The Lost World (1925) User Reviews (105)

Years ahead of its time

[jluis1984 · 8/10 · 5 October 2006]

More than 80 years after its release, the first adaptation of "The Lost World" remains as one of the most influential silent films ever, due to Willis O'Brien pioneer advances in the field of special effects, as it showcases the first time stop motion animation was used to create creatures on a feature length film. These innovation was of huge importance for this and future films, and earned Willis O'Brien and his dinosaurs a place in history as an iconic image in film history, only surpassed by another of O'Brien's creations: King Kong.

Based on Arthur Conan Doyle's novel of the same name, "The Lost World" is the tale of Prof. Challenger's (Wallace Beery) epic quest looking for the living dinosaurs who supposedly live in the deep Amazonic jungle, according to the journal of his fellow explorer Maple White, who disappeared in his last exploration. Maple's daughter, Paula (Bessie Love) joins the expedition looking for her missing father, as well as Sir John Roxton (Lewis Stone), an experienced hunter friend of Challenger. Prof. Summerlee (Arthur Hoyt) goes as well, hoping to prove that Challenger is a fraud, and finally, reporter Edward Malone (Lloyd Hughes) joins the expedition, hoping to prove his girlfriend Gladys (Alma Bennet) that he is brave enough to face death.

Cleverly adapted by Broadway playwright Marion Fairfax (who also adapted in 1922 another of Conan Doyle's works, "Sherlock Holmes"), the film is an excellent mix of action and adventure that even when it's not entirely faithful to the novel, keeps the spirit of wonder and fascination with the unknown. From the obsessive Challenger to the incredulous Summerlee, every character is very detailed and for the most part well constructed, giving each one of them a defined personality and a certain degree depth absent in many silent films.

However, the film's best remembered characteristic is the incredible special effects by Willis O'Brien, who after mastering his craft in short films got his first work in "The Lost World" and changed special effects forever. His imagery is very vivid, and very detailed considering the limited resources he had. Sadly, Harry O. Hoyt's direction takes zero advantage of Fairfax's story and O'Brien's effects, and delivers a simplistic and unoriginal work that adds nothing to the whole work and seems to let the cast and crew do their job. It's not a bad direction as a whole, but it feels uninterested on the many possibilities a film like this posses.

The cast is quite effective, and really does a great job with what they have, starting with legendary Wallace Beery, who as Prof. Challenger delivers one of the best performances in a silent film. Without the aid of sound, Beery shows a wide range of emotions in his complex character and is great in both drama and comedy. Lloyd Hughes is very good as the cowardly Malone, and showcases a talent for comedy as well as a romantic figure, as his character shows interest in Paula White, played by Bessie Love, who makes a fine counterpart to Hughes and delivers a natural, and fresh performance. Lewis Stone completes the cast and his dignified performance as Sir John Roxton is very effective.

It's safe to say that "The Lost World" owes more to O'Brien and Fairfax than to O'Hoyt, and that probably with a more experienced director the film would had been even better. However, the film's real problem has nothing to do with the way it was made, but with the way it was preserved during most of its history. Nowadays there is not a complete version of the movie, most home video versions are of the 64 minutes version, while one (Image) is of a 93 minutes reconstruction. And while probably that version is the closest we can be to the original runtime of the film, it sadly has modernized the dialogs, to the point that some lines are rewritten to fit our modern standards.

Hopefully, one day we'll be able to see "The Lost World" as it was intended to be, but meanwhile, we can still appreciate the enormous importance of its amazing special effects, and how it forecasts films like "Jurassic Park" in many ways. This epic tale of action, adventure and horror has probably not seen a better adaptation than this, the movie that set everything for the arrival of King Kong and changed special effects for ever. 8/10

Pretty Awesome for Its Time

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 6 March 2006]

This was the first movie I ever taped when I got my first VCR back in the 1980's. I saw it was going to be on at 3:00 a.m., so I decided to try the programming to see it it worked. It did. I was so excited. The movie is so much fun. It has Wallace Beery as a borderline madman scientist leading an expedition to a far off island to find dinosaurs. There is a subplot of a reporter who is trying to talk him into letting him go along. There are scenes where Professor Challenger (Beery) chases and assaults this man because he hates reporters. Of course, we all know the story. They do bring back a dinosaur and it gets loose (ala King Kong) and leaves a path of destruction. The special effects are like Claymation, but one could only wonder how exciting and impressive these things were in their time. As a period piece, I urge people to see this. There are full length prints of it, not just the one some have commented on, which only shows the dinosaur scenes. If you have an open mind, you will have a lot of fun.

