The 1985 American documentary film The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal follows the life and remarkable career of a great special effects pioneer.

George Pal was born in Hungary and worked in Germany, Czechoslovakia, and France. In December 1939 he emigrated from Europe to the United States and began work for Paramount Pictures. His friend Walter Lantz helped him obtain American citizenship. He was an expert animator, particularly in the field of stop motion, and a great creative talent.

Numerous clips from Pal’s films are shown starting with his early work. His full length films included live action combined with stop motion and other special effects. Actors from his productions appear in this documentary, including Russ Tamblyn, Tony Curtis, Tony Randall, Barbara Eden, Janet Leigh, Rod Taylor, and Charlton Heston. All agreed that George Pal was a very sweet person and great to work with.

Authors Robert Bloch and Ray Bradbury and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry praised Pal’s contributions to film. Bradbury particularly mentioned how The War of the Worlds frightened him.

This is a very entertaining and informative documentary which I would highly recommend.