In 1862, inventor Professor Ferguson plans to make aviation history by travelling, with his faithful servant, over Africa in a balloon, planning to map unknown regions to give his inventions a sparkle. However, due to lack of money, he is forced to accept funding from a major publisher, who makes it a condition that his wayward young nephew take part in the expedition. The motley crew doesn't start off on a good note, and things get complicated when other members join the team, including a British soldier, a young girl just freed from a slave trader and... a chimpanzee!
A light-hearted exotic adventure that is a loose adaptation of one of Jules Verne's best works, distinguished by its vivacity, humour and successful action scenes. Allen crafts a graceful story by interweaving several of Verne's novels (“5 Weeks in a Balloon,” “Around the World in 80 Days,” “School for Robinsons”), and grafting it with humor, sentiment and suspense. The latter is achieved with the help of excellent special effects that, despite the film's age, have hardly aged and keep the viewer in suspense even today.
Original title: Five Weeks in a Balloon
IMDb rating: 5.7/10
Directed by Irwin Allen
Starring Fabian, Barbara Eden, Cedric Hardwicke, Peter Lorre, Richard Haydn, Billy Gilbert, BarBara Luna, Reginald Owen