Historically entertaining movie

[duce122 · 7/10 · 4 December 2002]

The Lost World (1925) D: Harry O. Hoyt. Bessie Love, Lewis Stone, Wallace Beery, Lloyd Hughes, Alma Bennett, Arthur Hoyt, Margaret McWade. The special effects film of its time, a story based on the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle about an expedition to a lost world where dinosaurs rule. The version I watched was the most complete (running 93 minutes). Being a silent film, the actual plot is hard to follow but the special effects are terrific for a 77-year-old dinosaur movie. The most complete version was compiled from 8 different sources; that probably explains why the film seems very choppy and incomplete. All in all, a historically entertaining movie and certainly recommended to silent film buffs. RATING: 7 out of 10. Not rated.

The Lost Film

[Lechuguilla · 30 June 2005]

In this 1925 silent era film, a Professor Challenger (Wallace Beery) leads a group of British explorers to South America, to prove to the civilized world that there exists a land of living prehistoric creatures. What the explorers find is exactly that ... a rugged Amazon plateau inhabited by all kinds of dinosaurs. It's a wonderful film concept befitting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's adventure novel. The dinosaurs were brought to cinematic life via stop-motion animation, the first time that the then new technique had been applied, on such a grand cinematic scale. For its visuals alone, "The Lost World" is an important film.

The problem I have is not with the film, but with the way the film has been mishandled in the eighty years since it was released. Much of the original film was lost or cut out, a sad commentary on the way our culture has underestimated the value of silent films. Recently, the film has been at least partially restored. That, in turn, has led to confusion as to the extent to which the film being watched reflects the original.

My understanding is that there is or was: (1) an original full length version, no longer available; (2) a thirty-two minute version shown as a short film; (3) a sixty-three minute original DVD version; and (4) a ninety minute restored, extended DVD version complete with soundtrack and commentary. None of these versions are exactly alike, and there may be other versions as well.

The version I watched was on DVD, and was sixty-three minutes in length; there was no soundtrack, no commentary. Since this version is vastly different from the original, and different from other versions, a conventional critique would be unfair. All that I can do is to make a couple of general observations.

The special effects were impressive for their time. But what I most liked was the film's sense of three-dimensional scale, as shown in many scenes, the tree bridge to the plateau, for example, or the rope ladder hanging down the side of the cliff with a person climbing down. Such scenes convey a sense of distance and height, important to any physical adventure or risk. What I found disconcerting was the scenes of dinosaurs detached from the characters. Most of the time, but not always, these dinosaur scenes were shown from the POV that would be optimal for the cinematic viewer, rather than from the POV of the characters. In other words, the dinosaurs were usually shown out of context to the film's narrative.

"The Lost World" (1925) is an important contribution to early cinema. Although the film may be somewhat tedious to watch and technically crude by today's standards, depending on version, the film will most surely be appreciated by film historians and by technicians interested in the evolution of cinematic special effects.

A Sumptuous Crowd Pleaser

[mattfloyd-41009 · 7/10 · 10 September 2018]

I'm so glad that this film has been fully reconstructed to its almost original length - we can finally see The Lost World the way its filmmakers meant it to be seen. We can also see the problems and strengths more clearly as well. First, let's get the weaknesses out of the way: it takes its precious time a bit too much, the ape man looks so hilariously awful that it betrays the film's earnestness, a poorly written minor character is regrettably in blackface, and the film has several clumsily edited montages that do nothing but pad the movie's running time. I also didn't believe in the love triangle nor in the romantic leads' attraction for each other, but then that's because I'm almost never impressed by love triangles in general.

