Fantastic Voyage
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Directed by	Richard Fleischer
Produced by	Saul David
Written by	Story: Jerome Bixby Otto Klement Screenplay: Harry Kleiner Adaptation: David Duncan
Starring	Stephen Boyd Raquel Welch Edmond O'Brien Donald Pleasence
Music by	Leonard Rosenman
Cinematography	Ernest Laszlo, ASC
Distributed by	Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Release date(s)	August 24, 1966 (U.S.A.)
Running time	100 minutes
Language	English
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IMDb profile

Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner. Bantam Books obtained the rights for a paperback novelization based on the screenplay and approached Isaac Asimov to write it (Asimov 1980:363). Because the novelization was released six months before the movie, many people mistakenly believed Asimov's book had inspired the movie (Asimov 1980:390). According to Fred Schodt's The Astro Boy Essays, FOX also approached NBC to get the rights to an Astro Boy episode which had the same premise, but they never contacted the manga artist or credited him in the final product. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Richard Fleischer (born December 8, 1916) is an American film director. ... For the football player, see Stephen Boyd (football player). ... Jo Raquel Tejada (born September 5, 1940), best known by her stage name Raquel Welch, is an American actress who reached fame during the 1960s. ... Edmond OBrien (September 10, 1915–May 9, 1985) was an American film actor who is perhaps best remembered for his role in D.O.A.. Born in New York, New York, OBrien made his film debut in 1938, and gradually built a career as a highly regarded supporting... Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE (October 5, 1919 – February 2, 1995) was an English stage and film actor. ... Leonard Rosenman (born September 7, 1924 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American film, television and concert composer. ... Ernest Laszlo (April 23, 1898–January 6, 1984) was an American cinematographer. ... Related articles FOX Television Network Fox Searchlight Pictures Fox Entertainment Group List of Hollywood movie studios List of movies Variant of current 20th Century Fox logo External links 20th Century Fox Movies official site Twentieth Century Fox is also the punning title of a song by The Doors on their... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The year 1966 in film involved some significant events. ... Science fiction film is a film genre that uses speculative, science-based depictions of imaginary phenomena such as extra-terrestrial lifeforms, alien worlds, and time travel, often along with technological elements such as futuristic spacecraft, robots, or other technologies. ... Bantam Books is a major U.S. publishing house owned by Random House and is part of the Bantam Dell Publishing Group. ... A novelization (or novelisation in British English) is a work of fiction that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work. ... Sample from a screenplay, showing dialogue and action descriptions. ... Isaac Asimov (January 2?, 1920?[1] – April 6, 1992), pronounced , originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as Айзек Азимов [1], was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. ... Frederik L. Schodt is an American writer, translator and interpreter, notable in manga and anime fandom for his translations of works such as Osamu Tezukas Phoenix, Riyoko Ikedas The Rose of Versailles, Keiji Nakazawas Barefoot Gen, and others. ... This article is about the 1950s manga and 1960s anime. ...

The movie inspired an animated television series, as well as a painting of the same name by Salvador Dalí.^[1] Fantastic Voyage was an animated television series based on the live-action movie released by 20th Century Fox. ... Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquis of Púbol (May 11, 1904 – January 23, 1989), was a Spanish surrealist painter of Catalan descent born in Figueres, Catalonia (Spain). ...

Plot

The United States and the Soviet Union have both developed technology that allowed matter to be miniaturized using a process that shrinks individual atoms, but its value is limited because objects shrunk return to normal size after a period of time - the smaller an object is made, the quicker it reverts. Resizing (including size-changing, miniaturization, magnification, shrinking, and enlargement, is a theme in fiction, especially science fiction. ... For other uses, see Atom (disambiguation). ...

Scientist Jan Benes, working behind the Iron Curtain, has figured out how to make the shrinking process work indefinitely. With the help of the CIA, he escapes to the West, but an attempted assassination leaves him comatose, with a blood clot in his brain. Warsaw Pact countries to the east of the Iron Curtain are shaded red; NATO members to the west of it — blue. ... CIA redirects here. ... Assassin and Assassins redirect here. ... For other uses, see Coma (disambiguation). ... A thrombus is the final product of blood coagulation, through the aggregation of platelets and the activation of the humoral coagulation system. ... For other uses, see Brain (disambiguation). ...

