcome a barrage of ponderous dialogue and simply bland acting."
References.
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (2003 video game)
Journey to the Center of the Earth is a 2003 point-and-click adventure game developed by Ukrainian studio Frogwares and published by Micro Application. It was distributed in the United States by Viva Media.
The game is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Jules Verne and follows photojournalist Ariane as the player character.
Critical reception.
Jeux Video felt the game was "fun and original" and that it gave the player an opportunity to experience the "dreamlike underground world" described in Jules Verne's novel. IGN described it as a "decent title that keeps you gaming for cheap" but criticized its "clunky interface and unforgiving puzzles". GameSpy praised its puzzles and story and disliked the interface.
References.
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008 TV film)
2008 American broadcast television film
Journey to the Center of the Earth is a 2008 American-Canadian television action adventure film directed by T. J. Scott and starring Rick Schroder, Victoria Pratt, and Peter Fonda. The film is very loosely based on the 1864 novel of the same name by Jules Verne.
It was shot in HD on location in and around Vancouver in the summer of 2007, and first aired on Ion Television on January 27, 2008. It was released on DVD in 2008, prior to the release of the theatrical film.
Plot.
Scientist, and part-time prizefighter, Jonathan Brock is visited at his home by heiress Martha Dennison. Years earlier Jonathon had met Martha's husband, Edward, who had given him a fossil which came from a mine in a volcano in the then Russian territory of Alaska. Supposedly the mine leads to the center of the Earth, which Jonathon dismisses as a myth. Martha tells him Edward disappeared four years earlier on an expedition towards the center of the Earth, and she wants Jonathon to find him. Jonathan hesitates despite Martha's offer to pay him handsomely, which would pay off the debts owing on his recently deceased father's estate. Martha gives him Edward's notes saying once he has read them he will know why she must have his answer in 24 hours. Jonathon's nephew asks to join him a it would boost his career as a journalist, though his fiancee Emily, thinks it as a poor excuse to postpone their wedding. Jonathon agrees to take Abel with him, and says that ABel should dedicate his journal to Emily. Two weeks later, Jonathon, Martha and Abel arrive in Sitka in the new Territory of Alaska. After Abel's wallet is stolen, Jonathon encounters Sergei, whose friend Mikael went on the expedition with Edward. Sergei agrees to go with them, hoping to find Mikael. Martha says they must reach the mine in 10 days as it is only visible on the equinox, September 23.
With only a crudely drawn map to guide them, they arrive at a lake indicated on the map. Jonathon calculates the mine's position despite the clouds and steam rising from the lake. They enter the mine, venturing deep into the earth. They find occasional signs of the previous expedition and then Mikael's skeleton of Mikael. They come out onto the edge of a large lake surrounded by lush forest. Jonathon says that the light is probably electrical like the aurora borealis but constant so that it never gets dark. Jonathan and Sergei find some logs that were clearly cut down by a person using an axe, presumably to make a raft to cross the lake. They use the left over logs and their supply of rope to make a raft of their own. As they cross the lake they are attacked by prehistoric birds ("Archaeopteryx") and menaced by a plesiosaur. They shoot some of the birds, which the plesiosaur eats, distracting it long enough to get away Jonathon says the creatures they have encountered seem to have come from different eras of development and may have escaped to this region and survive the Ice Ages which killed dinosaurs remaining on the surface.
They find a damaged raft, believed to be Edward's, and make camp. While Abel goes exploring alone, Sergei reveals to Jonathan that he did not go along with Edward when he first came to Alaska because he did not trust him and blames himself for not stopping Mikael from joining the expedition that led to his death. Abel sees two women in the forest and tells Jonathon. The four of them follow a trail that leads them to a well-constructed rope bridge. As they cross they are captured by hostile natives who take them to their village. Edward arrives, appearing to be the tribe's leader, and instructs them to bow and give up their weapons as a native custom.
