The Land That Time Forgot (1974)

During World War I, a German U-boat sinks a British ship and takes the survivors on board. After it takes a wrong turn, the submarine takes them to the unknown land of Caprona, where they find dinosaurs and neanderthals.

Director:

Kevin Connor

Writers:

Edgar Rice Burroughs (novel), James Cawthorn (screenplay)

Stars:

Doug McClure, John McEnery, Susan Penhaligon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Doug McClure	...	Bowen Tyler
John McEnery	...	Captain Von Schoenvorts
Susan Penhaligon	...	Lisa Clayton
Keith Barron	...	Bradley
Anthony Ainley	...	Dietz
Godfrey James	...	Borg
Bobby Parr	...	Ahm
Declan Mulholland	...	Olson
Colin Farrell	...	Whiteley
Ben Howard	...	Benson
Roy Holder	...	Plesser
Andrew McCulloch	...	Sinclair
Ron Pember	...	Jones
Grahame Mallard	...	Deusett
Andrew Lodge	...	Reuther

Storyline

After a German U-Boat sinks their ship, several survivors manage to take control of the boat. Bowen Tyler is the son of an American shipbuilder and Captain Bradley an experienced seaman. After several tussles with the German crew, they find themselves on a strange island. There they find a place where several stages of Earth's evolution co-exist at the same time. As a result several types of humans are found as well as prehistoric dinosaurs. There are also active volcanoes which all add up to a challenge to survive.

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Plot Keywords:

gun | sinking | uniform | captain | enemies become allies | 

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Taglines:

THE ADVENTURE YOU WILL NEVER FORGET!

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Announced at the time as being the most expensive production Amicus had undertaken up to that point. Though the film was a co-production.

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Goofs

When Olson and Bowen fight off the water dinosaur, Olson is firing an MP-18 submachine gun. As its name implies, it was not in service until 1918, two years after the film is set. Although technically incorrect, it's still a plausible weapon to use.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bowen Tyler: [narrating] I do not expect anyone to believe the story that I am about to relate. It even seems incredible to me that all that I have passed through, all those weird and terrifying experiences, should have been encompassed within as short a span as three brief months. It must have been a little after 3 o'clock in the afternoon that it began - the afternoon of June 3rd, 1916.

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Connections

Featured in Nightmare Theatre's Late Night Chill-o-Rama Horror Show Vol. 1 (1996)

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Soundtracks

Radetzky March
(uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauss Sr.

User Reviews

great B-Movie

This has everything for a budding boy to enjoy. There's monsters, the struggle against evil, a submarine and the stunningly beautiful Susan Penhaligon. I was lucky enough to see this when it came out and it enthralled me. I still watch it on television when I can, with fond memories. It is not aging well. CFXs have left it looking quite poor in places. However, for a B-Movie it is very well done. The acting, storyline, direction and editing are all well controlled. I agree that a remake may be justified, as long as the inherent innocence of it all is not lost.

It is good family fun which will keep boys glued for an afternoon. And Susan is as beautiful as ever :-)

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

13 August 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Land That Time Forgot

Filming Locations:

La Palma, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amicus Productions, Lion International, Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1