To save his life, Charles Grant (the agent who extracted him, played by Stephen Boyd), pilot Captain Bill Owens (William Redfield), Dr. Michaels (Donald Pleasence), surgeon Dr. Peter Duval (Arthur Kennedy) and his assistant Cora Peterson (Raquel Welch) board a submarine, the Proteus, which is then miniaturized and injected into Benes. The ship is reduced to one micrometre in length, giving the team only one hour to repair the clot; after that, the submarine will begin to revert to its normal size and become large enough for Benes' immune system to detect and attack. For the football player, see Stephen Boyd (football player). ... Wikimedia Commons has multimedia related to: William C. Redfield Categories: Stub | U.S. Secretaries of Commerce ... Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE (October 5, 1919 – February 2, 1995) was an English stage and film actor. ... Arthur Kennedy (February 17, 1914 _ January 5, 1990) was an American actor. ... Jo Raquel Tejada (born September 5, 1940), best known by her stage name Raquel Welch, is an American actress who reached fame during the 1960s. ... For other uses, see Submarine (disambiguation). ... A scanning electron microscope image of a single neutrophil (yellow), engulfing anthrax bacteria (orange). ...

The crew faces many obstacles on their journey. They are forced to detour through the heart (a temporary cardiac arrest must be induced to avoid destructive turbulence), the inner ear (all in the lab must remain quiet to prevent similar turbulence) and the alveoli of the lungs (where they replenish their supply of oxygen). When the surgical laser needed to destroy the clot is damaged, it becomes obvious there is a saboteur on the mission. They cannibalize their radio to repair the laser. When they finally reach the brain clot, there are only six minutes remaining to operate and then exit the body. The heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... For other uses, see Ear (disambiguation). ... The alveoli (singular:alveolus), tiny hollow sacs which are continuous with the airways, are the sites of gas exchange with the blood. ... The heart and lungs (from an older edition of Grays Anatomy) The lung is an organ belonging to the respiratory system and interfacing to the circulatory system of air-breathing vertebrates. ... For other uses, see Laser (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Sabotage (disambiguation). ...

The traitor, Dr. Michaels, knocks Owens out and takes control of the Proteus while the rest of the crew is outside for the operation. Duval successfully removes the clot with the laser. Michaels tries to crash the sub into the clot area to kill Benes, but Grant fires the laser at the ship, causing it to veer away and crash. Michaels is trapped in the wreckage and killed when white blood cells attack and destroy the Proteus. Grant saves Owens from the ship, and they all swim desperately to one of the eyes, where they escape via a teardrop.

Cast

For the football player, see Stephen Boyd (football player). ... Jo Raquel Tejada (born September 5, 1940), best known by her stage name Raquel Welch, is an American actress who reached fame during the 1960s. ... Edmond OBrien (September 10, 1915–May 9, 1985) was an American film actor who is perhaps best remembered for his role in D.O.A.. Born in New York, New York, OBrien made his film debut in 1938, and gradually built a career as a highly regarded supporting... Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE (October 5, 1919 – February 2, 1995) was an English stage and film actor. ... Arthur OConnell ( March 29, 1908 – May 18, 1981) was an American actor. ... Arthur Kennedy in Champion. ... Jean Del Val (November 17, 1891-March 13, 1975) was a French-born actor. ... James Brolin (born July 18, 1940) is a two-time Golden Globe Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning American television, film, character actor, producer, and director. ...

Production

The "whirlpool" scene where the two-inch Proteus miniature was spun around and sucked into a fistula shortly after the sub was injected into Benes' bloodstream was made using a large punch bowl, strawberry-flavored milk, and three cups of Cheerios cereal. According to L.B. Abbott,^{[citation needed]} a bird stole the miniature while it was drying on a window sill following a paint touch-up. It has never been recovered, and Abbott jokingly theorized that it is probably still part of some bird's nest up in some tree. In medicine, a fistula (pl. ... A box of Cheerios breakfast cereal. ... Lenwood Ballard Bill Abbott, also known as L.B.Abbott (13 June 1908, Pasadena, California - 28 September 1985, Los Angeles) was a special effects expert, cinematographer and cameraman. ...

Donald Pleasance's final scene involved a lot of screaming in agony. Much of that turned out to be real,^{[citation needed]} as the soap suds that were used to represent the white blood cells attacking him had gotten into his eyes, and as he was trapped in the command chair as the scene called for, he was unable to wipe his eyes free of the suds or receive medical attention until the scene was safely 'in the can'. White Blood Cells redirects here. ...