Edward explains that the natives came from the surface thousands of years earlier. They believe Edward to be some kind of a god who has brought them prosperity and safety by sharing his wisdom, much of which is based on his study of other civilizations. In private, Edward says he never expected Martha to come for him and he intends to stay. Martha says she expect him to be pleased to see her. Edward says he has power and influence that he did not have in the world above. Edward tries to reconcile with Martha but she rebuffs him and he goes to the village priestess. While they are talking a group of natives join forces and free some prisoners. Jonathon sees them, then Edward fires a pistol and most of them run away. He gives Jonathon the other pistol and tells him to guard the men who have stayed and to shoot them if they run away. He then start chasing and firing at the others. Jonathon gestures to the men to leave but Edward sees this and shoots one of them. He says the young man is a traitor and gets ready to shoot him. Jonathon and Martha try to talk him out of it, but he says the man is a traitor and kills him. Martha punches him causing him to bleed, which disturbs the villagers. Jonathon says "Gods don't bleed".
Edward explains that Wakinta, who escaped with help from Jonathan, doubted Edward from the start and started a resistance to his rule. The arrival of Martha and the others has undercut Edward's power and now the resistance must be annihilated. Martha explains to Jonathon that Edward's arrogance and sense of entitlement is what attracted her to him in the first place.
The villagers, realising Edward is a false god, leave the village, ignoring Edward's protestations. Edward says they must leave and that their raft has been destroyed so they must take an ancient passage the natives took to get down from the surface. Wakinta and some of the villagers chase after them. When they are nearly caught, Edward holds out a last stick of dynamite to ward them off. They reach the cave to the surface, and Edward lights the dynamite intending to seal the entrance so the villagers cannot follow them. When it fails to ignite, Edward leaves the cave and shoots the dynamite sealing the rest of the group in, and him outside. They find a swiftly flowing underground river and eventually are sucked along in the current, which eventually expels them into the lake on the surface, near where they originally found the entrance to the cave.
On the surface they make a small memorial for Edward, who is presumed dead, and decide not to tell the secret of the world below, and to continue their adventures to the East Indies. Martha and Jonathan kiss. Abel then writes at the end of his journal that everything he has written and drawn about is only a figment of his imagination.
Reception.
Critic Bob Bloom wrote in 2008 that "The digital transfer is fine, the story adequate."
References.
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Where Time Began
Viaje al centro de la Tierra (English: "Journey to the Center of the Earth") is a 1977 Spanish adventure film based on the 1864 novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne. It has been released under the titles Where Time Began in theaters in the U.S. and The Fabulous Journey to the Centre of the Earth on TV in the U.K. It was a rare later leading role for Kenneth More.
Plot.
A group of geologists, including Professor Otto Lidenbrock (More), discuss various theories on the make-up of the interior of the Earth. They decide that the only way to know for sure would be to mount an expedition to discover which theory was true.
Whilst visiting a book shop, Lidenbrock buys an old book, written by Arne Saknussemm, containing undisclosed, coded knowledge of the center of the Earth from a mysterious gentleman. Eager to know more, he enlists his niece Grauben and her fiance Axel, a soldier. Axel is charged with keeping a diary of the journey, and often enhances his contributions to the expedition.
Upon arriving in Iceland, they hire shepherd and mountaineer Hans. Together, the four of them set off for the adventure of a lifetime to the center of the Earth. After a series of mishaps, including losing the mysterious book, about midway through their journey, Olsen, a time traveling scientist, meets the explorers.
Olsen reveals to the other travelers the existence of a lost city, where clones of Olsen are conducting experiments, using a mysterious box. Olsen shows the group the flora and fauna of the Earth's center, including surviving dinosaurs. Olsen later sets off an explosion to allow the others to escape back to their home.
Some years later, Grauben and Axel are married, and Hans has become a successful shepherd. Lidenbrock still searches old bookstores, hoping for more information. In one of those shops, Lidenbrock is told that a package has been left for him, and it proves to be Olsen's experimental box. Looking through the store window, Lidenbrock sees Olsen, now much older, looking back at him.
Reception.
"Creature Feature" found the movie to be sluggish and boring, giving it two out of five stars. It found the movie did improve when the dinosaurs finally appeared, but that the effects were weak. Monster Hunter found the use of shooting in a real cave to be a plus, but that there was little else of worth in the film.
Home media.
The film was released on DVD in 2006. And on Blu-Ray by Severin Films on August 29, 2023.
References.
