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Lost World, The

Lost World, The (1960) Movie Poster
USA  •    •  97m  •    •  Directed by: Irwin Allen.  •  Starring: Michael Rennie, Jill St. John, David Hedison, Claude Rains, Fernando Lamas, Richard Haydn, Ray Stricklyn, Jay Novello, Vitina Marcus, Ian Wolfe, Ross Brown, Colin Campbell, Fred Cavens.  •  Music by: Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter.
      Professor George Edward Challenger leads an expedition to a mysterious South American plateau where he claims to have seen Jurassic-age dinosaurs. He is accompanied by one of his fiercest critics Professor Summerlee, eminent hunter and explorer Lord John Roxton and journalist Ed Malone, whose newspaper is financing the expedition. Once in South America, they are joined by socialite Jennifer Holmes and her brother David who have simply decided to invite themselves along. They are flown to the top of the plateau by helicopter pilot Manuel Gomez but soon after their arrival the helicopter is destroyed by a large prehistoric creature. When they are taken prisoner by natives, they will not only have to escape but find a way down from the plateau.

Trailers:

   Length:  Languages:  Subtitles:
 3:12
 

Review:

Image from: Lost World, The (1960)
Image from: Lost World, The (1960)
Image from: Lost World, The (1960)
Image from: Lost World, The (1960)
Image from: Lost World, The (1960)
Image from: Lost World, The (1960)
Image from: Lost World, The (1960)
Image from: Lost World, The (1960)
Image from: Lost World, The (1960)
Image from: Lost World, The (1960)
I went back and read my review of the original 1925 silent film "The Lost World" and was somewhat surprised that virtually all of the character names were used here in this picture. I guess I shouldn't have been since both were based on the Arthur Conan Doyle story featuring Professor Challenger and his discovery of an Amazon land filled with prehistoric beasts. Considering the march of time and technology, I felt the execution of the stop motion photography in the earlier picture was superior to the use of tricked out lizards in this one. Apparently budget considerations prevented a project of larger scale, a shame because Ray Harryhausen's stop motion monsters in "One Million Year B.C." were quite impressive in a movie made six years later.

The biggest surprise here for this viewer was the casting of Claude Rains in the role of Professor Challenger. Virtually unrecognizable behind the red beard and spectacles, I kept making a mental comparison of him here to his role of Captain Renault in "Casablanca". Somehow it didn't seem like the same actor, especially when he was making those flamboyant flourishes at the Zoological Society or railing against Miss Holmes (Jill St. John) from going on the expedition.

Speaking of which, did it seem all that necessary for the elegant wardrobe Jennifer Holmes took along for the trip? The same could be said for Lord Roxton (Michael Rennie), looking quite dashing in his jacket and tie, but with no regard for the steamy heat and humidity that must have been prevalent in the South American jungle. It's disconnects like that that take away some of the credibility in pictures like this, not to mention the flawless use of eye shadow and make-up on characters like the Native Girl (Vitina Marcus), who looked absolutely knock out, nothing at all like a throw back to pre-Jurassic cave types.

Well perhaps the movie going public of 1960 didn't care much for realism as long as they got their fill of faux dinosaurs battling to the death and high adventure featuring exploding volcanoes and plenty of molten lava. Today's sophisticated viewers brought up on a diet of Jurassic World CGI will undoubtedly cast a jaundiced eye at pictures like this one, but for it's time they served a purpose to thrill and entertain. I'm still wondering about that fluorescent green spider though.


Review by classicsoncall from the Internet Movie Database.