Posted By Dan Greenfield on Jun 29, 2025 | 4 comments

A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE to the late special-effects magician, who was born 105 years ago…

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UPDATED 6/29/25: The late, great Ray Harryhausen was born 105 years ago! Perfect time to reprint this piece from his birthday in 2o23. Right on! — Dan

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By PETER BOSCH

The adventure films of Ray Harryhausen (June 29, 1920-May 7, 2013) involving Sinbad, Jason and others rescuing beautiful princesses were the wild fantasies of every young boy playing with a toy sword.

Here are 13 FABULOUS MOMENTS CREATED BY THE FILMMAKING WIZARD:

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The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). Attack on New York.

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The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958): The Cyclops.

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The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958): The Snake Woman.

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The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958): The Skeleton Fight.

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Mysterious Island (1961): The Beehive. 

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Jason and the Argonauts (1963): Talos. 

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Jason and the Argonauts (1963): The Skeletons.

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Jason and the Argonauts (1963): The Harpies.

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One Million Years B.C. (1966). The Pterodactyl. 

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The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974): Kali. 

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Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977): Smilodon vs. Troglodyte.

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Clash of the Titans (1981): Medusa.

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Clash of the Titans (1981): Release the Kraken!

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MORE

— The Kitschy Greatness of THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD. Click here.

— CAROLINE MUNRO: The Greatest TALIA That Never Was. Click here.

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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, has just been published by TwoMorrows. He has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. Peter lives in Hollywood.