The Lost World (1925)

Director:

Harry O. Hoyt

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (novel)
Marion Fairfax (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 June 1925 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Horror | 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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mary the Chimpanzee	...	Herself (uncredited)
Virginia Brown Faire	...	Marquette (half-caste girl) (uncredited)
Nelson McDowell	...	Lawyer advising the editor (uncredited)
Gilbert Roland	...	Extra (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Percy Potts (uncredited)

Directed by
Harry O. Hoyt

Writing credits
Arthur Conan Doyle		(novel "The Lost World")
Marion Fairfax		(screenplay)

Produced by
Serge Bromberg	....	producer (2000 alternate version)
Scott MacQueen	....	producer (1991 alternate version)
David H. Shepard	....	producer (2000 alternate version)
Jamie White	....	executive producer
Earl Hudson	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Robert Israel		(2000 New Score)
R.J. Miller		(1991)

Cinematography by
Arthur Edeson

Film Editing by
George McGuire

Set Decoration by
Milton Menasco		(settings)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup supervisor
Cecil Holland	....	makeup artist: ape-man (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Milton Menasco	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Milton Menasco	....	architecture

Special Effects by
Marcel Delgado	....	model construction (uncredited)
Willis H. O'Brien	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Marcel Delgado	....	associate technical director
Ralph Hammeras	....	associate technical director

Music Department
Robert Israel	....	music compiler and director: 2000 alternate version
Frank S. Truda	....	musical director (uncredited)

Other crew
Marcel Delgado	....	associate researcher
Mathieu Dubosq	....	restoration editor: 2000 alternate version
Marion Fairfax	....	editorial direction
Ralph Hammeras	....	associate researcher
Earl Hudson	....	supervisor
Fred Jackman	....	chief technician (as Fred W. Jackman)
Devereaux Jennings	....	technical staffer (as J. Devereaux Jennings)
Hans F. Koenekamp	....	technical staffer (as Hans Koenekamp)
Willis H. O'Brien	....	researcher
Willis H. O'Brien	....	technical director
Watterson Rothacker	....	by arrangement with (as Watterson R. Rothacker)
Homer Scott	....	technical staffer
Vernon L. Walker	....	technical staffer
William Dowling	....	additional director (uncredited)
Colby Harriman	....	director of presentation (uncredited)

Production Companies

• First National Pictures

Distributors

• First National Pictures (1925) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universum Film (UFA) (1926) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Lumivision (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Lumivision (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Milestone Film & Video (1991) (USA) (VHS) (alternate version)
• Timeless Multimedia (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Lumivision (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• E-Realbiz.com (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Lumivision (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• SlingShot Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Gotham Distribution (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2005) (worldwide) (TV)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Film Classics Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Nostalgia Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Punto Zero (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• Unknown Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Yesteryear (????) (USA) (VHS)

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:

The original 35mm ten-reel print was destroyed in a fire at Universal Studios.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The newspaper headline announcing Malone's departure is dated in January. Right after this is shown, Malone types that he has been gone for less than three months and it is now December 12th.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Up (2009)

Soundtrack:

The Lost World

First and one of the best versions of this story

This first, silent version of The Lost World is the best one for dinosaur fans as it has more dinosaurs in it than any other. I have two VHS copies of this, an hour long version and the restored copy, which lasts for about 100 minutes.

Professor Challenger leads a party into an uncharted part of the Amazon where prehistoric monsters still live. When there, they explore the land and see the many dinosaurs that roam it. They then decide to try and capture one of these alive and bring it back to London! They manage this and bring back a Brontosaurus, but it escapes and goes on the rampage through London, brings down Tower Bridge and then escapes down the Thames.

The stop-motion dinosaurs are done excellently by Willis O'Brien and also include Allosaurus, Tricertops and Pteranodon.

The cast includes Wallace Beery as Chellenger, Bessie Love and Lewis Stone.

This movie is a must see, especially if you are a fan of dinosaur movies like myself. Excellent.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.