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The Valley of Gwangi (1969)

G | | Adventure , Sci-Fi , Thriller | 1969 (UK)
The Valley of Gwangi Poster
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Cowboy James Franciscus seeks fame and fortune by capturing a Tyrannosaurus Rex living in the Forbidden Valley and putting it in a Mexican circus. His victim, called the Gwangi, turns out ... See full summary »

Director:

Jim O'Connolly (as James O'Connolly)

Writers:

William Bast (screenplay) (as William E. Bast), Julian More (additional material)

Stars:

James Franciscus, Gila Golan, Richard Carlson | See full cast & crew »
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Photos

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Franciscus ... Tuck Kirby
Gila Golan ... T.J.
Richard Carlson ... Champ
Laurence Naismith ... Professor Bromley
Freda Jackson ... Tia Zorina - the Witch
Gustavo Rojo ... Carlos
Dennis Kilbane Dennis Kilbane ... Rowdy
Mario De Barros Mario De Barros ... Bean
Curtis Arden Curtis Arden ... Lope
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Cowboy James Franciscus seeks fame and fortune by capturing a Tyrannosaurus Rex living in the Forbidden Valley and putting it in a Mexican circus. His victim, called the Gwangi, turns out to have an aversion to being shown in public. Another film featuring the stop-action special effects talents of Ray Harryhausen. Written by Ray Hamel <hamel@primate.wisc.edu>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

valley | horse | wild west show | miniature horse | allosaurus | See All (55) »

Taglines:

Cowboys Battle Monsters in the Lost World of Forbidden Valley.

Genres:

Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller | Western

Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Release Date:

1969 (UK) See more »

Also Known As:

The Valley--Where Time Stood Still See more »

Filming Locations:

Catedral de la Encarnación de Almería, 8 plaza de la Catedral, Almeria, Spain See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Brothers/Seven Arts,Morningside Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Gwangi is a native American word that means lizard. See more »

Goofs

The creature Bromley refers to as a pterodactyl is actually a pteranodon. Pterodactyls did not have crests on their heads. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Carlos: [yelling across a canyon] Miguel!
See more »

Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: Somewhere South of the Rio Grande . . . . . . . At the turn of the Century See more »

Alternate Versions

When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure a 'A' rating. All cuts were waived in 1995 when the film was granted a '12' certificate for home video. In 2003, the BBFC later re-rated the film to a 'U' certificate for its DVD release in 2004, this being the same uncut release since certification in 1995. See more »

Connections

Featured in Fantastic Dinosaurs of the Movies (1990) See more »

Soundtracks

Gypsy Flamenco
(uncredited)
Music by Roland Harker
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why did the pterodactyl land on the ground instead of taking the boy up to its nest?
Q: Why did Carlos spear the Styracosaurus instead of Gwangi?
Q: Is Gwangi an Allosaurus or a Tyrannosaurus?
See more »

User Reviews

 
The Western fantasy film boosted by some Harryhausen genius.
24 June 2010 | by Spikeopath – See all my reviews

Shot in Technicolor by Erwin Hillier and in Dynamation, The Valley Of Gwangi sees Tuck Kirby (James Franciscus) and a team of cowboys get more than they bargained for when they enter a hidden valley in Mexico. For here, prehistoric creatures reside and the cowboys come up with the idea of capturing a Tyrannosaurus Rex to become the chief attraction in the circus they work at.

The makers of Gwangi never hid their motivations or homages, from the off they wanted to nod towards King Kong whilst pairing the Western and Fantasy genres in the process. The result of which is an enjoyable if unfulfilled movie that again sees Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion creations save the day. Directed by Jim O'Connolly with a screenplay by William Bast, The Valley Of Gwangi suffers not because of its bonkers plot (this is after all why we watch this type of genre offering), but more because of the slow first half that threatens to put the viewer into torpor. Thankfully the film is saved by the afore mentioned Harryhausen who unleashes prehistoric joys on the B movie cast (tho Laurence Naismith is considerably better than the material given him). While the ending raises the adrenaline sufficiently enough to have made the wait worth while. Jerome Moross lifts from his brilliant score for The Big Country with mixed results; it just feels out of place here, even if it's stirring and pleasing to the ears. And the Almería, Andalucía location work in Spain is at one with the material to hand.

Saturday afternoon monster fun to be enjoyed with either popcorn or something stronger from the drinks cupboard. 6/10
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