The Lost World

"In the middle of the twentieth century, you fall off the brink of time!"

1960 1h 37m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 117

AdventureFantasyScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“In the middle of the twentieth century, you fall off the brink of time!”

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Cast

Michael Rennie
Lord John Roxton
Jill St. John
Jennifer Holmes
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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Irwin Allen
Writers: Charles Bennett, Irwin Allen
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

66 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Irwin Allen, shot by Winton C. Hoch. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Paul Sawtell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Hugh S. Fowler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Michael Rennie and Jill St. John and David Hedison carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In the middle of the twentieth century, you fall off the brink of time!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0054038 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Irwin Allen directs. Winton C. Hoch behind the camera. Paul Sawtell scores. Hugh S. Fowler cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

166 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Irwin Allen, shot by Winton C. Hoch. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Paul Sawtell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Hugh S. Fowler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Michael Rennie and Jill St. John and David Hedison carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "In the middle of the twentieth century, you fall off the brink of time!".
7IMDB entry: tt0054038 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Winton C. Hoch
Original score: Paul Sawtell
Editing: Hugh S. Fowler
Costume design: Paul Zastupnevich
Makeup / hair: Ben Nye
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Lost World (1960)

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Irwin Allen

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-09-20
★ 6.5/10
Irwin Allen asks us politely to get lost in his world. The Lost World is directed and produced by Irwin Allen, who also co-adapts the screenplay with Charles Bennett from the novel written by Arthur Conan Doyle. It stars Michael Rennie, Jill St. John, Claude Rains, David Hedison, Fernando Lamas and Richard Haydn. A CinemaScope production in De Luxe Color, music is by Paul Sawtell & Bert Shefter and cinematography by Winton C. Hoch. A loose adaptation of Doyle's novel, this version was the first talkie to surface after the silent original back in 1925. The story pitches a diverse group of travellers/explorers onto an Amazonian plateau where it is hoped that proof of living dinosaurs can be made. Monster malarkey does follow. Given that it has a diverse reputation and average ratings on internet movie sites, you would be fooled into thinking this was a flop. Far from it! It made very good coin at the box office and it continues to be a well received fantasy favourite shown on TV schedules during holiday periods. In fact, there is a cult fan base out there whom steadfastly will defend the pic from violent attack! Irwin Allen used his average budget in areas other than for the creature effects, this is obvious, while it's true to say that most of the acting is from the school of ham and cheese sandwich. Yet the slurpasaur effects are engaging and effective. Oh for sure none of the creatures look like dinosaurs, which begs the question on why didn't they just write it as a new raft of undiscovered dinosaurs? But suspense and peril is eked out and the world created by the art design team is impressively interesting. The usual character stereotypes exist, including a surplus to requirements female character (St. John), who is attired in pink trousers and brings her pet poodle pooch along for the trip! The formula would get tired over the on coming decades (see Disney's Island at the Top of the World which would crib from this pic), yet there's still a lot of fun to be had with big creatures, big spiders, diamonds and a secret race of people with a specialist appetite - while you can't beat a good old chase finale topped off by peril and twisty strife. Sometimes cheap and cheerful, sometimes full of fun and frolics, all things considered, there's a good time to be had for the discerning creature feature/fantasy adventure film fan. 6.5/10

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