A Victorian Englishman bets that with the new steamships and railways he can circumnavigate the globe in eighty days.

When this movie is made in 1956, one could circumnavigate the globe in a little less than two days. When Jules Verne wrote the story "Around the World in Eighty Days" in 1872, he predicted that one day man could accomplish the task in eighty hours, but which most considered folly to do in eighty days in current times, that is except for people like Englishman Phileas Fogg, a regimented man who believed all it would take is exacting work, the skills he possesses. He just has to make sure a train's schedule meets the required sailing schedule which meets the required coach schedule and so on. As such, he takes up what ends up being the highly publicized twenty thousand pounds sterling wager from his fellow members at the London Reform Club to do so, losing the bet which would ruin him financially. Along for the ride is Fogg's new, loyal and devoted valet, the recently arrived Latin immigrant, Passepartout, who possesses unusual skills which could be major assets, but whose all consuming thoughts on the opposite sex could take away his focus from the task at hand. Although Fogg has accounted for certain transportation delays, he may not account for cultural peccadilloes he may encounter along the way which could also cause delays. He is also unaware of the true reason a man name Fix is following them, he who could also derail Fogg's task permanently. As Fogg and Passepartout proceed on their journey, they get into one misadventure after another. Ultimately, Fogg may find other things in life more important than winning the bet.—Huggo

Victorian-era Englishman Phileas Fogg proclaims before his fellow members of a London gentleman's club that he can circumnavigate the globe in a mere eighty days, further boasting that he will bet the princely sum of twenty thousand pounds sterling on the success of his endeavor. With his stalwart manservant Passepartout alongside, he goes forth on his adventure, pursued by a dogged Police Inspector who suspects Fogg of chicanery.—Jwelch5742

When Phileas Fogg is challenged to prove his contention that a man can go around the world in eighty days, he bets his entire fortune and leaves with a new butler on a world tour. This Victorian adventure has a kicker, the bank of England has been robbed. Is this Fogg's way of avoiding arrest? The detective following him believes so, and his butler is becoming unsure.—John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Razzle-dazzle showman Michael Todd hocked everything he had to make this spectacular presentation of Jules Verne's 1872 novel Around the World in 80 Days, the second film to be lensed in the wide-screen Todd-AO production. Nearly as fascinating as the finished product are the many in-production anecdotes concerning Todd's efforts to pull the wool over the eyes of local authorities in order to cadge the film's round-the-world location shots--not to mention the wheeling and dealing to convince over forty top celebrities to appear in cameo roles. David Niven heads the huge cast as ultra-precise, supremely punctual Phileas Fogg, who places a 20,000-pound wager with several fellow members of London Reform Club, insisting that he can go around the world in eighty days (this, remember, is 1872). Together with his resourceful valet Passepartout (Cantinflas), Fogg sets out on his world-girdling journey from Paris via balloon. Meanwhile, suspicion grows that Fogg has stolen his 20,000 pounds from Bank of England. Diligent Inspector Fix (Robert Newton) is sent out by the bank's president (Robert Morley) to bring Fogg to justice. Hopscotching around the globe, Fogg pauses in Spain, where Passepartout engages in a comic bullfight (a specialty of Cantinflas). In India, Fogg and Passepartout rescue young widow Princess Aouda (Shirley MacLaine, in her third film) from being forced into committing suicide so that she may join her late husband. The threesome visit Hong Kong, Japan, San Francisco, and the Wild West. Only hours short of winning his wager, Fogg is arrested by the diligent Inspector Fixx. Though exonerated of the bank robbery charges, he has lost everything--except the love of the winsome Aouda. But salvation is at hand when Passepartout discovers that, by crossing the International Date Line, there's still time to reach the Reform Club. Will they make it? See for yourself. Among the film's 46 guest stars, the most memorable include Marlene Dietrich, Charles Boyer, Jo...