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Journey to the Centre of the Earth (album)
Journey to the Centre of the Earth is a live album and second overall by English keyboardist Rick Wakeman, released on 3 May 1974 by A&M Records. It was recorded in concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England on 18 January 1974, staged for the premiere of his symphonic rock adaptation of Jules Verne's 1864 science-fiction novel of the same name. It tells the story of Professor Lidinbrook, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans, who follow a passage to the Earth's centre originally discovered by Arne Saknussemm, an Icelandic alchemist. He performs with the London Symphony Orchestra and English Chamber Choir conducted by David Measham, and a group of former pub bandmates and session musicians which became his own rock band, the English Rock Ensemble. Actor David Hemmings narrates the story.
Wakeman had wanted to make the album as early as 1971, but shelved it until he had completed his first album, "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" (1973), and had written some music for it. He was inspired by Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf", which featured a narrator and the music depicting the action, and felt Verne's novel was ideal for a musical adaptation. After Measham and show producer Lou Reizner agreed to take part Wakeman finalised the music, lyrics, and narration intermittently in 1973, and enlisted Wil Malone and Danny Beckerman to produce the orchestra and choir arrangements. The high costs for a studio recording led to the decision to record the work live, and Wakeman mortgaged his home and sold possessions to help finance the production. The finished album was poorly received by A&M management in England who refused to sell it, but American co-owner Jerry Moss heard the record and ordered its release.
The album became a symbol of the excesses of progressive rock genre, but was praised for its strong melodies and orchestration. It was a commercial hit worldwide and established Wakeman as a prominent contemporary rock composer and virtuoso performer. It reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, the first A&M album to do so, and No. 3 on the "Billboard" 200 in the US, and was certified Gold in both countries and Australia, Canada, and Brazil. It was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. A world tour with an orchestra followed in 1974 and 1975, which proved costly and left Wakeman in considerable debt. In 1999, a sequel to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original was released entitled "Return to the Centre of the Earth". After the original and uncut orchestral score was rediscovered, Wakeman re-recorded the album in 2012 with the 18 minutes of music that was cut due to time constraints.
Background.
Origins.
By January 1973, Wakeman had been the keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes for almost one-and-a-half years, and released his first solo album, "The Six Wives of Henry VIII", a concept album inspired by the six wives of King Henry VIII, for A&M Records, of which he was signed as a solo artist. The album was a commercial hit, reaching No. 7 in the UK and No. 30 in the US. Wakeman wanted his next album to tell a story, which he was inspired to do since his father took him to a concert performance of "Peter and the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev as a young boy, which features a narrator and an orchestra depicting the action. A fan of science-fiction, Wakeman had first read Jules Verne's 1864 novel "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" when he was twelve, and gained confidence by talking to people in pubs, where he found most had heard of Verne and the novel, but few knew the story. The book presented a wide range of possibilities for a musical adaptation which attracted Wakeman the most. He settled on the idea as early as November 1971, but shelved the project until he had finished recording "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" in October 1972, and had some music written and money to finance it.
Development progressed in December 1972 when Wakeman took part as a guest musician in the orchestral concerts of The Who's "Tommy", which featured the London Symphony Orchestra and English Chamber Choir conducted by David Measham, and music arranger Wil Malone. Wakeman told his idea for "Journey" to the show's producer, Lou Reizner, who put him in contact with Measham to discuss it further. By this time Wakeman had proceeded to read the book multiple times, and summarised the story in narration form. He wrote down sketches of the music at the piano "as fast as they appeared in my brain", which were used to produce a rough demo tape of the work using a Minimoog synthesiser, Mellotron, Rhodes piano, and clavinet. He played it for Measham who agreed to take part. Wakeman then announced the album to his manager Brian Lane (who also managed Yes), and expressed his wish to use the London Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Choir, a rock band, and narrator. The cost to record it in a studio was too high, so A&M agreed to record a live performance in concert. Wakeman used all his earnings from "The Six Wives of Henry VIII", mortgaged his home, and sold several of his cars to help cover the production costs, which "Melody Maker" reported to be £20,000 at the time although Wakeman later said it was in fact double. On the day of the concert, Wakeman received a writ from Express Dairies as he had not paid his milk bill for two months.
Writing.
Wakeman worked on the music, lyrics, and narration intermittently throughout 1973 at his home in Buckinghamshire and in Devon, and wrote the music in order from beginning to end. It was his first attempt at song writing, which he found the most difficult parts of the score to write. He also lacked confidence as a lyricist and described his original set as "really bad", which prompted a rewrite.