Now that we've gotten all the negative aspects out of the way, let's talk about the film's overwhelmingly positive assets. The stop-motion dinosaurs are rightfully the film's highlight; Willis O'Brien poured his heart and soul into animating these creatures. Even better, he gives each one of the animals their own unique personality: viciousness, tenderness, even grumpiness. I secretly wish that the dinosaurs took up more screen time - maybe bring all of them to London so they can wreak havoc on Professor Challenger's naysayers; but that's the little monstrous child in me desiring that.

Another delightful positive belongs to the energetic cast - most of them were up to the challenge and deserve to be mentioned right alongside their claymation attractions. Bessie Love gives a heartbreaking performance in an admittedly stock character as all she wants is her dear father to be alive and well. Meanwhile, Wallace Beery makes for an entertaining Professor Challenge that one can see why his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was more proud of him than with his most famous character, Sherlock Holmes.

A major revelation for those watching Flicker Alley's new Blu-Ray is that the film is visually sumptuous. After decades of existing in inferior black-and-white prints, The Lost World finally can be seen in its original tints that add a true artistry to it. It makes the film have the timeless feel of a Romantic etching or painting. This further proves how sophisticated silent movies were as an art form back in their heyday, as actual effort was spent to make the filmmaking experience an intensely moving one. No wonder why this film sparked the dinosaur craze that is still present today; it's really a well-done crowd pleaser!

A classic adventure tale

[reiss-ferlance · 7/10 · 15 May 2006]

The Lost World 1925 is a great film.It's a classic. I'm 14 years old writing this review.Not much teenagers watch silent movies, but I do. I'm familiar with The Lost World 1960 and The Lost World 2001,both of which I enjoyed. I always wanted to see the first film version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic tale. This film has likable characters and of course, a likable storyline with a good dose of humour. The dinosaurs are good for their time. We see: Brontosaurus(or Apatosaurus as it is known now)Allosaurus,Triceratops,Tyrannosaurus Rex and more. Wallace Beery plays a good George Challenger,and all the other actors too. Accompaynying Challenger is, Paula White, John Roxton,Edward Malone and Sumerlee. The ending is also great.They bring a brontosaurus back to London and it runs amok, it also destroys Tower Bridge. This film is considered influential on films like "King Kong" and "Jurassic Park" both of which are brilliant. Although, this film has had so many versions.The one I bought runs for 63 minutes.I was hoping to get to one that runs for 93 minutes.My verdict of this film: 4 stars out of 5 stars, ****/*****

At least as good as the 1950's Godzilla movies

[m.p. · 7/10 · 21 July 2001]

I'm not a fan of silent movies - that said, the restored version I saw was decent. The dinosaurs were at least as realistic if not more than the Japanese monster movies of the 1950s and 60s. In fact, the close ups of the dino eyes in Lost World looked *exactly* like the eyes of Godzilla, Mothra, et al. I find the silent movie format tiresome but this was great to see as a curiosity piece. The audiences of 1925 must have been thrilled to see dinosaurs come alive on the screen like this.

First and one of the best versions of this story

[chris_gaskin123 · 9/10 · 24 February 2005]

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.

This review is based ONLY on the severely truncated version that is a little over an hour long!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 19 August 2006]

This film really made me feel wistful. You see, the original version of this film was about 50% longer and I really would like to see what some idiots chose to remove from the original print. This is especially true for the very end, as the film ends way too abruptly and it looks like there MUST have been a lot more to this movie. As it was, the film was way too choppy and I'll one day look for a more complete version.

The movie is a masterpiece for 1920s stop-motion photography. Willis O'Brien, who later became famous for this type of filming in 1933's KING KONG, was also the guy responsible for bringing to life the dinosaurs in this film. The overall effect really isn't that much different than a decade later--as both films are wonderful for the time. Sure, it's possible to make them seem almost 100% real today, but for the 20s and 30s, this was amazing stuff.

The plot involves a crazed anthropologist (Wallace Beery) who insists that there is a land filled with living dinosaurs in South America and he wants to mount a return expedition to find a colleague who was stranded there. Though scoffed at by other professors, he is able to get funding and convince others to come with him. Once there, they find pretty much what you'd expect they'd find (except that there are some African creatures here as well--oh, well, if they can have dinosaurs, why not chimps?!). The only surprise is that they bring back a live Brontosaurus and it pretty much does a "King Kong"-type escape at the end and runs amok in London, not New York. And, while all this doesn't seem very original, remember that KING KONG was second--this was the first film of its type and so it deserves a lot of kudos and recognition for its place in film history.

