Call it “Rex appeal.” Tributes are being paid to Ray Harryhausen, visual effects creator, writer, and producer, and stop-motion dinosaur legend. He died last night at the age of 92.
His legacy includes special effects classics such as “Clash of the Titans”, “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger”, and of course, “Jason and the Argonauts.” The horizons of the popular movie cultures were so significantly altered by the visual genius of Ray Harryhausen that, in many ways, even today, our imagination and perception are framed by his work.
His influence on the movie industry is so spectacular and far-reaching, that George Lucas stated: “Without Ray Harryhausen, there would likely have been no Star Wars”.
Tony Dalton is the author of “Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life.”