The 1960s Narnia Movie You (Probably) Haven’t Seen
A movie version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe that’s half a century old?
Long before the BBC serials and the Walden Media trilogy, an adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s classic story aired on British television. Broadcast by ITV in the summer of 1967, the serial ran in ten installments of twenty minute episodes. All of the animals of Narnia, including Aslan, were portrayed by actors in costume.
Out of the ten episodes, only the first and eighth episodes are believed to exist today, and two clips from the eighth episode have surfaced on YouTube. Check them out below:
What are your thoughts on this glimpse of the first Narnia movie adaptation? How does it compare to later versions? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Thanks to The Lamp-post Listener for this find! Check out their podcast here.
So unfortunate that most of this has been lost. Long before home video emerged, preserving productions like these often seemed pointless. 🙁
Interestingly, in this version the animal costumes and simple sets don’t bother me much. Unlike the BBC versions where I found the cheesy costumes distracting. Maybe the black-and-white actually helps.
No question about one thing: This Aslan is superior to the BBC Aslan. And probably the Walden Aslan too. He has a much stronger presence, which makes his moments of vulnerability even more heartbreaking. A being that seems so intimidating and all-powerful… but needs to feel the girls’ hands to be reassured they are close by. I felt the power of that, watching this.
But obviously I can’t say for sure how I would feel if I saw the entire production. These are just fragments.
I'm glad some of at least some of this still exists and that it hasn't been completely lost to time. I think the fact that this even existed all is more interesting to me then the footage itself.
Also I can't help but wonder if the costumes in this is what Lewis was imagining when he said he didn't want Narnia adapted to film.
Based on what he said, I imagine this would have horrified Lewis.
I enjoyed this more than I would have expected!
I like the look of Jadis; it feels very Pauline Baynes-inspired. The woman playing her does a good job driving home her fierceness and especially her incredible pride. I've always found the latter to be rather lacking in Tilda Swinton's interpretation.
I also liked Aslan's portrayal pretty well… some of the lines are a little awkward ("THERE IS NO NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS PAST!" lol) but I like the energy and power in his voice. There's a rawness there that gets lost in the lyrical beauty of Liam Neeson's voice, I think.
I also appreciated the inclusion of the narrator… something that's been lost in other adaptations is that narrative voice that adds so much to the reading experience.
WOW. That is so weird, I never even heard of this! You're right though, Glumpuddle, the costumes aren't all that distracting. Too bad the battle scene is lost- though come to think of it that might have been corny.
I thought it was interesting that Lucy seems to wonder if Aslan has hurt Edmund. A good way to show that Aslan is scary while still being good. (That's easier to indicate in a book, where you can write that someone is intimidating without having them actually do anything frightening, than it is in a visual medium.)
Other than that I can't think of anything particularly good or bad to say about these clips. I wish there were more of them out of curiosity but the ones we have don't make me feel that I would be particularly attached to the whole thing.
Less than 7 days until! MAYBE…
Still hoping, too. Sony recently released like a dozen release dates for upcoming Sony movies – from late 2018 to early 2020. None were The Silver Chair – smaller indi films. I’ve got hopes their will be a release date for Narnia in the next 2 months putting it for release April – August 2020. Hoping their isn’t any movie problems yet.
I agree with Glumpuddle, there is power in the simplicity of THIS Aslan: The Actor in the Lion suit has resonance as Aslan that the CGI Aslan doesn’t – He looks cool, but he doesn’t register emotionally as a character.
(Off topic – I saw a trailer for Mowgli (2018) and CGI Bageera is a mixed bag: mostly real looking, mostly believable as a character, but technology still hasn’t bridged the uncanny valley.)
The Chronicles of Narnia adaptations would have been far more emotionally powerful ( I think ) as a 2-D animated film (I know it was already done), in the same vein as the film “Song of the Sea” or even Ralph Baski’s The Lord of the Rings (maybe not the latter). The kids, Aslan and the Narnian people could be what Lewis intended without the huge budget and the limitations of live-Action.
It's very sad that only part of this film survives. It seems very much like a play. I wish that that they could have used outdoor locations for filming. Although it is a bit stagey, this version is kind of nice and old fashioned.