Before King Kong, there was The Lost World!

[sh826826 · 10/10 · 11 April 2006]

Hello and welcome to my first review. Let me start by saying that the movie is not worth watching unless you see the IMAGE DVD version. Any other version is missing half of the movie and has bad image quality and incorrect tints. For those of you who are unfamiliar with movies from the 20's, this is a silent film which means there is a musical track playing throughout the film to match what is going on and in some cases sound effects. As far as tints go, unless everything was done in studio where the lighting and other effects could be controlled, the technology at the time only allowed for filming during the day so different tints were used so show that it was daytime/nighttime, indoors/outdoors, and other events. Since the actors did not have dialog in silent films, they had to over act a bit to show you what is happening. Inter-titles(written speech/narration) cuts in and out of the film. Let it be known that this means that you have to pay very close attention to a silent film to fully enjoy and understand it.

The movie was made in 1925 and runs 93 minutes. The restoration involves the combining of 8 versions from around the world to give you the most complete version possible making this film one of the best restorations as of yet. The IMAGE DVD contains two musical scores, outtakes, audio commentary, and a reproduction of the original souvenir program in print where the insert is contained. I don't want to give anything away from the movie but I will just say that this is the first of the large monster movies and is the framework for any other movie of this kind without question not to mention that this movie is a masterpiece. Watch it a few times before you make your judgment and you will see how great it is.

Dated but enjoyable first version based on a story by Arthur Conan Doyle

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 5 August 2009]

The film deals about Professor paleontologist Challenger(Wallace Beery), an eccentric scientist. The London Record Journal publicizes : ¨Famous zoologist returns from South America without proofs of strange tale , Challenger a well-known author and scientist, has returned to London with a strange tale of Mammoth, Pteradoctyls and other prehistoric monsters, roaming at large somewhere on the upper reaches of the Amazon. Unfortunately for the Professor's reputation for veracity, he refuses to give the exact location of his alleged discoveries and still more unfortunately, the photographs in his possession are so badly damaged when the Professor's canoe is said to have been evidenced ¨. Challenger leads a British expedition to the Amazon in 1912, a motley group formed by the journalist Ed Malone (Lloyd Hughes), Paula White (Bessie Love), adventurer Roxton (Lewis Stone) . The mixed characters in search for a fantastic and remote plateau where the prehistoric beasts still exist confronting adventures and other risks .In the Amazons , the journalist writes the following : ¨I will not bore those whom this narrative may reach by account of our voyage. Eventually we found ourselves in that no-man's-land which is formed by the half-defined frontiers between Peru, Brazil and Colombia, The sealed map promised Challenger to not open until we arrived here is only a blank page. Excepting a miracle, our expedition seems to have come to a premature end ¨. Later on, Ed Malone writes to Mr. McArdle : ¨It is just three weeks since we sent back the canoes and tonight we are camping at the base of the great plateau upon which Maple White was marooned . Challenger has guided us to this spot, and proved that the plateau is a fact, but we have no reason to believe that any monsters are roaming about up there. In Fact, I don't think ¨ . After that, the expedition find themselves confronted by dinosaurs, Brontosaurs, Alosaurs, among them. Then 'The Record-Journal' publishes : ¨Explorers reach the last outpost of civilization searching for Lost World may not be heard from again for months¨.

This classic, first and silent version is a stupendous story of adventure and romance. The tale provides sweeping and exciting entertainment . The action scenes blend creatures and humans more seamlessly than ever before in silent cinema and has some nice battles between prehistoric animals. Surviving Brontosaurs,Triceratops, Dinosaurs,Alosaurs, Pterodactyls are the true stars , rise to the occasion to amuse in an otherwise dated and old movie. The fantastic beasts are stunningly made by Willis H O'Brien -the master of Ray Harryhausen- as researcher and technical director and sets and architecture by Milton. Furthermore, photographs by Arthur Edeson, being well directed by Harry Hoyt.