Much of the interior scenes of the secret complex were filmed at a football stadium at night. Brief glimpses of the outside playing field area can be seen as General Carter takes Grant through the complex on a small golf cart, as they pass the stairway entrances to each section of the stadium. A Lamborghini built golf cart A golf cart (officially referred to as a golf car according to ANSI standard z130. ...

The entire operating theater, control room, and miniaturization chamber were all one contiguous set. The only piece of this area of the complex that was separate was the sterilization chamber. An operating theatre (gynecological hospital of Medical University of Silesia in Bytom) An operating theatre, operating room, or a surgery suite is a room within a hospital within which surgical operations are carried out. ...

The film was originally planned to have an epilogue,^{[citation needed]} with Dr. Benes having recovered from the microsurgery. However, despite the success of the mission, he still suffered some minor brain damage; specifically the portion of his memory that contained the secret of how to maintain a miniaturized state for longer than an hour. Verified as genuine,^{[citation needed]} copies of scripts containing this ending have circulated in conventions for years, and can be found on the Internet. Asimov's novelization includes a similar epilogue, though omitting the memory loss.

Reuse of sets and props

The actual full-sized set and prop for the Proteus was placed in storage at the 20th Century Fox backlot for years,^{[citation needed]} and maintained in relatively good condition. It was brought out of retirement briefly for use in filming a Public Service Announcement in 1972 for the American Medical Association on the risks of heart disease. Shortly afterwards, it was painted orange and modified for use as a rescue vessel in Irwin Allen's disaster film, The Poseidon Adventure.^{[citation needed]} However, due to budget constraints, all scenes featuring the rescue craft were cut before any scenes were filmed, and the hull of the modified Proteus was later scrapped. Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... A public service announcement (PSA) or community service announcement (CSA) is a non-commercial advertisement typically on radio or television, ostensibly broadcast for the public good. ... The American Medical Association (AMA) is the largest association of medical doctors in the United States. ... Heart disease is an umbrella term for a number of different diseases which affect the heart and as of 2007 it is the leading cause of death in the United States,[1] and England and Wales. ... Irwin Allen (June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was a television and film producer nicknamed The Master of Disaster for his work in the disaster film genre. ... The Poseidon Adventure is a 1972 action adventure/disaster film based on a novel by Paul Gallico. ...

Parts of the miniature sets, as well as some of the full-sized sets, were "borrowed" by Irwin Allen for use on some of his various TV shows. One of the blood vessel sets was used as a conveyor tube in an episode of Lost in Space where Will Robinson has just been converted into a diminutive duplicate of Dr. Zachary Smith. Part of the inner ear miniature set was used in the episode "Jonah and the Whale" on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. The laser gun was used on several of Allen's series as an alien weapon prop, and there is some evidence that the set design techniques for the brain set were used on Lost in Space as the interior of the alien spaceship in the 2nd episode "The Derelict". Irwin Allen (June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was a television and film producer nicknamed The Master of Disaster for his work in the disaster film genre. ... For other uses, see Lost in Space (disambiguation). ... Danger, Will Robinson! is a catch phrase derived from Lost in Space which characterizes the relationship between the robot and Will Robinson. ... Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was a 1960s American Science Fiction television series based on the 1961 film of the same name. ... For other uses, see Lost in Space (disambiguation). ...

Much of the aforementioned usage of sets and props from Fantastic Voyage in Irwin Allen's TV efforts can be attributed to two facts^{[citation needed]}: Special effects for both efforts were supervised by L.B. Abbott, and both were filmed in adjacent stages at the 20th Century Fox studios. Paul Zastupnevich, Allen's associate during the majority of his science-fiction TV work, stated in numerous interviews that the use of the Fantastic Voyage sets and props was, at times, due to "midnight requisitioning" on the part of both Allen and Abbott. Richard Basehart also referred to specifics on filming the episode "Jonah and the Whale" of having to film certain scenes long after normal studio hours because they were "borrowing" a set from another production and had to finish shooting before that production resumed shooting the following morning. Irwin Allen (June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was a television and film producer nicknamed The Master of Disaster for his work in the disaster film genre. ... Lenwood Ballard Bill Abbott, also known as L.B.Abbott (13 June 1908, Pasadena, California - 28 September 1985, Los Angeles) was a special effects expert, cinematographer and cameraman. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... Paul Zastupnevich (24 December 1921 - 9 May 1997) was best known as costume designer and assistant to movie producer and director Irwin Allen. ... Richard Basehart (August 31, 1914 - September 17, 1984) was an American actor. ...

