Movie Review of the Lost World (1925)

Sometimes watching a movie so old that everyone starring in the film is dead can be a strange, unnerving experience, other times no more so than reading a historical novel in which the same situation exists. But how about watching a movie in which the main characters are extinct? Such is the case with The Lost World, the original 1925 film based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel.

Human nature seems to require that we "remake" that which is too old, outdated or especially in black-and-white. Thankfully, some classics have not yet been remade, and hopefully never will be. The Lost World does not exactly qualify as a classic, so the fact that this movie was made in 1925, 1960, 1998, 1999 (as a TV series) and 2001 is of little consequence. Was the original story that good, that intriguing? Not really, but our continual fascination with dinosaurs and beasts from the past may ensure that this story never dies.

The plot concerns a Professor Challenger (Wallace Beery), an eccentric scientist shunned by his British peers because of his unorthodox, even bizarre theories. When he ventures to announce that he has found a remote South American plateau where dinosaurs still exist, his estimation in the eyes of his colleagues plummets from eccentric to downright insane. To restore his dubious status among England's scientific elite, the professor "challenges" anyone brave enough to accompany him to this lost world, the location of which he claims that only he knows. One of the takers is a young reporter named Edward Malone (Lloyd Hughes), who wants to impress his shallow girlfriend, Gladys (Alma Bennett).

While the concept of dinosaurs still fascinates us, and that of the Lost World has been recycled numerous times throughout film and literature, the idea was somewhat trite even in 1925. The dinosaurs presented look like Play-dough models with perhaps a little more texture to their skin, which is probably what they were. Maybe judging the special effects from a 21^st century perspective is unfair; they may have been state-of-the-art for the time, but assessing the visuals objectively is nearly impossible for a modern audience. I confess that I was mildly interested in observing the ancient techniques for bringing prehistoric monsters to life on screen, and given that I did not expect much, was not too disappointed.

The creatures featured include Allosaurus, who slobbers excessively and whose teeth do not appear particularly sharp nor menacing, Brontosaurus, Pterodactyl, Stegosaurus, Triceratops and his fellow ceratopsian Stegosaurus, and an out-of-place apeman, played by Bull Montana (yes, that was his name). The apeman is the most dangerous by far, as unlike the dinosaurs he possesses an uncanny cunning and a dangerous dislike of the human intruders. When Challenger and his intrepid explorers return from the second expedition to the Lost World, they bring back one of the Brontosauruses, which escapes and stomps through the streets of London, crushing a few cars, knocking down several hapless pedestrians with his tail, and deliberately demolishing a building, while leaving the impressive Tower Bridges undisturbed. Far better would have been the Allosaurus -with sharper teeth and who drooled less- a ravenous predator wreaking havoc like a miniature Godzilla. Those viewers who recall The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), will recall the chaos that ensues when the T. Rex escapes from the ship, goes on a rampage and devours someone in the process. But how much chaos can you expect from an oversized herbivore like Brontosaurus?

The Lost World is a silent movie, but this does not detract from the viewing a great deal, assuming that the viewer can read. The DVD version features a silent trailer, which understandably exaggerates the film's virtues, as well as several outtakes featuring dinosaurs prancing and preening. The restored version still does not produce a perfect copy, but one that is certainly watchable, if you choose to watch it, which I would not especially recommend.