Other adaptation about this story based upon novel by Arthur Conan Doyle are the following : 1960 by Irwin Allen with Claude Rains,Michael Rennie and Jill St. John, 1992 by Timothy Bond with John Rhys Davies and David Warner, 1997 by Steven Spielberg with Richard Attemborough, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, 2002 by Stuart Orme with Bob Hoskins, Peter Falk and James Fox.

Very impressive for an oldie!

[Travis_Moran · 9/10 · 7 July 2005]

I guess I'm sort of out of my league discussing this movie as I'm not a silent film fan and know absolutely nothing about silent films.

Still I'm going for it because this movie was good. I liked Jurassic Park and similar movies. And, of course, those had better effects. But what blew my mind was how GOOD the effects were in this movie made 70 years before Jurassic Park. I've seen worse stop-motion animation on movies made 30 years or more after this one ("The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" and "Jason & the Argonauts" come to mind).

I never read Doyle's book and don't know if it's true to the story, but I liked the idea of the dinosaur being brought back to London and getting loose. (I like those types of movies where the big beast gets loose and wrecks things...Godzilla, Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Reign of Fire, etc.) For all the technical aspects of this movie, you'll need to check out the other reviewers. But from a purely "watching for enjoyment" standpoint, I have to recommend this movie even if it is silent (although the disc I have has a pleasant audio accompaniment).

To sum it up, this movie is not just for silent movie buffs. I really think the average person will enjoy it. I did.

The Original Creature Feature

[pocca · 7/10 · 3 September 2005]

Before King Kong scaled the Empire State Building, Godzilla stalked the streets of Tokyo and Spielberg's T-Rex gobbled up that lawyer, a brontosaurus in "The Lost World" swam down the Thames river. As well as containing the prototypes of the over-sized beasties that would come to populate other movies of this sort, "The Lost World" features other characters typical of this genre, including a scientist committed to the point of madness in his quest for some mysterious creature, a reporter or writer who tags along out of curiosity and a plucky young woman (often searching for a father who went missing on a similar excursion). Of course the human beings in such movies are usually of secondary interest (with the exception of the great Fay Wray), so the real question here is, how well do "The Lost World"'s dinosaurs and the twenties stop motion special effects hold up? The answer is, surprisingly well. Perhaps the animals would have looked fake in Technicolor, but they are quite impressive in black and white, especially the predatory allosauruses (although they are rather cute in close up when they fastidiously lick their digits after a particularly juicy chunk of flesh or snarl like Elvis Presley.)

The only complaint I had about this movie was the abrupt jumping from one plot point to another—the young male and female leads who seem barely acquainted are all of a sudden engaged by the middle of the movie. After reading other comments, however, I realized that these problems were probably due to my viewing a shortened version, 63 minute version of this film. If possible, try to find the full 93 minute version.

Not the worst

[13Funbags · 2/10 · 28 September 2018]

There's so many movies about islands full of dinosaurs and they're all bad. This is the least bad.

Old-Fashioned But Still Very Entertaining

[Snow Leopard · 27 June 2001]

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.

Surprisingly -- Okay.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 11 November 2008]

I hadn't been expecting much, so it came as a pleasant surprise to find this was a rather well-done flick. Instead of Annie the Dinosaur, I got "King Kong" in nascent form. The guy doing the special effects, Willis O'Brien seemed to be developing his craft here. The dinosaurs, while obviously models moving in stop motion, are not cartoons but realistic models. If a giant Allosaurus is about to attack, he whips his lizard-like tail around, just as the Ymir did in "20,000 Miles to Earth". They copied a lot of this stuff for the 1950s monster movies.

And the plot! I don't know how closely in adheres to Conan-Doyle's novel, but in "The Lost World" we see laid bare the structure -- the armature, as it were -- of a dozen later movies, beginning with "King Kong." How's this for a plot structure? A hardy handful of explorers and adventurers travel to an exotic land, dragging a beautiful young woman along. There, they discover dangerous creatures of monstrous size, prehistoric and alien. They manage to capture one of the beasts and take it back alive to the Big City, but it escapes and runs wild through the streets, smashing buildings, knocking over landmarks, eating people, and parking illegally in handicapped zones.

That's what happens here, only instead of a giant ape or some ill-formed and befanged organism from outer space, it's a brontosaurus.

