"Around the World in Eighty Days" (1956)

I can't speak to the adaptation part--partly because I haven't finished reading the book, partly because the part I have read has been so long ago, I remember very little of it. 4 1/2 hour movie--partly due to adapting a novel, partly because they took the opportunity to have mini-travelogues--scenery, music, and culture snapshots of their travels and encounters. The movie seems well-done to me. Cinematography--seems the movie--especially the opening shots were meant for curved projection screen. I didn't notice that so much as the movie went on, but seeing what normally would be straight lines (columns, walls) curve into the center was slightly disconcerting. Tricky camera shots with a bull, and few "hmm, interesting place to mount a camera" shots, and beautiful scenery, of course. Music--Very overture-ish all the way through--when it wasn't doing "local color". Don't get me wrong, it was well-done--it was just very present. The credits: What a fun way to do credits! That was nice. I also hadn't realized there were so many cameo appearances--mostly because I didn't know most of the celebrities. I caught a couple--Victor McLaglen (though, I had to look up his name--"guy from 'The Informer'"), Frank Sinatra--but there were a bunch. A person in the know could play a regular "I spy" with this film--they'd have lots of fun surprises. Color film--and fun to watch in color at that.