Pre-production
Theatrical advertisement from 1960George Pal was already known for his pioneering work with stop-motion animation, having been nominated almost yearly for an Oscar during the 1940s. In 1958, Pal was approached by Shiro Kido to co-produce a Japanese adaptation of the novel with Shochiku Productions.[6] After Kido left the project and Pal was unable to sell Hollywood on the concept of the film, he found MGM's British studio (where he had filmed Tom Thumb) open to his proposal.
The name of the film's main character (alluded to in dialogue only as "George") connects him both with George Pal and with the story's original science fiction writer H. G. (George) Wells. The name "H. George Wells" can be seen on a brass plaque on the time machine.[7] The film was created on a tight budget and given a filming schedule of just 29 days.[8]
Casting
Taylor was already Pal's first choice to play the time traveller, after having lunch together numerous times where they discussed the project. Taylor admitted being fascinated with Pal's rough drawings detailing various scenes. In a 1986 interview, he commented how he had been asked more questions about his role in this film than any other across his career.[9] Pal originally considered casting a middle-aged British actor like David Niven or James Mason as George. He later changed his mind and selected the younger Australian actor Rod Taylor to give the character a more athletic, idealistic dimension. It was Taylor's first lead role in a feature film.[10]
Mimieux was cast in the role of Weena despite having no previous acting experience. During a screen test, director George Pal observed an innocent persona she portrayed, yet despite being his first choice, she was turned down by MGM. Following Pal's insistence and despite Taylor's preferred choice being Shirley Knight, Mimieux was asked back for another screen test where she was offered the part. Taylor observed her inability to act, describing how he thought she was like "kind of a strange hippie child" and was concerned that her lack of experience meant she would be difficult to act alongside. Mimieux lied about her age to Pal, stating she was 18 despite being only 17 when filming began. Having initially struggled on set, Mimieux gradually improved as her confidence in acting grew, to the extent that Pal requested that some of her earlier scenes be reshot to take advantage of her improved acting ability.[9]
Design
The time machine prop was designed by MGM art director Bill Ferrari and built by Wah Chang.[11] Recognized today as an iconic film property, Ferrari's machine suggested a sled made up of a large clockwork rotating disk. The disk rotated at various speeds to indicate movement through time, evoking both a spinning clock and a solar disk. In a meta-concept touch, a brass plate on the time machine's instrument display panel identifies its inventor as "H. George Wells", though the Time Traveler is identified only as "George" in dialogue.[7] In Wells' original story, the protagonist is referred to only as the "Time Traveler".
As a means to cut costs, the dome habitat of the Eloi was constructed without a ceiling so that natural light could be used instead of costly artificial lighting.[12]
The look of the Morlocks was designed by Wah Chang.
Filming
With a budget of under $1 million, the film could not be shot on location in London. Live-action scenes were filmed from May 25 to June 30, 1959, in Culver City, California, with the backgrounds often filled in with matte paintings and models. Some of the costumes and set were re-used from Forbidden Planet (1956), such as the Civil Defence air raid officer uniform, which was the C-57-D crew uniform, and the large acrylic sphere in the talking rings room, a prop from the C-57-D's control bridge.
In scenes where lava is shown to overrun the streets of London onto a miniature replica set, oatmeal was used as a substitute. The oatmeal had been prepared several days prior and left over a weekend, where it fermented in high temperatures, creating a "foul stench" in the air when it was released.[12]
