ACADEMY TRIBUTE TO GEORGE PAL
By Mike Thomas
For any one who grew up in the 50s and 60s watching a George Pal movie
was one of the pure pleasures of our movie going formative years. From “War of
the Worlds†to “The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao,†Pal’s movies were unalloyed delights,
full of wondrous special effects and always infused with a delight in the sheer
fantastical elements of his craft. Whatever your favorite Pal film, be it “Tom
Thumb†or “Time Machine,†or “Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm,†a George
Pal film brings a smile to the heart and fond memories of one of the medium’s
great showmen.Â
One of the reasons for such fond memories was the character of the man
himself, according to those who knew him. At the recent Academy tribute to Pal,
held August 27 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills, it was obvious
that the warmth of the films began with the man himself. Associates like Barbara
Eden, Russ Tamblyn and Anne Robinson paid tribute to Pal’s enthusiasm on a panel
moderated by director Joe Dante and all of the verified that Pal’s films
reflected the man’s own sunny disposition.
Tamblyn, who stole the evening with some exuberant storytelling of his
own, recounted how, as a young man of 21, just off an Oscar nominated role in
“Peyton Place†he was cast in “Tom Thumb.†Reading the original tale, he was
surprised at how dark it was, especially with its ending of Thumb’s death. But
when Tamblyn received the script, it was a typically sunny George Pal production
- no darkness, no death, just a wonderful fantasy that is filled with Tamblyn’s
wonderfully exuberant performance. “You know,†Tamblyn shamelessly deadpanned,
“Tom Thumb was a Democrat....he was always looking out for the little guy.†Cue
rim shot.
The event screened two of Pal’s “Puppetoons†which hold of remarkably
well, even in this age of CGI, and then, “War of the Worlds,†which despite some
wooden direction by Byron Haskin, (Pal initially only produced but then assumed
the directing duties for his later film) is still one of the landmarks films of
great sci-fi movies of the 1950s. If the movie’s dialogue and acting seem
stilted and stiff, they are compensated by some unforgettable imagery and some
moments of suspense that not even Spielberg could surpass in his grim remake.
Along with the great Ray Harryhausen, George Pal’s name on a movie poster, was
an entry into a wonderful world of fantasy and make-believe that has the power
to inspire awe in even the most jaded of adults half a century
later.
So, here’s to you, George Pal, and thank you for all the wonderful
childhood memories. You are not forgotten.
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