Just imagine walking into the theater 2019, full of anticipation. Finally, you get to see the Silver Chair on the silver screen! Then you see this. Haha!
What happens in 7 days?
Interesting, I'm pretty sure this is because the first copy of LWW I read had pictures from the movie but I prefer less magically eerie and more physically powerful looking Walden/Disney version of Jadis.
I agree though the movie's inclusion of the narrator (or technically Lewis I suppose) is intriguing to say the least. Him alluding to other stories and making slightly sardonic comments about certain characters as well as our world is one of the things that made Narnia stick out so much in my mind, a bit like Lemony Snicket in A Series of Unfortunate Events.
(side note, did anyone else think, prior to completing the series, that Professor Kirke was the narrator/Lewis?)
While I'd certainly enjoy a good animated version of any Narnia story, the main reason I'm interested in visual adaptations of the books is because I'd like to see the amazing images C.S. Lewis came up with as they'd appear in real life. In an entirely animated movie, fantastic visuals aren't as exciting as they are in live action movies. You expect to see things like that in a hand drawn film. Live action/computer animated movies are the only way, I think, to totally capture the magic of Narnia for me.
There have been a number of comments praising the characterization of Aslan in these clips. I wonder if fans would rank him as the best version if we had the whole series.
I think if I could just [i]listen[/i] to this Aslan, I would be fine. But I find the visual is a little bit off-putting, to say the least. Mind you, I have to admit to a sneaking fondness for the BBC Aslan *ducks tomatoes*
Though imagine how well the puffs of smoke would go over today! It was the sixties, no doubt about it.
Ran across this not too long ago, in a slightly random way. The actress who plays Susan, Zuleika Robson, played Jane Andrews in the TV mini series of Anne of Green Gables('72) and Anne of Avonlea('75). So I was looking her up, and found out about these episodes.
It seems there's a bit of an anachronism on the IMDB page for the '67 LWW–George Claydon is listed as playing "Ginaarbrik." Isn't that Walden's made-up name for the dwarf, not Lewis's? Unless I'm missing something….
We might get information on the Silver Chair movie, maybe a Preparation date, Joe Johnston said that they might start This month or something like that.
I’m still gonna keep Praying for it to happen soon.
In the movies Aslan is put more in the background– especially in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The BBC production gave him a stronger role– even though a puppet was used with two people inside. It was quite good, considering what was available at that time. That was all that could be done with the budget and the technology that was available. Whether or not people like that portrayal is rather subjective, but I think that at least there was more of an attempt to make him more like he was in the book. It wasn't just saying the lines, either. He was in the foreground where he belonged, and he had a commanding presence. I think in the BBC version they were more sincere about having him portrayed in that manner than in the movies. I don't hate the movies, but I think they could have done much better with Aslan. In this 1967 version he seems to be more stern, although I can't judge Aslan's entire performance because the entire series hasn't survived. I got used to Aslan's voice in the Focus on the Family radio version, although I actually like the BBC's lion's voice better (it's more pleasant to listen to). But that's mostly a matter of preference and taste.
It's really interesting to go back and see the very 1st adaptations. It comes with everything you'd expect in a 1960's movie, Cheesy costumes, cheep sets, and hammy acting. I guess some enjoy that more than others. Unlike Glumpuddle, I'm really not to big a fan of how Aslan is portrayed here, he seems a little too mean spirited.
Could you explain more about what you liked about BBC Aslan's voice, Larry W? I remember it being kind of boring and lacking in emotion. Maybe they were going for kind of a laidback zen master Aslan. LOL. I couldn't understand why the kids were afraid of him in that version. So I don't really get why you felt that his presence was commanding.
I like this voice for Aslan. (Except for a few weird lines like Rose Tree Dryad mentioned.) As far as overall sound goes, my favorite Aslan voice is the Radio Theatre one, though I understand why some people find it laughably hammy.
That was sloppy of them. Especially since it takes fewer keystrokes to type "dwarf" than it does "Ginaarbrik." LOL.
