Post by phantomparticle on Aug 18, 2020 1:46:29 GMT
A scientific expedition exploring a warm region of Antarctica crashes in a lost world of prehistoric animals.
There have been at least four major movies directly based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, the 1925 silent, the 1960 remake, Spielberg’s combination of Jurassic Park and themes from Sir Arthur’s book, a 1993 Canadian version and maybe I few I don’t even know about.
The Land Unknown uses enough of Sir Arthur’s original idea to get everyone to the location then goes completely off on its own journey. There are no big game hunters looking for a super match up with a T-Rex and there are no human beings living side by side with prehistoric animals (with one notable exception). The only motivation is to repair the helicopter and go home. Unfortunately, a critical part of the machine is broken, there are no spare parts and someone on the other side of the lake is blowing a mean horn that is scaring the dinosaurs.
Jock Mahoney, William Reynolds, Shawn Smith (Shirley Patterson) and Phil Harvey make up the team of likable, if somewhat bland, characters. The script is well above average for this type of movie, the dialogue is sensible and no one embarrasses himself by overplaying.
The strongest performance comes from Henry Brandon as a scientist left behind by a former expedition. He has survived entirely on his intelligence and a few simple weapons to fend off the dinosaurs. The half mad Brandon adds a real sense of danger to the group, especially Shawn. Since this is a mid-fifties movie, instead of instantly making a caveman move on her, he simply kidnaps her and takes her home to consider his options, one of which is how many times he is going to save their skins before he gets tired of their company and can concentrate on luscious Shawn.
The original idea was to shoot the movie in color as a big budget epic with Jack Arnold as director. After the decision was made to go economical in b/w, Arnold dropped out and Virgil Vogel replaced him. Vogel keeps things moving at a nice clip. After the obligatory exposition (including actual footage of Admiral Byrd’s Antarctic voyage) the movie wastes no time getting down to business.
Ellis W. Carter’s atmospheric cinematography gives the jungle set a densely claustrophobic ambiance. Although the hothouse atmosphere is palpable, the men make it to the end clean shaven, Shawn’s make up remains intact and her clothing stays washed and pressed, even if there is less of it by the end of the movie.
The dinosaurs are a clunky collection in an era when Ray Harryhausen was revolutionizing special effects in 20 Million Miles to Earth and The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad. Still, there is something endearing about Elasmosaurus that gets a flaming torch for its troubles every time it lifts its swaying head out of the water, three from Brandon and one from Jock Mahoney’s Very pistol. The creature fully deserves the Wylie Coyote award for dogged persistence.
Most of the undeserved derision for the movie, probably by those who have never seen it, is directed against the arthritic T-Rex, arguably the most lovable dinosaur ever created for the genre. You want to collar and take it home, even while you are falling down laughing.
The first indication that they are not at the top of the food chain comes when they find the dead body of a pterodactyl.
This beautiful shot with its spectacular matt painting shows us the geography of the jungle valley in a single shot. Watching this movie in pan and scan is inconceivable.
Shawn and a plant that will soon take an interest in her. The idea was first used here and showed up in later films.
The most disappointing scene in the movie, the battle between two dinosaurs using live lizards. One Million BC used the idea first in 1940, after which it became stock footage for dozens of low budget features. It’s difficult sitting through the sequence knowing the animals are struggling for real and one is going to be killed.
Clifford Stine was responsible for the sfx and did a superb job within the limitations of the budget. Some of visual composition is masterful as in this scene in which Elasmosaurus approaches an unwary Shawn as she rows across the lake.
The science fiction movies of the 1950’s cover a wide range from classic (Forbidden Planet, The Incredible Shrinking Man) to ludicrous (Teenagers from Outer Space, The Giant Claw). The Land Unknown is one of those competently made features in the middle ground that seldom get mentioned except by the fans that saw it when they were young and less critical of its faults than later generations of a more sophisticated era.
It is included in the Ultimate Sci-Fi collection, Vol. 2, in a high contrast, wide screen format, the only way it can be truly appreciated.