The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, two recollections

I was watching The Golden Voyage of Sinbad on TCM and I realized two things:

1. Caroline Munro in her slave girl costume set me on the road to puberty when I was eight and..

2. I think I remember having a comic book adaptation or photo book version of the movie. This would have been from around the time of the release of the movie (like 74ish I suppose). Anyone else remember this book?

Sounds like Marvel's WORLDS UNKNOWN #7 and 8 from 1974. Got those years later and was kind of let down. The real (as opposed to drawn) Caroline Munro does not disappoint, however.

Yes, I had the comic book. I, too, was 8 then. It was the only Harryhausen I saw new in theaters.

I have those WORLDS UNKNOWN issues. Len Wein adapted Brian Clemens' screenplay. I don't think it's the best Sinbad film by any means (though Caroline obviously makes anything watchable), but I really hate George Tuska's penciling in the comic books.

TGVOS is one of my favourite movies. I was exactly the right age when it was in theatres, and I've seen it countless times since.

I've met Caroline Munro and Douglas Wilmer; interviewed Ray at his home; and spent an afternoon in a pub with my childhood hero, Tom Baker.

There was a British tie-in novel for the film, which has a few pages of photo's in the middle. Perhaps you were thinking of that, too, John?

Oh, I think it's probably the best. Definitely the best cast, with John Phillip Law the best Sinbad so far, and Caroline supplying awesome sex appeal, and Tom Baker a wonderful villain. On a personal note, I had a girlfriend at the time who dressed as Caroline's character for Halloween. One of the best Halloweens I had, at that age.

The Marvel WORLDS UNKNOWN issues sounds right. Wish I still had them.

Lone Star Comics has them in a plethora of different grades, starting @ 70 cents each.

I saw THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, THREE WORLDS OF GULLIVER, JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, ONE MILLION YEARS. B.C. , THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD, SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER, and CLASH OF THE TITANS, all in Bronx theaters when they came out.

Yet somehow we missed what would become my favorite Harryhausen, MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, which I didn't see until it played on network TV on Thanksgiving night when I was in 6th Grade. And then they ran it on 16mm film in the school auditorium when I was in Junior High School.

SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD got a theatrical re-release in 1974, the same year as GOLDEN VOYAGE, and I went to see it again then, taking a younger brother who hadn't been born when it originally came out. I took both my younger brothers to see GOLDEN VOYAGE when it came out.

Years later, I took my daughter to see JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS at the Film Forum and my nephews to see a double bill of SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD and THREE WORLDS OF GULLIVER, also at the Film Forum.

This post has been edited by Brian Camp on Nov 8 2009, 06:18 PM

I remember a paperback novelization that had photos in the center. Had one for Blazing Saddles as well.

Even seeing the film today I'm surprised (but grateful) that Munro could get away with so few clothes....

I know I could buy the Marvel issues but I wish I had mine from when I was a kid. I know from previous experience that it is neat to have something cool from your past but it's not the same as holding the comic book that you got at the little store downtown with your Dad and read on your front porch without a care in the world.

Sigh....

This post has been edited by John Scherer on Nov 9 2009, 02:07 PM

I saw FIRST MEN IN THE MOON in the theaters at the tender age of 4 and loved it (though it warped me for life) I didn't see another Harryhausen in the theaters until GOLDEN VOYAGE, though. As for comic adaptations, I think the 1950s Dell Four Color issue of 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD is by far the best. It was drawn by John Buscema.

This post has been edited by Raymond Tucker on Nov 9 2009, 09:11 PM

Agreed. Great UK quad poster art, too, by the wonderful Brian Bysouth:

GOLDEN VOYAGE and BLAZING SADDLES were both part of Warner Books' "See the Film, Read the Novel" series, but not all of them had photo inserts. In fact, these two were the exceptions. I had a lot of them at one time (CLEOPATRA JONES, RAFFERTY AND THE GOLD DUST TWINS, FREEBIE AND THE BEAN) and most of them had cigarette ads - not photos - in the center!