The effects are really sophisticated for their time, 1925. And though the science may be pure hokum, still the adventure is an exciting one. What's missing here is the death of the monster, and the pathos of King Kong's death, who, after all, died for love, just like the rest of us. This dinosaur simple rumbles onto Tower Bridge. The bridge collapses under its weight and the creature swims to the sea and presumably freedom. Just as well. There is no record of a brontosaurus ever having harmed a human being before. This one was simply taken from its natural environment and presented with the overwhelming temptation to do so. Live and let live, I say. If you don't bother THEM, they don't bother YOU. Unlike, may I say, certain forms of spyware and the purveyors of male enhancement products.

The acting is of the period and not worth much attention.

This version of "The Lost World" is shorter than the 1960 Irwin Allen version and I enjoyed it more. In the latter, real lizards and crocodilians, dressed in fake horns and blown up to giant size, actually fought and tore pieces of flesh from each other. These models fight too but nothing is being wounded or killed for our pleasure. There's always the knowledge that what we're watching is what was known at the time as "fake photography." Not bad. And not just "not bad" per se, but not bad because in watching it we seem to be witnessing the birth of an entire genre of films. Willis O'Brien was to pass the baton to Ray Harryhausen, who would carry on with the stop-motion work until obliterated by time and the advent of computer-generated images of the kind we see in "Jurassic Park."

An amazing film

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 10 March 2008]

This is the first film of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's tale and significant for two reasons.

First, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle appears in the film and, since he died five years after it was released, it may be the only chance you have to see the creator of Sherlock Holmes.

Secondly, it was the first significant use of stop-motion animation in a major motion picture. The Allosaurus (I was really surprised they didn't use T-Rex), and the brontosaurus and the other dinosaurs were three-dimensional and really seemed alive. Amazing for 1925.

Sure, it is a silent film, but it had a King Kong/Jurassic Park story that was fascinating. They actually brought a brontosaurus back to London. It went swimming down the Thames at the end and I imagine is currently seen in Loch Ness.

The film features Oscar Nominee Bessie Love; Oscar nominee Lewis Stone, who was nominated in an Oscar winning film, The Patriot, which has been lost; Oscar winner Wallace Beery (The Champ, The Big House); and professional wrestler Bull Montana as an ape man.

A true classic!

Brilliant work.

[swedzin · 7/10 · 14 October 2012]

I love silent films, and I have really enjoyed this one. But, that's not the point. Now, I was a really small fragments of this film as a kid, and I keep asked myself, "where can I find this film?" thanks to internet, I found it, and it was really a pleasure. The film is based upon Arthur Conan Doyle's famous novel, which was adapted more than once, but I think this version is the best. I also think that it presents a complete realization about a subject that is acceptable and attractive even today.

It is a story about an island, past this world, a large plateau in South America that is filled with dinosaurs and all other prehistoric things. And it was founded by fierce professor Challenger (played by brilliant Wallace Beery), who returns with the expedition to do research and document.

From my perspective, the movie ending is very significant in the history of cinema. Challenger brought a large Brontosaurus in London which escapes and started a riot in the town. And remember, this was before King Kong and Godzilla. King Kong and Godzilla, eat your heart out, Brontosaurus beat you to it! The special effects, for which I think that they were of great importance, were very good, that stop motion was always cool. Oh, and there's also the first usage of combination of animated and live-motion picture material. Awesome... Now, today there are not a lot of people who would watch silent films, but for those who are fans and who enjoy it, don't miss this.

King Dino

[RainDogJr · 10/10 · 30 August 2012]

Last weekend I attended a screening of Harry Hoyt's THE LOST WORLD that offered the one- hour version. The quality of the image was great and the score was performed live. And I only had the obvious reference of it: Willis H. O'Brien, who was responsible for the special effects in KING KONG (the original 1933 version certainly), worked here, doing the stop-motion material as well. I'm pretty sure I'll write *King Kong* a whole lot more in this commentary since this is similar to "Kong" in many ways. I was actually very surprised because of that fact; I, certainly, expected similarity to "Kong" but really nothing more than something technical oriented.

