King Dinosaur (1955)

User Rating:

1.5/10   

Director:

Bert I. Gordon

Writers:

Bert I. Gordon (story)
Tom Gries (writer)

Release Date:

17 June 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

NEVER A THRILL LIKE THIS! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

A new planet moves into our solar system and four scientists (two couples) are sent to explore Planet Nova...

Plot Keywords:

Dinosaur | Iguana | Tyrannosaurus | Reverse Footage | Mushroom Cloud

Cast

William Bryant	...	Dr. Ralph Martin (as Bill Bryant)
Wanda Curtis	...	Dr. Patricia Bennett
Douglas Henderson	...	Dr. Richard Gordon
Patti Gallagher	...	Nora Pierce
Marvin Miller	...	Narrator (voice)

Runtime:

63 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Zimgor Productions

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the crew is escaping in the rubber raft, you can see that the girls rowing at the back of the raft, are switched from one side of the boat to the other as the scenes flip from close-up to full view.

Quotes:

Dr. Ralph Martin: [after detonating an atomic bomb and watching it annihilate much of Planet Nova] Well, we've done it.
Dr. Richard Gordon: Yeah, we sure have done it: Brought civilization to Planet Nova.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: King Dinosaur (#3.10)" (1990)

An early gem from Mr B.I.G.

A lot of people think King Dinosaur was the first movie from Bert I Gordon. It isn't. This is the second (the first was Serpent Island in 1954).

A new planet, Nova, is discovered in the solar system and an expedition consisting of two scientist couples is sent to it. When they get there, they discover a planet similar to earth and inhabited by unfriendly creatures. They are attacked by giant insects, giant snakes and alligators.

These creatures are the least of their worries though. They decide to explore an island they discover across a lake and when they get there, they discover a land unchanged since prehistoric times. Roaming this land are giant lizards, woolly mammoths and a giant armadillo. Some of these creatures are stock footage from One Million BC. After being attacked by these creatures and the King Dinosaur of the title (a giant lizard pretending to be a T-Rex) they decide to blow the island up with an atomic bomb and blast off back to Earth.

Despite bad reviews and the low budget, I rather enjoyed this movie.

Rating 3 and a half stars out of 5.