When it hit the big screen in 1956, producer Mike Todd'sextravaganza "Around the World in 80 Days" marked the beginning of aHollywood genre: the overblown sweeping story with a heavy emphasison "cameo" appearances by big-name stars.
It was followed by the likes of "How the West Was Won," "It's aMad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," "Those Magnificient Men in Their FlyingMachines" and others that shared one common ingredient: constantemployment for the gap-toothed British actor Terry-Thomas.
If television has learned anything from its big screen brethren,it is the dubious art of excess. The original "Around the World in80 Days" (which won the Academy Award for best picture) ran two hoursand 13 minutes. The NBC mini-series version will air from 8 to 10p.m. Sunday through Tuesday over WMAQ-Channel 5. Pierce Brosnanplays the David Niven role of Phileas Fogg, who wagers his life'sfortune that he can circumnavigate the globe in just under threemonths - a darn sight less time than it feels like sitting in frontof the tube.
Joining Brosnan are Eric Idle in the Cantinflas role of theable, loyal servant Passepartout; Peter Ustinov in the Robert Newtonrole of Detective Fix, who chases the globe-trotters around theworld, and Julia Nickson in the Shirley MacLaine role as Fogg's loveinterest, the beautiful Princess Aouda.
This lavish production is based on Jules Verne's whimsical 19thcentury odyssey by the persnickety, precise, punctual Fogg, whocasually bets 30,000 pounds with friends at his private club that hecan circle the globe in 1,920 hours, or 80 days. It was 20,000pounds in the original film. The increase is due to inflation, Iguess.
Accompanied by the ever-harassed Passepartout, Fogg sets outacross the English Channel on his quest. Along the way, he confrontsthe rebels of the French Revolution, angry Hindus, shipwrecks andJesse James. And, of course, he uses an odd assortment of vehiclesto transport him, ranging from hot air balloons, to elephants, torickety steamships, to a bizarre trucklike thing he uses to cross theWild West. At the same time, the bumbling, fumbling Detective Fix,who wrongly believes Fogg is the mastermind of a robbery at the Bankof England, pursues his quarry around the world.
The production of this mini-series was as complex as Fogg'sfictional journey. Shooting took place in five countries, with 765scenes, 151 speaking parts and 4,300 extras. (The original film usedmore than 70,000 extras.) More than 400,000 feet of film captures the25,000 miles the cast and crew traveled.
As a travelogue, all of that is very impressive. Unfortunately,as entertainment, "Around the World in 80 Days" is about as thrillingas a trip to Cleveland. Despite its best picture Oscar, the original"Around the World in 80 Days" was more a tribute to pure showmanshipthan storytelling. Its tenuous appeal held up only on the basis onthe ever-charming and debonair David Niven, a wonderful, frequentlyunderrated actor, who brought a zest and sense of fun to the film.
That sense of joy is lost in the television version. Brosnan,an able, solid actor, simply fails to create the wistfulness requiredto sustain this mini-series. And while Ustinov is always afascinating actor to watch, not even his beleaguered Detective Fix isa strong enough character to support this laborious production.
It takes more than interesting visual images to hold up amini-series. The original film was co-written by S. J. Perlman, oneof America's greatest humorists. The mini-series was written by JohnGay, a fine screenwriter whose talents are most closely associatedwith more serious works such as "Fatal Vision," "The Bunker,""Separate Tables" and "Run Silent, Run Deep" - not exactlyrib-tickling laugh riots.
Also, the original "Around the World in 80 Days" featured 44cameo appearances by some of Hollywood's biggest names, includingCharles Boyer, Ronald Colman, Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich, JohnGielgud, Trevor Howard, Beatrice Lillie, Peter Lorre, George Raft,Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton and Ava Gardner. By comparison, the listof cameos in the mini-series is a distant cousin to the original:Henry Gibson, John Hillerman, Jack Klugman, Christopher Lee, RoddyMcDowall, Darren McGavin, Pernell Roberts, James B. Sikking and SimonWard. The bigger names include Robert Wagner, Jill St. John, RobertMorley and Lee Remick in a throwaway bit as Sarah Bernhardt.
In 1956, Todd produced a sweeping, entertaining film featuringsome of the greatest stars of the day in two hours and 13 minutes.NBC, in taking on the same task with a lesser cast and weaker script,has managed to extend the story over three nights. Something isterribly wrong here.
If you can, rent the original movie. You will have more fun andsave more time. For the ship already sailed for "Around the World in80 Days" 33 years ago.
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