The Lost World (1925)

100% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
64% of users liked it
(3,021 ratings)

This adventure virtually butchers its source, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic novel. But with stop-motion photography and special effects that were incredibly innovative in 1924 and 1925, who cared? These effects were the whole film, and Wallace Beery's inspired performance was a bonus. The tale… More This adventure virtually butchers its source, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic novel. But with stop-motion photography and special effects that were incredibly innovative in 1924 and 1925, who cared? These effects were the whole film, and Wallace Beery's inspired performance was a bonus. The tale opens on reporter Edward Malone (Lloyd Hughes), who wants to marry Gladys Hungerford (Alma Bennett). Gladys, however, only wants to marry a man of great deeds. So Malone, having asked his editor for an adventuresome assignment, is given the task of interviewing Professor Challenger (Beery), who is planning an expedition to a "lost world." Malone accompanies Challenger and his men to South America where, on a great plateau, they find a prehistoric world occupied by dinosaurs and ape-like men. They barely escape with their lives, but they manage to bring a brontosaurus back to London. The beast breaks out and terrorizes the city before crashing through the London bridge and swimming out toward the ocean to freedom. In the midst of all this, Malone has fallen in love with Paula White, the daughter of an explorer (Bessie Love). Since Gladys, it turns out, has married a clerk, Malone is able to wed his new sweetheart. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 2 min.
Directed By: Harry O. Hoyt
Written By: Arthur Conan Doyle, Marion Fairfax
Genres: Action & Adventure, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jun 22, 1925 Wide
On DVD: May 21, 1997
Studio: eRealBiz

Critic Reviews

Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
It built the mold for much of what came afterward, and those of us who enjoy fantastical films have much to thank it and Willis O'Brien for.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
This DVD release, in fact, restores 50 percent more footage than any version generally available since the 1930s, and presents the most definitive restoration possible.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The tremendous special effects of Willis O'Brien, who later did the same for King Kong, make this film essential viewing for film historians.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Highly entertaining, if somewhat clumsy, silent special effects film.

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

Slightly better than all the other mysterious dinosaur island movies that have been made since. It's watchable, it has good special effects, and has a good beginning. Overall it's not bad.
_kelly .

This is an essential film for students. May seem a bit intolerably slow, which is why I always screen it at 1.5x or 2x the speed which makes the action a lot more visceral and animated and less like time lapse creatures slowed by the occasional misplacing (special effects was always… More
This is an essential film for students. May seem a bit intolerably slow, which is why I always screen it at 1.5x or 2x the speed which makes the action a lot more visceral and animated and less like time lapse creatures slowed by the occasional misplacing (special effects was always complicated, the best example I always think of is when Ray Harryhausen is explaining how he kept track of the skull soldiers' movements in "Jason and the Argonauts", or how he would could back from lunch having forgotten which heads on the seven headed serpent had done which movements yet but that is another movie, another master who gained his knowledge from the effects auteur in this film).
Donnie D

I've always been fond of silent movies ever since I saw my first Charlie Chaplin short movie as a kid. So going into The Lost World I was excited as little kid, and I was not disappointed. So the plot resolves around a ridicule professor for claiming that Dinosaurs still roam… More
I've always been fond of silent movies ever since I saw my first Charlie Chaplin short movie as a kid. So going into The Lost World I was excited as little kid, and I was not disappointed. So the plot resolves around a ridicule professor for claiming that Dinosaurs still roam Earth. He sets out on a dangerous expedition to bring a Dinosaur back and stopped being ridicule. Now for me, I felt the story could've been better, I mean it really has nothing interesting for the first 15 minutes. It's interesting, but it stays the same level of interests for the whole movie, so good being in my case. One scene i'm sure you'll always remember if you choose watch this movie is when the Brontosaurs is loose on the city causing havoc. The special effect on the other hand are just magical. I couldn't believe how entertained I was to see these Dinosaurs move, I know it clearly fake, but there just something so interesting about these type of special effect. I was also actually surprise see so many different species of Dinosaurs in this movie considering the hard work it must have taken to animate these Dinosaurs. The music also is good, it doesn't always go with the scene, but you won't mind much. I'm not sure about you, but I enjoy taking a trip to the past to explore these great movies. Like many silent movies, The Lost World is still a enjoyable movie to this, even the dated special effect adds to this movie greatness.
Brandon K

Points off, obviously, for the blackface character, but the things they did with coloring the film and the effects all make this movie worth a watch. I'm impressed with the stop motion, considering the year it was made and it moves nice and quickly.