Actually, I would say THE LOST WORLD is pretty much KING KONG. It doesn't have, however, a very iconic character (nor a sad ending); after all, it isn't titled after the name of a specific creature (here we have dinosaurs of all kinds). But don't let this confuse you dear reader since "Lost World" does features iconic scenes. In other words, the dinosaur here (the one that suffers a similar denouement to the one Kong had) doesn't climbs a famous London building, equivalent to New York's Empire State (yes, this film, or better said, the last part of it is set in London, England), but we do enjoy a really wonderful scene featuring the dinosaur at a London landmark. Needless to say, this was made eight years before "Kong".

THE LOST WORLD is one of those films that are worth watching not just because they were influential. I mean, this is so much FUN! Unlike many films of this kind, it never hesitates when it comes to show you its main attraction (the dinosaurs of course) – we get to watch lots of fights between them (great and fun material) and some heart as well (there's a crazy ape- man too). I'm willing to seek the DVD of it and hopefully I get to watch the full (or just longer) version. Meanwhile, this one-hour piece was a blast and a perfect Saturday night movie! Watch it, even if it's the online version that IMDb is offering now for free.

*Watched it on 25 August, 2012

Very good, but out of date...

[srmccarthy · 6/10 · 24 May 2003]

Personally, I found this movie to be very interesting and I am certain that it was a big hit in 1925! But, unless you have an interest in the archives, this will fall short of the more modern versions. On the other hand, if you DO have an interest in the archives, then this is a must see! In which case, you have GOT to check out the brilliant animation (unbelievable for 1925)!

Delightful fantasy adventure silent classic

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 21 May 2019]

An expedition ventures into a remote high plateau to find a missing man. Said expedition discovers various dangerous and predatory prehistoric creatures living in this lost world and decide to take a brontosaurus back to London with them.

Director Harry O. Hoyt not only keeps the enjoyable and engrossing story moving along at a constant pace, but also brings a winning sense of wonder and spectacle to the often lively and stirring proceedings. Moreover, this film further benefits from an entertaining array of colorful characters: Wallace Beery as the crusty Professor Challenger, Lloyd Hughes as eager reporter Ed Malone, Bessie Love as the sweet and perky Paula White, Lewis Stone as dashing hunter Sir John Roxton, Arthur Hoyt as the uptight Professor Summerlee, and Bull Montana as a ferocious meddlesome apeman. Only Jules Cowles as the dim-witted Zambo wears out his welcome after a while with his tiresome and unfunny comic relief antics. Willis H. O'Brien's dazzling stop-motion animation beasts hold up really well; they come across as remarkably lifelike and convincing. The scenes with the dinosaurs either fighting each other or attacking people are genuinely exciting. Ditto an elaborate set piece involving a volcanic eruption and the rousing climax with the brontosaurus on the rampage in London. Best of all, this picture has a sincere quality to it that gives the whole thing a certain quaint charm. A super fun film.

Oh Give Me A Home, Where The Brontosaurus Roam

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 8 July 2011]

If I could write in my review that the 1960 version of The Lost World was in need of a remake with computer generated dinosaurs from Jurassic Park, than certainly it would hold true for this silent version from 1925. It doesn't detract however from the fact that audiences marveled at this one in the theaters during that year.

When talkies arrived no one would have ever cast Wallace Beery as Arthur Conan Doyle's Professor George Challenger. Beery is unrecognizable beneath that bushy head and heavy beard. Claude Rains from 1960 was definitely Conan Doyle's idea of Challenger.

Beery has gotten possession of a diary from Bessie Love's father who was marooned on a plateau in the still unexplored areas of the Amazon tributary headwaters. He claims through that diary that dinosaurs roam that area only to be met with derision. In fact Beery's special almost pathological hate is reserved for the press.

But through the press, Edward Hughes's newspaper, an expedition is financed and it consists of Beery, Hughes, Love, Lewis Stone as a celebrated big game hunter and Arthur Hoyt who is Challenger's scientific rival and chief critic.

The animated special effects are state of the art in 1925 and are pretty good even today. The plateau is all that the diary claims and more. Beery and company even bring back a large souvenir from the place and it wreaks as much havoc on London as King Kong did in New York. Wouldn't be surprised if Meriam C. Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack got their idea for King Kong from the Lost World.