Wakeman did not intend to fuse the orchestra and his band, but felt the correct use of both and a choir could add "phenomenal colour" to such a work. Malone and Danny Beckerman assisted with the orchestra and choir arrangements; Beckerman had also worked on the "Tommy" concerts and met Wakeman during an Australian tour with Yes. A typical session saw Malone devising chords and melody lines and Beckerman transcribing the parts onto a score, which took several hours. The project was a challenge for Malone, for it was his first attempt at writing for a symphony orchestra despite not being classically-trained and was something "completely different" to what he had done before.
The original completed score ran for 55 minutes, but was reduced to 40 to fit the time constraints of a vinyl LP. The story is divided into four tracks with two on each side: "The Journey", "Recollection", "The Battle", and "The Forest". The finale of the latter includes an excerpt of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt" suite. In the liner notes Wakeman thanked Grieg and acknowledged he "stole a few bars".
Performers.
A&M considered a group of widely known musicians in Wakeman's band was crucial for the album's success, but Wakeman wanted it to be remembered for its music and not the performers. Instead he chose a group of musicians that he jammed with on Sunday evenings at the Valiant Trooper, a pub in Holmer Green in Buckinghamshire, which became a popular local attraction. "One Sunday evening I was playing keyboards with the lads when I thought, they could play "Journey" for me. I'm sure they could do the concert and do it well".
The band featured Ashley Holt of Warhorse on lead vocals, who had played in a dance band with Wakeman in late 1960s, and second lead vocalist Gary Pickford-Hopkins of Wild Turkey. Wakeman said a second lead vocalist was used to provide an extra interpretation of the lyrics, and Pickford-Hopkins was an "ideal contrast" to Holt's singing. Drummer Barney James was also of Warhorse, and bassist Roger Newell had played in the Valiant Trooper. After a group rehearsal convinced Wakeman they were capable he brought in session guitarist Mike Egan, who had also played on "The Six Wives of Henry VIII". The decision greatly concerned Lane, who predicted a group of unknown musicians would be the "kiss of death" for the album, and Derek Green, the managing director of the British division at A&M, said it was "too frightening to contemplate", but nonetheless gave the green-light.
Actor and singer Richard Harris was Wakeman's first choice for the narrator, but he was unavailable. During a subsequent meeting at the Hemdale Company offices in London, actor and company co-founder David Hemmings walked in and offered to take part.
Plot.
Set in 1863, German Professor Lidinbrook discovers an old parchment that detailed a journey to the centre of Earth undertaken by Arne Saknussemm, an Icelandic alchemist. The parchment, when decoded into Latin and translated by Lidinbrook's nephew Axel, reveals an entrance to the route in the extinct volcano of Snæfellsjökull in Iceland. The pair embark on their journey from Hamburg with their guide Hans.
Upon entering the volcano they pass a lava gallery and find themselves in an intersection of two paths. Lidinbrook chooses the eastern tunnel, but after three days the trio reach a dead end. They returned with just one day's supply of water, reaching the intersection weak and tired. After sleep, they continued their journey and Hans hears flowing water behind a wall of rock and attacks it with a pick axe, revealing a stream of boiling water that they let cool. They realise it is a flowing guide to the centre of the Earth and name the stream the Hansbach, in the guide's honour ("The Journey"). The three temporarily separate, and a lone Axel becomes increasingly frightened. Thinking of those left at home, he cries and runs through a tunnel blindly. He almost gives up, then hears Lidinbrook's voice in the distance; he calculates he is just four miles apart and sets off to reunite. At one point the ground beneath Axel collapses and he awakens on a seashore with Lidinbrook and Hans besides an ocean, which they name the Lindinbrook Sea ("Recollection").
The trio build a raft and set sail for a port they name after Axel's fiancée, Port Grauben. Five days into their sail, they witness a battle between an ichthyosaurus and a plesiosaurus. The ichthyosaurus wins, and the travellers are hit with a four-day storm and take shelter by some overhanging rocks. The storm had caused them to travel only some miles north of Port Grauben, so they set out on land to track Saknussem's original route once more. They cross a plain of bones and into a forest inhabited by giant mastodons led by a Proteus, a mythological human ("The Battle"). Stunned, the three flee the forest for the Lidinbrook Sea and enter a dark tunnel that plunged deep into rock which they blast through with dynamite. The explosion causes an earthquake, and they become trapped in an active volcano shaft which projects them to the Earth's surface at Mount Etna in Sicily ("The Forest").
