Popular Adaptations of the Classic Novel

Jules Verne’s classic novel Around the World in 80 Days is as popular today as it was when it was first
published in 1873 — a tribute to his imagination and inventiveness.

The novel has been adapted many times for feature films, television and the stage. Verne himself created an elaborate stage depiction at the Port Saint-Martin Theatre, Paris, in 1874. With its huge spectacle, including live elephants, the show played for a remarkable 54 years, finally closing in 1928.

Here are some of the well-known adaptations:

— A star-studded, multi-million dollar movie version was released in 1956. Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Michael Todd's lavish production starred David Niven as globe-trotting Phileas Fogg with Mario "Cantinflas" Moreno and Shirley MacLaine as his companions. Many famous performers including Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Ronald Colman and Buster Keaton played cameo roles. Part of the pleasure in this movie is playing "spot the star".

— 1963 saw the release of The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze. In this parody, the Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe DeRita) are cast as the menservants of Phileas Fogg III, great-grandson of the original around-the-world voyager. When Phileas Fogg III is tricked into replicating his ancestor's feat of circumnavigation, the menservants dutifully accompany their master. Along the way, the boys get into and out of trouble in typical Stooge fashion.

— In 1986, a Walt Disney animated adaptation featured Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy as the main characters.

— In 1989, a three-part TV mini-series starred Pierce Brosnan as Fogg, Eric Idle as Passepartout, Peter Ustinov as Fix and several television stars in cameo roles. The heroes travel a slightly different route than in the original novel, and the script makes several contemporary celebrities part of the story who were not mentioned in the novel.

— Comedian and actor Michael Palin presented a BBC television travel series (Michael Palin’s Around the World in 80 Days) in 1989. Using the same deadline and route as Phileas Fogg, Palin traveled by foot, train, ship, balloon and husky dog. Along the way, he commented on the sights and cultures he
encountered. The program was a critical and commercial success, winning strong ratings in the UK and selling well abroad. It was released on video and later on DVD.

— In 2001, American playwright Mark Brown adapted the novel for the stage. It is this version you will see today in the Shelterhouse Theatre. Awards for Brown’s adaptation include two Lillie Stoates Awards, including Best Production (Orlando- UCF Shakespeare Festival), four Shellie Awards, including Best Production (Center REP Theatre), five Sarasota Magazine Theater Award nominations (Florida Studio Theatre) and two Los Angeles Ovation Award nominations (The Colony Theatre Company). The Sacramento Bee named 80 Days Best Theatrical Comedy of 2004 and The Morning Call named it Best Production of 2005.

— The story was again adapted for the screen in 2004. This adaptation starred martial arts action star Jackie Chan as Passepartout and Steve Coogan as Fogg. The emphasis in this adaptation shifts to Chan’s character Passepartout who after stealing a valuable jade Buddha, seeks refuge with the London inventor Fogg. As in the original, the main storyline is Fogg's bet with members of his club that a man can travel the globe in 80 days or less. This version has Passepartout teaching Fogg to open his mind to the different cultures he encounters en route to winning his bet. Despite boasting of several big stars and containing many celebrity cameos, the film was not a box office success.

Research for this feature was obtained at www.wikipedia.org.