by Elizabeth Kelly

Created on: April 16, 2008   Last Updated: January 26, 2009

In the 1950s, the world entered the atomic age. Not only was nuclear power a reality, but a newly created U.S. space agency started selecting pilots for a space program. Fantasy movies involving magic and make-believe took second place to an onslaught of science fiction movies. The few fantasy movies that even existed in the 50s deserve to be called classics because they took huge risks, choosing to avoid the scientific elements of the more popular sci-fi flicks, and instead creating fantastic alternate worlds.

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

If you saw this movie for the first time only recently, you may have a difficult time understanding its importance. To really appreciate the sword-and-sandal epic, you just might have to have been a young person at the time of its creation. Kids who saw it in its early days universally proclaim it as "incredible". That's because the special effects, created by Ray Harryhausen, were like nothing anyone had ever seen before. Fantasy special effects before Harryhausen often involved a guy in a rubber mask and suit or a cardboard background with plastic miniatures in front of it. If it seems hokey to you now, try putting yourself in the mindset of a child from the 1950s.

Harryhausen used stop-motion techniques to create sequences that were previously impossible outside of cartoons. The Sinbad movie, which bears only a little resemblance to the Sinbad the Sailor tales, has the lead character battling fabulous monsters as he travels to save his fiancee from an evil wizard. Along the way, he fights a two-headed giant bird (a Roc) a dragon, a cyclops and a skeleton warrior. Harryhausen used a real flamethrower to create flames for the dragon's firebreathing scene. His painstakingly created effects look dated to modern audiences, but because of his dedication in the 50s, Harryhausen created a whole generation of fantasy fans from scratch.

Hercules and Hercules Unchained (1958/1959)

Hercules is one of the oldest heroes; his exploits dating back to ancient times. We owe his revival as a fantasy movie character to the two Italian films of the late 50s starring muscleman Steve Reeves. The movies were schlocky, but true to Greek mythology, and soon were released in the U.S. Overdubbed into English and low on special effects, you might question why this film deserves classic status. Well, in this case it's all about legacy. A whole genre was spawned as a result of these films.

We owe several generations of sword and sandal epics to the original

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