The Lost World (1925)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Harry O. Hoyt

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (novel)
Marion Fairfax (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 June 1925 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stupendous story!

Plot:

The first film adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic novel about a land where prehistoric creatures still roam.

Plot Keywords:

Professor | Expedition | Prehistoric | Reporter | Dinosaur

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Bessie Love	...	Miss Paula White (as Miss Bessie Love)
Lewis Stone	...	Sir John Roxton (as Mr. Lewis Stone)
Wallace Beery	...	Prof. Challenger (as Mr. Wallace Beery)
Lloyd Hughes	...	Edward E. Malone (as Mr. Lloyd Hughes)
Alma Bennett	...	Gladys Hungerford (as Miss Alma Bennett)
Arthur Hoyt	...	Prof. Summerlee (as Mr. Arthur Hoyt)
Margaret McWade	...	Mrs. Challenger (as Miss Margaret McWade)
Bull Montana	...	Ape-Man (as Mr. Bull Montana)
Frank Finch Smiles	...	Austin (Challenger's butler) (as Mr. Frank Smiles)
Jules Cowles	...	Zambo (Roxton's servant) (as Mr. Jules Cowles)
George Bunny	...	Colin McArdle (as Mr. George Bunny)
Charles Wellesley	...	Maj. Hibbard (as Mr. Charles Wellesley)
Jocko the Monkey	...	Jocko
Arthur Conan Doyle	...	Himself

Runtime:

USA:64 min (1991 alternate version) | USA:93 min (2000 alternate version) | USA:64 min (Kodascope Version) | USA:106 min (original version) | 100 min (1998 George Eastman House Restoration)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White | Color (hand-colored) | Color (tinted and toned)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Spain:T | USA:Unrated

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

This film was such a success that there were plans to do a sound remake. In possible preparation for this, Aileen Rothacker reached an agreement with First National to withdraw the film from distribution. First National was to destroy all release prints and the foreign negative but the domestic negative was to be retained. It is not known if the original negatives decomposed or if they were mistakenly disposed of.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Plateau in the film has been described as a world that is "cut off from evolutionary development." If that were true then dinosaurs from different eras would not be in the same place, nor would there be any ape-men or humanoids.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Back to the Black Lagoon: A Creature Chronicle (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Lost World

Old-Fashioned But Still Very Entertaining

Although the existing versions all have missing portions, and although the film is obviously old-fashioned in several respects, the original "The Lost World" is still a fine film and very entertaining. It has an exciting and interesting story with some good characters and acting, and the dinosaur action, terrific for its time, is still quite watchable.

Besides the adventure story about dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, there is also some decent human drama with a few interesting characters. The earnest young journalist out to prove himself, the bad-tempered but brilliant scientist, the devoted daughter searching for her missing father, and the rest, are all slightly exaggerated, but most also contain some real substance. There is a good cast to bring these characters to life.

Naturally, the animals are the big stars, and although the special effects do not compare with what is done today, the dinosaur action is still creative, entertaining and worth watching. There are also some good shots of live animals living in the Amazon area where the expedition takes place.

This is certainly recommended for those who enjoy silent films. It would also be interesting viewing for those who are more used to modern films of the genre - you'll see a lot of the ideas that were later used in films that are more familiar today.