The Lost World is ancient and dated, but still good viewing.

Greatly enjoyed this great Silent Film

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 16 November 2005]

Always enjoyed the silent films and how actors were able to show their real talents by acting from head to toe with no sound at all, except the piano player in the movie house. This film starred some great Classic actors, Wallace Berry, Lewis Stone(Sir John Paxton), and Besie Love, (Miss Paula White),"The Barefoot Contessa",'54, and many more. I could hardly believe the special effects that were created in this film, I never expected to see Dinosours and prehistoric animals with movement in the year 1925. All I can say, this picture must have been a great success years ago, however, this film at times made me think about "King Kong" and how Kong escaped and almost destroyed New York City. If you love to watch what people enjoyed in the 1920's, this is worth viewing.

"Great guns we can't get back!"

[retrorocketx · 7/10 · 24 November 2008]

Here it is, the granddaddy of all Lost World genre movies. Many have been made since this one. But this is the one that almost all others pay homage to, if not outright steal from. This is the one that first set the bar way back in 1925. And amazingly, though many have tried, few have matched or exceeded the storytelling potential first mined in this movie. The original clocked in at 106 minutes or so, the version I own from runs 93 minutes and is considered the most complete. The cut down version of 60 or so minutes is not recommended.

I watch this movie for historical enjoyment, not to watch it with the expectation of watching a great movie. It is not because this is a silent movie (there are several silent films I think are great), it is simply that the story lags in places and is a little loose in others. Even with that caveat, this is an amazing movie. According to the original 1925 souvenir program, 'It took six times longer to produce this picture than any other production in film history, for it was more than seven years from its inception to completion." It is in this spirit, of this movie as a pioneering accomplishment of imagination, that I enjoy it so much.

The movie is based on a book written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The book is great fun and is well worth reading. Much of the spirit of the book is present in the movie. For the movie a female character and a romantic triangle are introduced. I can't think of any Lost World type movies that have failed to include a female love interest, it is that compelling and necessary in this genre. However, in this movie, the love triangle is tepid and somewhat dull. I suspect some of the lost footage is tied to the trading post scene, where a love ballad is supposed to be sung. Maybe that footage would have helped deepen the romantic triangle. I doubt it. But if the love story falls flat, the characters of Challenger and Roxton are perfectly cast, perhaps never since equaled. The constant and hilarious bickering between Challenger and Summerlee, one of the delights of the book, is at least represented in this movie.

But it is the stop motion dinosaurs that justifiably make this movie famous. So many movies have failed to come even close to the bar set by these dinosaurs. This is their coming out party in a major film. They look great, as if they jumped out of one of the fabulous paintings of Charles R. Knight. They are active, quick and powerful. They fight and kill with gusto and ferocity! These dinosaurs are true tyrant lizards, unapologetic masters of their world. And at the end, with the brontosaurus swimming out to sea, we know that the true primordial can never be contained or tamed.

The setting for the movie is a wonderful combination of paintings, miniatures and actual jungle footage. And there is so much setting to play with - an inaccessible, forgotten land, intricate caves, skulking man-apes, primitive tribes (in the book, not the movie), lost explorers, volcanoes which threaten to destroy everything, and of course, the hope that something could be brought back.

This is a must see movie for all fans of the lost world genre. Who would not want to venture off into this primeval lost world? When Challenger calls out for volunteers, I want to jump up and shout, "Sign me up!"

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his dog make an appearance in this pioneering dinosaur film.

[Dominic_25_ · 4/10 · 9 May 2022]

This is a novelty film. It is significant for inspiring later better films and for having a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle cameo.

There is stop-motion dinosaurs and there is the legendary Arthur Conan Doyle. Aside from that this film is barely watchable. King Kong, Godzilla, and other giant monster movies were inspired by this one and I guess for the time this was really impressive. The dinosaurs look like models but I was expecting that from a stop-motion film from 1925.

The story (once you suspend your disbelief for the setting and dinosaurs) is really just boring. The dinosaurs and ape people are really just spectacle. Also there is blackface which is a yikes and the portrayal of women is stale, if I'm being kind.

Really only watchable if you can tolerate silent films or if you love stop-motion. I guess it's a cool early depiction of dinosaurs.