Background

Logical flaws

In the original movie, the crew (apart from the saboteur) manage to leave Benes' body safely before reverting to normal size, but the Proteus remains inside, as do the remains of the saboteur's body (albeit digested by a white blood cell). Isaac Asimov pointed out (Asimov 1980:363-364) that this was a serious logical flaw in the plot, since the submarine (even if reduced to bits of debris) would also revert to normal size, killing Benes in the process. Therefore, in his novelization Asimov had the crew provoke the white cell into following them, so that it drags the submarine to the tearduct. The submarine (or rather, the wreckage of it) then expands outside Benes' body. White Blood Cells redirects here. ...

Moreover, the scene where the crew collects air from Benes' lungs after their own supply is sabotaged should not work, as the air consists of normal-sized molecules. Asimov's novelization solved this problem as well by including a miniaturization device in the jury-rigged suction machine. However, in the movie, the unminiaturized air was used only to pressurize a tank for ballast, not for breathing.

According to the introduction of the novel, Asimov was rather reluctant to write the novel because he believed that the miniaturization of matter is physically impossible. But he decided that it was still good fodder for story-telling and that it could still make for some intelligent reading. Plus it was known that 20th Century Fox wanted someone with some science-fiction clout to help promote the film. To his credit, aside from the initial "impossibility" of the shrinking machine, Asimov went to great lengths to accurately portray what it would actually be like to be shrunk to that scale, such as the lights on the sub being highly penetrating to normal matter, time distortion, and other side effects that are completely ignored in the movie.

Related novels and comics

Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain, was written by Isaac Asimov as an attempt to develop and present his own story apart from the 1966 screenplay.^{[citation needed]} This novel is not a sequel to the original, but instead is a separate story taking place in the Soviet Union with an entirely different set of characters.

Fantastic Voyage: Microcosm is a third interpretation, written by Kevin J. Anderson, published in 2001. This version has the crew of the Proteus explore the body of a dead alien that crash-lands on earth, and updates the story with such modern concepts as nanotechnology (replacing killer white cells). |200px| ]] Pseudonym: Gabriel Mesta Born: March 27, 1962 ) Oregon, Wisconsin, U.S. Occupation: Author Genres: Science fiction Debut works: Resurrection, Inc Influences: The War of the Worlds Kevin J. Anderson (born March 27, 1962) is a prolific American science fiction author. ... Nanotechnology refers to a field of applied science and technology whose theme is the control of matter on the atomic and molecular scale, generally 100 nanometers or smaller, and the fabrication of devices that lie within that size range. ... White Blood Cells redirects here. ...

A comic book adaptation of the film was released by Gold Key in 1967. Drawn by industry legend Wally Wood, the book followed the plot of the movie with general accuracy, but many scenes were depicted differently and/or outright dropped, and the ending was given an epilogue similar that seen in some of the early draft scripts for the film. This gold key has had the logo removed to protect the owner from identification Gold Keys are made available to large top clients of Swiss Banks. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Wallace Wally Wood (born June 17, 1927, Menahga, Minnesota, United States; died November 2, 1981), was an American writer-artist best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. ...

Adaptations

1968 Animated television series

Two years after the film was released, ABC aired an animated series on Saturday mornings. The series was produced by Filmation. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. ... Fantastic Voyage was an animated television series based on the live-action movie released by 20th Century Fox. ... The first Filmation logo. ...

In the series, a different team of scientist performed their missions in a craft known as Voyager, a submarine which featured wedge-shaped wings and large, swept T-tail, and was capable of flight. A model kit of Voyager was offered by Aurora Model Company for several years, and has become a sought-after collectors' item since then. In aircraft a T-tail is an arrangement of the tail control surfaces with the horizontal surfaces (tailplane and elevators) mounted to the top of the fin, rather than the more common location on the fuselage at the base of the fin. ...

