The Lost World (1960)

Professor Challenger leads an expedition of scientists and adventurers to a remote plateau deep in the Amazonian jungle to verify his claim that dinosaurs still live there.

Director:

Irwin Allen

Writers:

Charles Bennett (screenplay), Irwin Allen (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Rennie, Jill St. John, David Hedison

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Michael Rennie	...	Lord John Roxton
Jill St. John	...	Jennifer Holmes (as Jill St.John)
David Hedison	...	Ed Malone
Claude Rains	...	Prof. George Edward Challenger
Fernando Lamas	...	Manuel Gomez
Richard Haydn	...	Prof. Summerlee
Ray Stricklyn	...	David Holmes
Jay Novello	...	Costa
Vitina Marcus	...	Native Girl
Ian Wolfe	...	Burton White

Storyline

Professor Challenger leads team of scientists and adventurers to a remote plateau deep within the Amazonian jungle to investigate reports that dinosaurs still live there.

---

Plot Keywords:

anthropologist | plateau | volcanic eruption | amazon jungle | professor | 

---

Taglines:

It's Like Nothing Ever Known...or Shown!!!

---

Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

13 July 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Irwin Allen Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (Westrex Recording System) (5.0) (L-R)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Hedison was reluctant about making the film as he didn't think the material was any good. Seeing Jill St. John dressed in a pink outfit with a poodle on set didn't do much to make him think differently. Nevertheless, he applied himself anyway, to the extent that Irwin Allen offered him the lead in his next film, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961). Hedison turned it down but would later take a part in Allen's TV series based on the submarine film.

---

Goofs

The government of Brazil, which has jurisdiction over the territory that Challenger and Roxton will explore, would logically be very interested in such an ambitious enterprise that affects Brazil directly. At no moment of the film, however, is the government of Brazil ever mentioned.

---

Quotes

Ed Malone: [after the "brontosaurus" had destroyed the helicopter] My radio's gone with it. That's the last of my wire stories, the end of outside contact.
Costa: The End of us.

---

Connections

Version of The Lost World (1999)

User Reviews

Great entertainment for 6 year olds of all ages!

Along with King Kong this is one of the first films I remember seeing, on Saturday night TV sometime in the mid '60's. My expert judgement at 6 years old was that it was the best film ever made, over the years since it has somewhat slipped down my list – but at least is still in it! Viewed through rose-tinted spectacles I still enjoy watching it and trot the vid out every 5 years or so for another wallow in personal nostalgia. Viewed dispassionately I think it's also better than both 1925 versions – the long was too slow, the short unintelligible; forget any others.

Eccentric Professor Challenger challenges crusty Professor Summerlee in public to go with him on an expedition to find a plateau in South America where he (claimed) he saw prehistoric dinosaurs roaming around. A motley party is assembled to make the trip consisting of a cynical aristocrat with a secret, his eye-fodder girlfriend in pink and her eye-fodder brother, the hard working reporter who fancies her, and 2 dingy latins with plenty of secrets. A couple of hours after landing they discover … prehistoric dinosaurs roaming around partial to wrecking helicopters, and we discover Challenger appears rather challenged when coming to name them. Corn abounds, the special effects are worse than in 1925, every plot device is telegraphed ahead, and every racial, sexual and class stereotype is out in force – but I love it just the same! At least Jill St. John didn't twist her ankle, and the sets weren't always cardboard though.

If you didn't see this when young and impressionable don't bother, however if you did and you're not a serious type it's worth a try. You still might be horrified but you might return to a lost world of safe family adventure movies.