Col. Klink, I thought the voice showed the gentle side of Aslan and was rather fatherly. It worked pretty well with the puppet and I did not find it boring. It was a gentle lion for the most part, which may not have been all bad. He was more stern in rebuking Trumpkin, and at least they got that scene right. As for puppets, I like them even though some people think they are old fashioned. I love their unique artistic qualites. If people look down on puppets I think that's probably being a bit snobbish. They have been an legitimate art form for children since the Middle Ages or earlier. And yes, Aslan was commanding in giving instructions in how to fight the battles and gentle in forgiving Edmund. I don't prefer him being overly loud except perhaps in his roar (the BBC version did this right). The voice of the lion in the movies sounded okay, but all too often it receded in the background like the character of the lion in how it was portrayed. As much as I like the Focus on the Family Narnia, I think that Aslan was a bit too loud and overdone. Maybe it's just my taste. I'm sure our tastes and preferences are different.
I think it's more important for a cinematic production of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" to emphasize the scary aspects of Aslan than the gentle aspects. That's because it's harder to show that a character is scary without having them do anything scary. While it would certainly be terrifying to be confronted with a lion in real life, in a movie you kind of know he's not going to eat anyone.
I'm not sure why you keep going on about puppets. I never said anything about them. Personally, I think a puppet makes more artistic sense than a costume like this 1967 adaptation. I feel like you're reacting to a strawman rather than to me.
Less than 6 days!(Wouldn't it be cool if it happened on the last day?)
Aslan is a really intriguing character in the book. He's not safe, but he's good. It's those two things together that make him Aslan to me.
I think the wise-old-grandfather-mentor approach is the completely wrong way to go with Aslan. They should emphasize that he's not a tame lion; he should have a sense if wildness. Both the BBC and Walden versions felt very tame and not memorable at all.
Col. Klink, I mentioned puppets because the BBC's Aslan was a puppet. It was just a couple of sentences, but perhaps I went on for too long, and I am sorry about that. I know you didn't mention anything about puppets, but I did because it had to do with Aslan's appearance. I think gentleness and harshness are equally important in the lion's character. Remember how Aslan wept about Digory's mother and her near death illness? It was a different book, but it was the same lion. I hope they keep that part in if Magician's Nephew becomes a film. And I believe that Aslan's gentle forgiving of Edmund is just as important as his not being a tame lion and being harsh sometimes.
Hmmm interesting. I see that some of the music is similar to the later BBC adaptations. I really liked the four kids and the White Witch. I liked Aslan’s presence but it was a little hard to take him seriously. If they could put this guy’s voice in Walden’s lion I’d be satisfied. Or BBC’s for that matter cause I thought the puppet looked great and all the work they put into it is amazing.
The biggest problem with BBC Aslan was that Ronald Pickup ( I think that’s his name) sounded too drowsy and board half the time
*Bored
Less than 5 days until! The month's not over yet…
Since the whole film apparently no longer exists I wouldn't be too critical of it if I haven't seen all of it. The costumes don't seem much different than what would be used in a children's play. I think that having that kind of wardrobe is alright even if it isn't great. If the production isn't professional one has to remember that the children may have not been experienced actors. Aslan seemed more stern than in most portrayals (I'm not sure if he was mean-sprited), but his stern acting may have been how the creators of the film interpreted him.
Its eerie how much the witch's voice sounds like the one in the radio theater production.
Less than 4 days until!… I wonder what Joe Johnston is doing today…
Possibly checking your countdown every day, hoping for news just like us!
(It's possible that at this point, he's just waiting for the suits to work things out)
It’s pure aggravation that Jumanji 3 (second sequel to Joe Johnston’s film) has had a 2019 release date for months now while Narnia 4 isn’t even confirmed to be in development yet. Please, Sony, get yer act together!
MAYBE less than 3 days!(You can tell I'm just doing this to finish what I started.)
I still say the White Witch in the Cartoon version is the best one. She looks exactly how she’s described in the book and she is scary. Her screech really hurts my ears. The only thing I don’t like about her is that she has no hair, and just has a purple thing on the back of her head, she looks so similar to Queen Grimhilde from ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’
MAYBE less than 2 days! Hang in there! The news could come tomorrow! Stranger things have happened!
Stranger things were rumored… https://www.narniaweb.com/2017/11/rumor-millie-bobby-brown-offered-role-of-jill-pole-in-the-silver-chair/
😉
It's basically August, Joe!
Yeah I thought of that too, Tee hee.
MAYBE TODAY… HOLD YOUR BREATH EVERYONE…stay tuned for more later..