Cartoon spoofs and imitations

The idea of shrinking people down for the purpose of traveling inside another human's body has been frequently used in animated cartoons. Many of these shows, including The Simpsons, Futurama, Family Guy, Sealab 2021, The Fairly OddParents, Rugrats, Teen Titans, Invader Zim, Jimmy Neutron, ReBoot, Muppet Babies, The Magic Schoolbus, Beetlejuice, Dexter's Laboratory, The Ren and Stimpy Show, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Transformers, Yin-Yang-Yo!, Happy Tree Friends and SpongeBob SquarePants have directly spoofed or imitated Fantastic Voyage.^{[citation needed]} Footage from the movie was used in a commercial for General Electric, in which a surgeon daydreams in the middle of an operation and this leads to an embarrassing moment when he says "Get back to the ship." An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn (or made with computers to look similar to something hand-drawn) film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot (even if it is a very short one). ... Simpsons redirects here. ... This article is about the television series. ... Family Guy is an Emmy Award-winning American animated television series about a dysfunctional family in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island. ... Sealab 2021 is an American animated television series shown on Cartoon Networks adult-oriented programming block, Adult Swim. ... The Fairly OddParents is an Emmy Award-winning American animated television series created by Butch Hartman about the adventures of a boy who has two fairy godparents. ... A rugrat may also be a pejorative term for a toddler. ... Teen Titans redirects here. ... Invader Zim, trademarked as Invader ZIM, is an award-winning[1] American animated television series that aired on and was produced by Nickelodeon. ... This article is about the character. ... This article is about the television program ReBoot. ... Ò‰Jim Hensons Muppet Babies is an American animated television series that aired from 1984 to 1990 on CBS in first-run episodes, and then until 1992 in reruns. ... The Magic School Bus was a series of childrens books intended to teach scientific concepts to children. ... This article is about the film. ... Dee Dee redirects here. ... The Ren and Stimpy Show was an American animated television series created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi. ... For the movie, see Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. ... This page is about the original Transformers animated series. ... Yin Yang Yo! is an American/UK animated television series created by Walt Disney Television Animation. ... Happy Tree Friends is a Flash cartoon series by Mondo Mini Shows, created by Kenn Navarro, Aubrey Ankrum, Rhode Montijo and Warren Graff. ... This article is about the series. ... GE redirects here. ...

In a rare non-animated example, the third season Mighty Boosh episode "Journey to the Centre of the Punk" involves a spoof of the concept, complete with the miniature submarine and colourful special effects. The Mighty Boosh is a British cult comedy set in Bob Fossils Funworld (later the Zooniverse), a very strange zoo indeed. The Mighty Boosh stars Howard Moon (Julian Barratt) and Vince Noir (Noel Fielding) who play slightly hapless zookeepers working under the ever-watchful eye of bad-tempered zoo...

The band Placebo also made a music video inspired by the film for their song, "Special K". Placebo are an alternative rock band currently consisting of Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal. ...

Perhaps the most sincere imitation, however, came in the form of the 1987 film Innerspace, directed by Joe Dante, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starring Martin Short, Dennis Quaid, and Meg Ryan. While Innerspace doesn't depict a medical emergency, the ideas of miniaturization, the submersible, and some direct referential imitations (such as Quaid's character collecting Southern Comfort liquor as Short's character swallows it) are carried across. For other uses, see Inner space. ... Joe Dante (born November 28, 1946 in Morristown, New Jersey) is an American film director and producer of films generally with humorous and scifi content. ... Steven Allan Spielberg KBE (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. ... Martin Hayter Short, CM (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian/American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. ... Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor. ... Meg Ryan (born November 19, 1961) is an American actress who specializes in romantic comedies but has also worked in other film genres. ...

Remake

Plans for a remake or sequel were in serious discussion as early as 1997, and in 2007 20th Century Fox announced that pre-production on the project was underway. Roland Emmerich has been hired to direct while Marianne and Cormac Wibberley are the leading candidates to write a new script. ^[2] Roland Emmerich on the set of Independence Day Roland Emmerich (born November 10, 1955) is a German film director, writer, and producer. ... Marianne Wibberly & Cormac Wibberley are an American screenwriting team, as well as husband and wife. ...

Antibody (2002) was a spin off starring Lance Henriksen, with a slightly more preposterous premise of a team of scientists miniaturized to find a nuclear bomb inside of a human body. ^[3] Lance Henriksen (born May 5, 1940) is an American actor, painter, and potter. ...

References

Bibliography

• Asimov, Isaac (1980). In Joy Still Felt: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1954-1978. New York: Avon. ISBN 0380530252. 

Notes

The Christies auction house in South Kensington, London Christies American branch in Rockefeller Center, New York Christies is a fine art auction house, the largest and by some accounts the oldest in the world. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the day of the year. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... This article is about the day of the year. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Microsurgery

Microsurgery is a type of surgery where an operation microscope is required in order to perform opératoire precision acts. ...

External links

• Fantastic Voyage at the Internet Movie Database
• Fantastic Voyage at Allmovie

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