The Island at the Top of the World

FYI...I flew the camera ship for the Polar Bear and Narwhal scenes. The camera man was Bill Bacon from Squim, Washington. According to my log book, I met Bill in Resolute Bay, NWT on about July 24, 1973. On July 26, 1973 we flew 2+00 hours to Arctic Bay, NWT for staging and fuel. I logged 6+30 hours flying on July 27th, this was en-route from Arctic Bay,NWT to Admirality Inlet for the filming and returning to Resolute Bay. The Aircraft was a Bell 206B (CF-OKU) belonging to Okanagan Helicopters Ltd. A Canadian company out of Vancouver, BC, Canada with a base in Resolute. The Narwhal scenes were filmed with a 35 MM camera, but if I remember correctly Bill shot the Polar bear as an after thought and was filmed with a 16 MM camera.

Walter Lasher Everett, Washington W98208@Juno.com

This was the first film that I saw in the theater as a kid, and I have never forgotten it. David Hartman instantly became my favorite actor, and I was hooked on movies forever! This is the kind of movie that fills our dreams and satisfies the wanderlusterer in all of us. The high adventure, and colorful cinematography in this movie is what makes a great film. I've purchased the movie recently and am able to relive the wonder of Arctic travel once more. Its truly a trip back to my childhood when all things were simpler and adventure waited around every turn.

In 1907, a wealthy Englishman recruits an American archaeologist and a French dirigible pilot to help him find a mysterious island in the Arctic where he believes he will find his missing son. When they locate the island, they find its inhabited by a lost Viking civilization that aren't too happy to see the outsiders.

Enjoyable Disney adventure film that's a throwback of sorts to similar films of the 1950s and early 1960s. It immediately brings to mind movies based on the works of Jules Verne, although it's actually an adaptation of the Ian Cameron novel "The Lost Ones." Handling the screenplay is John Whedon, a writer who worked mostly in sitcom television and also happens to be the grandfather of Joss Whedon. Directing the film is Disney favorite Robert Stevenson. It's a good-looking picture with nice sets and matte paintings. The scenes with the dirigible model are pretty good. There are no Harryhausen monsters to speak of, sadly, but there is a groan-tastic scene involving killer whales. The cast is decent, with most of the actors playing stereotype stock characters. Mako's turn as a cowardly Eskimo is probably the most colorful performance in the film. Maurice Jarre's evocative score is a big plus. The journey to discover the island is the best part. Once they arrive and deal with the Vikings, it becomes a lot less interesting, although things do pick back up during the escape. It's not going to give 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or Mysterious Island a run for their money, but it's very entertaining in its own way. Give it a shot if you're a fan of old-school adventure films, Disney or not, and you'll likely find something to enjoy here.

This film has lots of flaws. It has inferior Disney production values to be sure. An inferior cast. But for me it is still magic as I remember seeing it as a small boy in a theater when it came out. I remember the big zepplin careening through a dusty red night on its way to the Artic. I can still picture the whales in my mind and for some reason thought the movie was about finding the place where whales go to die. That is part of it, but it really tells the story of an English aristocrat employing the aid of a French airship captain and an American scientist to go to the Artic to find his lost son. There is a large part of the film devoted to the viking civilization on the Island at the Top of theWorld. Funny, but I didn't seem to remember any of that. After seeing the film again almost thirty years later, I can see why. It is ludicrous. But the rest of the film still holds up for me. The production values, special effects, and acting are not what you would normally expect from Disney. This must have been one of their rush productions. Come on, David Hartman as a hero. I have seen baloney sandwhiches with more charisma! Nonetheless, he is adequate, and Donald Sinden is okay too. the real acting standout is Jacques Marin as the airship captain. He has a lot of fun with his role. The musical score by Maurice Jarre is breathtaking.

As with several other reviewers, I also have fond memories of the theatrical release of this film from my youth, and this fantastic Jules Vernesque tale of a airship journey into the unknown arctic still holds up pretty well after all this time. There is some decent acting, a great score, a zeppelin,vikings in real viking longboats, real Scandinavian dialog, exploding volcanoes and vicious killer whales, what more do you want?

Some things are dated, such as the Eskimo vs. Inuit thing, the portrayal of Orca as man-eaters, etc. and the special effects have seen better days..but there are some surprisingly good sets with amazing matte paintings that are as good as anything you see on modern films (note the amazing viking hall on a hill top), great aerial footage, and a pretty decent story with good pace.

Break out the popcorn and enjoy it with your kids.