I really appreciate what you’re doing Cleander. It keeps excitement for a movie adaptation alive – especially during a time when Hollywood films are just being shoved to Netflix because the studios fear a flop (Mowgli movie). Keep up the good work in August! ✌️
You're welcome! Thanks for your support, JGII! Actually I was planning to maybe do a weekly countdown (Counting down to the end of August) and invite anybody who wants to get in on the fun by posting daily countdown comments in between my weekly ones! Consider yourself invited! No pressure of course, just whenever you want.
Well,well,well, it looks as if Cleander's Countdown has come and gone- without any news on the Silver Chair or its development. Crushing, right? Don't be sad. This silence actually gives us a few possible conclusions as to what's happening with the Silver Chair:
1. Joe Johnston has summer vacation like everyone else.
2.Work is being done on the film, but no official announcement has yet been made.
3.The business aspects are STILL being discussed (funding, contracts, permits, catering, stuff like that).
4.Nothing is happening right now. As in like NOTHING.
I don't know 'bout ya'll, but I think the most likely explanation is probably between 2 and 3. Anyway, the wait is NOT OVER. Neither is the countdown. We'll give the filmmakers another month to get started- only this time, I will be doing it once a week. In between those comments, anybody who wants to can do a daily comment (counting down to the last day of August). So if you don't see a daily comment posted when you visit this page, PLEASE post one!
FOR NARNIA!
Cleander
AND FOR ASLAN!
Less than 31 days till… a possible announcement and release date?
;D
Also, isn't the word "cheesy" overused today? People often refer to something that was made with a small budget as being "cheesy" without realizing that few resources were available at that time. It doesn't mean very much to be overly critical by using that word.
Either no news means that they are keeping plans quiet or that there really is no progress.
It felt like there was more news back when we were waiting for PC and Voyage, but those were done by larger companies that could get pre-production finished faster. If they are really planning on starting soon, I would guess that casting calls and other things like that should've "leaked" to the internet.
I hope they haven't forgotten about the movie because I think the overall storyline is one of the more straightforward storylines in the Chronicles and could be adapted to film easier.
Also, thanks to Narniaweb for posting the old clips of the 1960s Narnia production. I don't think I had heard of that production before. I like how Edmund is inching away from the White Witch when she comes into the camp and the actor in a lion suit reminds me of the Aslan in a local LWW stage play.
It's interesting to me that some people have praised (or at least defended) this movie by saying it's like a school play. One of the main things that I think is cool about the Narnia books is the way they make things like talking animals feel like how they would be in the real world. Since a play is going to have to be "non-realistic" looking, I'm not really interested in theatrical adaptations of the books. (At least not of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.")
I don't mean to discourage anyone wants to do a play version of any of the books though. If you enjoy them or like the idea, go for it!
less than 30 days (hopefully) until…
Less than 29 Days until..a release date?
(Anyone know what acting age they would want for Jill and Eustace? [For age, I recently saw the movie “Eighth Grade” and there’s a scene at the end of the film between two friends that reminded me of the ending of The Silver Chair (These movies couldn’t be more different). The main character is a wonderful yet insecure (and normal) 13-year-old girl (like Jill) who’s talking with her 13-year-old friend, who’s funny and kind but also nerdy, blunt and awkward (like Eustace). I wouldn’t be unhappy if Eustace and Jill were 13, but I hope the filmmakers cast kids between 9 and 12.
Less than 28 Days until… a Zombie Apocalypse.
I wonder who Douglas Gresham has in mind for the role of Jill.
Screenwriter David Magee has said on Twitter that Jill and Eustace are meant to be 12 in the film. So unless that's changed, I'd imagine they'll cast actors in the 11-14 age range.
I wish people would stop posting these mindless countdown comments. I keep seeing that there are more of them and hoping to read a really interesting comment about Narnia. But all I get are these countdowns to something that sadly looks like it won't happen anytime soon.
The don’t post
You don’t have to post if you don’t want to.
I think you meant to write "do not read if you don't want to." I never said anything about being forced to post. 🙂
And actually I like to read comments. A lot of the comments on Narniaweb I find interesting. None of them happen to be countdown comments though.
YEAH.(I'm watching.)Thanks, JFGII!