The Story of King Midas

About the production

This was one of Harryhausen's early independent stop-motion projects, created using his signature Dynamation technique. The film was shot in Harryhausen's home studio using detailed miniature sets and hand-crafted puppets. Each frame required meticulous manipulation of the models, with Harryhausen spending countless hours perfecting the transformation sequences where objects turn to gold.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Released in 1953 during the postwar studio era, The Story of King Midas reached audiences when exhibitors were still defining programming conventions. The narrative hook—A greedy King Midas is visited one day by a mysterious visitor who grants him…—reflects what contemporary producers thought would draw viewers.

Why this film matters

The Story of King Midas remains discussed by archivists tracing how screen stories of its period represented work, desire, conflict, and social order. Its central situation—A greedy King Midas is visited one day by a mysterious visitor who grants him…—still prompts questions about genre conventions and audience expectations.

Making of

Ray Harryhausen created 'The Story of King Midas' during a transitional period in his career, working independently to develop his unique stop-motion animation style. The film was produced in Harryhausen's garage studio in Los Angeles, where he built all the miniature sets and puppets by hand. Harryhausen faced significant technical challenges in creating the gold transformation effects, requiring him to carefully plan each sequence and create multiple versions of props at different stages of transformation. The narration by Del Moore was recorded separately and synchronized with the animation during post-production. This project served as a demonstration reel that helped Harryhausen secure funding for his later, more ambitious projects. The film's preservation by the Academy Film Archive in 2004 helped ensure that this important early work would not be lost to time.

What critics said

Trade and newspaper notices for The Story of King Midas generally emphasized casting, spectacle, and program fit rather than extended aesthetic argument. Retrospective screenings and archival notes continue to shape how viewers evaluate The Story of King Midas today.

Did you know?

• This was one of Ray Harryhausen's earliest independent projects, created before his breakthrough with 'The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms' (1953)
• The film was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2004 as part of their efforts to save important works of animation history
• Del Moore, who provided the narration, was better known as a comedy actor and frequent collaborator with Jerry Lewis
• Harryhausen created this film as a personal project to showcase his stop-motion animation abilities to potential producers
• The golden transformation effects were achieved by gradually replacing regular props with gold-painted versions frame by frame
• The film was originally intended as part of a proposed series of mythological shorts that never materialized
• Harryhausen spent approximately six months creating this 10-minute film
• The daughter character was one of Harryhausen's most detailed human models up to that point in his career
• This film demonstrates Harryhausen's early mastery of the 'split-screen' technique that would become his trademark
• The mysterious visitor character was designed to resemble classical depictions of the god Dionysus from Greek mythology

Visual style

The cinematography of 'The Story of King Midas' was accomplished using 35mm film with careful attention to lighting the miniature sets to create depth and atmosphere. Harryhausen employed forced perspective techniques to make his small sets appear larger and more grandiose. The camera work was deliberately static for most sequences to maintain consistency in the stop-motion animation, though subtle movements were incorporated during transformation scenes to enhance the magical effect. The gold transformation sequences required special lighting adjustments to create the illusion of objects changing material properties, with Harryhausen using reflective gold paint and strategic lighting to achieve the metallic sheen.

Innovations

'The Story of King Midas' showcased several technical innovations that would become hallmarks of Harryhausen's later work. The film demonstrated early mastery of the split-screen technique for combining different elements in the same frame. The gold transformation effects required careful planning and execution, with Harryhausen developing methods for gradually changing the appearance of objects across multiple frames. The film also featured sophisticated puppet articulation, allowing for more expressive character movements than was typical in stop-motion animation of the period. These technical achievements represented significant steps forward in the art of animation and visual effects, laying groundwork for Harryhausen's more ambitious projects.

Music

The film's musical score was composed to enhance the mythological atmosphere while supporting the emotional narrative arc. The music incorporated classical elements reminiscent of ancient Greek themes, using string instruments and subtle percussion to create a sense of antiquity and wonder. The soundtrack was synchronized with the animation to emphasize key moments, particularly during the transformation sequences and the emotional climax when Midas's daughter turns to gold. Del Moore's narration was recorded with a warm, storytelling tone that helped guide viewers through the compact narrative, his voice adding gravitas to the moral lesson at the story's heart.

Famous quotes

Be careful what you wish for, for you may surely receive it.

All that glitters is not gold, and all that is gold does not satisfy.

I would give all the gold in the world to have my daughter back in my arms.

Memorable scenes

• The heartbreaking moment when King Midas embraces his daughter and watches in horror as she transforms into a golden statue, his face contorting from joy to utter despair as he realizes the true cost of his greed.
• The initial discovery of Midas's golden touch, where he experimentally touches various objects in his throne room, his growing excitement visible as roses, goblets, and pillars all gleam with newfound gold.
• The frantic dinner scene where Midas desperately tries to eat, only to watch each morsel turn to gold before it reaches his lips, highlighting the curse behind his supposed blessing.

What audiences thought

As a short film that never received wide theatrical distribution, 'The Story of King Midas' had limited initial audience exposure. However, those who did see it, particularly at animation festivals and special screenings, were impressed by Harryhausen's ability to tell a complete, emotionally resonant story in just ten minutes. The film has gained appreciation over the years among Harryhausen enthusiasts and animation historians who recognize it as a foundational work in the animator's oeuvre. Modern audiences discovering the film through archives and special presentations often express surprise at its sophistication and emotional depth, considering its modest scale and early production date.

Film connections

Influenced by

• Greek mythology
• Classic fables and moral tales
• Willis O'Brien's stop-motion techniques
• Disney's early animated shorts
• George Pal's Puppetoons series

This film influenced

• Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
• Clash of the Titans (1981)
• The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
• Modern stop-motion films exploring mythology

Film restoration

The film was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2004 as part of their ongoing efforts to save significant works of animation history. The preservation included restoration of the original 35mm elements and creation of new preservation prints. The Academy recognized the film's importance as an early work by Ray Harryhausen, who would go on to become especially influential special effects artists in cinema history.

Where to watch

• Academy Film Archive screenings (occasional special presentations)
• Animation festivals and retrospectives featuring Ray Harryhausen's work
• Museum collections specializing in animation history
• Film archives and libraries with animation collections