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5.7/10
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In 1862, the British commission inventor Fergusson to claim uncharted land in West Africa for Britain by flying his giant hot air balloon there.In 1862, the British commission inventor Fergusson to claim uncharted land in West Africa for Britain by flying his giant hot air balloon there.In 1862, the British commission inventor Fergusson to claim uncharted land in West Africa for Britain by flying his giant hot air balloon there.
BarBara Luna
- Makia
- (as Barbara Luna)
Joe Abdullah
- Slave Trader
- (uncredited)
Sheila Allen
- Courtier
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBilly Gilbert's final film.
- GoofsAlthough the teapot was clearly not in Sir Henry's possession when the Arabs captured them at the oasis, by the time they ended up in the prison it mysteriously appeared wrapped up in his jacket.
- Quotes
Sheik Ageiba: [to Fergusson] In Timbuktu it is much safer to be a villain than an infidel.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Great Canadian Supercut (2017)
- SoundtracksFive Weeks In A Balloon
Written by Urban Thielmann (uncredited) and Jodi Desmond
Sung by The Brothers Four
Featured review
various factors even it out
No doubt we'll probably cringe a little at the portrayals of non-white people in "Five Weeks in a Balloon": the Arabs are slave traders and the Africans dance around in loin cloths and carry spears. Of course, Jules Verne wrote the novel, so we can't totally blame the movie for the portrayals. So if we can get past these depictions, it's a perfectly entertaining experience. The movie portrays English scientist Cedric Hardwicke inventing a balloon-powered dirigible and having to fly to West Africa to stop slave traders (as if the British weren't doing creepy things in their own colonies?). He brings along military man Richard Haydn, young Canadian guy Fabian, and accident-prone American reporter Red Buttons. Through numerous stops, they pick up freed slave Barbara Luna, slave trader Peter Lorre, American teacher Barbara Eden, and chimpanzee Chester.
The characters come across as a real mixture. Most of the cast members do a good job, but Fabian seems out of place, Red Buttons's role just seems silly, and Barbara Luna has little more than her looks (I've never read the novel, so I can't comment on possible changes). In almost any other movie, this combo would drag the whole thing down significantly, but not here; if anything, it makes the picture more entertaining. Even if there's a lot of continuity errors and such things, it's impossible not to have fun while watching "FWIAB". Also starring Herbert Marshall, Billy Gilbert, Henry Daniell and Mike Mazurki (Gilbert and Daniell previously co-starred in "The Great Dictator").
One more thing. Among the DVD's special features is footage from the movie's debut in Denver. One of the best things about this footage is that we get to see Barbara Eden in a shell dress! Such a sight, in my opinion, means that there is a God! Aside from her Jeannie outfit, a shell dress is the only thing that I can imagine Barbara Eden wearing. If these sorts of thoughts make me a pervert, then I'm proud to be one.
The characters come across as a real mixture. Most of the cast members do a good job, but Fabian seems out of place, Red Buttons's role just seems silly, and Barbara Luna has little more than her looks (I've never read the novel, so I can't comment on possible changes). In almost any other movie, this combo would drag the whole thing down significantly, but not here; if anything, it makes the picture more entertaining. Even if there's a lot of continuity errors and such things, it's impossible not to have fun while watching "FWIAB". Also starring Herbert Marshall, Billy Gilbert, Henry Daniell and Mike Mazurki (Gilbert and Daniell previously co-starred in "The Great Dictator").
One more thing. Among the DVD's special features is footage from the movie's debut in Denver. One of the best things about this footage is that we get to see Barbara Eden in a shell dress! Such a sight, in my opinion, means that there is a God! Aside from her Jeannie outfit, a shell dress is the only thing that I can imagine Barbara Eden wearing. If these sorts of thoughts make me a pervert, then I'm proud to be one.
helpful•152
- lee_eisenberg
- Feb 9, 2007
- How long is Five Weeks in a Balloon?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Fünf Wochen im Ballon
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $2,340,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 41 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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![Peter Lorre, Red Buttons, Barbara Eden, Fabian, Cedric Hardwicke, Richard Haydn, BarBara Luna, and Chester the Chimp in Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYmQxYWVkZWEtYmJlYy00NTU1LTkyYTItOWE5ZjdiMmQzNWQyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTkxMzEwMzU@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpg)
Top Gap
By what name was Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962) officially released in India in English?
Answer