Production.
Concerts.
The concerts were announced in October 1973, and organised for 18 January 1974 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, during a break in Yes' tour to promote "Tales from Topographic Oceans" (1973). The band entered rehearsals in December 1973 at Farmyard Studios in Little Chalfont in Buckinghamshire, and joined the orchestra for six full rehearsals from 5 January 1974. The stress and worry surrounding the concerts took a toll on Wakeman's health; he had not slept for three days before the show, contracted a stomach ulcer, and required emergency dental surgery for a cracked tooth and nerve damage. Music reporter Tony Tyler attended one of the rehearsals: "I've never seen him look worse ... The famous hair resembled a can of yellow paint poured over his skull ... I watched him rehearse himself and his band into a coma." Final rehearsals began at 9 a.m. on the day of the concerts. Wakeman recalled that for the first time in his life, "I was nervous as hell. I suddenly realised I wasn't sharing the responsibility. It was all down to me."
The shows were held at 6 and 8 p.m. to a sold out audience of 3,000 each; both shows lasted for one hour and forty minutes. Wakeman was unable to secure two seats for his parents, and resorted to buying a pair for £15 from a ticket tout. A screen placed above the stage was used to present stock footage of mountains and underground caves at first, until 20th Century Fox granted permission to use clips from the 1959 American film adaptation. Plans to film the concerts for a prospective home video release fell through. Bassist Roger Newell recalled several politicians, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney, Yes guitarist Steve Howe, and Peter Sellers in attendance. Hemmings sat on a throne with the narrative script on his lap. He had a black eye at the time, after his wife found out he had cheated on her and had hit him. Wakeman's then-wife administered makeup to disguise the bruising.
Wakeman wanted the first half of the concerts to be "musical and entertaining" in order to ease the audience into "Journey", which took up the second. It opened with the finale of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 1 followed by "Catherine Parr", "Catherine Howard", and "Anne Boleyn" from "The Six Wives of Henry VIII". Two comical segments followed; "A Road to Ruin" (which Wakeman credited to a "Jules Hernia"), was a solo piano piece accompanied by footage of Laurel and Hardy and various silent films assembled by film editor Philip Howe (brother of Steve). The film arrived at the venue too soon for Wakeman to view it beforehand, so he improvised on stage. The second was a rearrangement of "Twelfth Street Rag" (introduced as "Douzième Rue Tapis") with a The Big Ben Banjo Band cover and black and white minstrels. The encore was "The Pearl and Dean Piano Concerto", an orchestral and piano piece of several television advert themes, including Opal Fruits, Fairy washing up liquid, and Maynards Murray Mints. Music journalist Chris Welch noted: "Several members of the choir could be seen jiving during the more rhythmic moments, and when Rick played some beautiful classical piano, approving nods could be detected from the massed ranks of the orchestra". A party was held after the second show which Wakeman did not attend due to exhaustion. According to Welch, "The work and tension had finally caught up with Rick – and he was driven home – asleep".
Post-production.
Wakeman intended to record both performances and use the better one, or use sections from both, for release, but the orchestra's union requested double pay. This led to the "frightening decision" to record only the second show. Ronnie Lane's Lyn Mobile Studio was used for recording which housed a 16-track desk that was operated by Keith Grant, who was chosen for his engineering experience. The first half of the concert was recorded to test the audio and recording equipment and was not intended for release, but a rough mix was accidentally discovered years later on a poorly conditioned and mislabelled tape initially used as a guide for the mastering. It was digitally remastered and released on "The Missing Half" CD as part of Wakeman's limited edition box set "Treasure Chest" (2002). The CD also contains humorous narration from Hemmings in five dialects, recorded while he and Wakeman had been drinking while the album was being mixed.
The album was edited, produced, and mixed by Wakeman at Morgan Studios in Willesden, London between 21–29 January 1974, with assistance from engineer Paul Tregurtha. There were several problems with the recording upon playback. Wakeman