Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold

Lore & Background

The film follows Allan Quatermain and Jesse Huston, who have settled in colonial Africa after their previous expedition. Quatermain learns that his friend Dumont has been killed by masked men, but before dying, Dumont reveals that Quatermain's brother Robeson is alive and that they have found the legendary Lost City of Gold. Quatermain assembles an expedition with Jesse, the warrior Umslopogaas, a spiritual guru named Swarma, and five Askari warriors. After crossing a desert and losing several party members to traps and attacks, they discover the city, which is ruled by two queens—the noble Nyleptha and her power-hungry sister Sorais—but the true leader is the evil High Priest Agon. Quatermain raises the population against Agon and Sorais, and in the final battle, he uses Umslopogaas' axe to channel lightning and melt gold, turning Agon and his army into gold statues.

Reader's Guide

Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold was a box office disappointment, earning $2 million in its first week and debuting at number seven. It was poorly received by critics, with a 40% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on five reviews. The Boston Globe criticized its washed-out scenery and stale dialogue, while The New York Times noted that Richard Chamberlain's professionalism made the film watchable. The Los Angeles Times compared it unfavorably to Indiana Jones films. The film has also been criticized for conveying racist themes, with the book Africans and the Politics of Popular Culture stating it reached 'levels of racism unachieved since the 1930s.' Plans for further sequels were shelved after its commercial failure, though a proposed sequel, Allan Quatermain and the Jewel of the East, was written but never produced due to the death of Menahem Golan.

Did You Know?

• The film was not made simultaneously with its predecessor; production of the sequel began after the first film was completed.
• The score reused material composed by Jerry Goldsmith for the first film, supplemented with music from other Cannon Films productions.
• The film debuted at number seven at the box office, earning $2 million in its first week.

Production & Creative Origins

The film was produced by Cannon Films under the direction of Gary Nelson and was shot simultaneously with its predecessor, King Solomon's Mines, though it did not reach audiences until a couple of years later. It draws its loose narrative foundation from H. Rider Haggard's 1887 novel Allan Quatermain, the literary sequel to King Solomon's Mines, in which the protagonist and his companions search for a lost white tribe in Africa and become entangled in a conflict between rival queens. The filmmakers took tremendous liberties with the source material, leaning instead toward a tone closer to the Indiana Jones film series. The production team built an opulent set in the vicinity of Victoria Falls to anchor the adventure's visual world. Richard Chamberlain reprised his role as the title character, and Sharon Stone returned as Jesse Huston, carrying over the dynamic established in the first film.

Plot & Narrative Arc

After surviving their previous expedition, Quatermain and Jesse have settled into domestic life in colonial Africa, engaged to be married. The narrative ignites when Dumont, a friend of Quatermain's, stumbles out of the jungle pursued by masked men. Before dying, he reveals that Quatermain's supposedly lost brother Robeson is alive and that the legendary Lost City of Gold has been found. Quatermain assembles an expedition with Jesse, the fearless warrior Umslopogaas, a spiritual guru named Swarma, and five Askari warriors. The journey exacts a heavy toll: a boobytrap claims two Askari, a savage Eshowe attack kills another, and a subterranean river swallows the remaining warriors. Upon reaching the city, the group discovers a friendly society of both black and white inhabitants. Quatermain reunites with Robeson, who appears healthy and at peace. However, true power rests with the feared High Priest Agon and his power-hungry sister Sorais. Quatermain rallies the population in rebellion. In the climactic battle atop the temple during a lightning storm, he channels electricity through Umslopogaas' axe to melt the city's gold, which cascades over the attacking horde, transforming Agon and his army into golden statues.

Musical Score & Soundtrack

The film's musical landscape reflects the financial realities of Cannon Films production as much as artistic ambition. Michael Linn composed just over half an hour of original score, yet the producers also incorporated material by Jerry Goldsmith from the first film, supplemented with cues drawn from other Cannon productions. Linn's score does weave in Goldsmith's main theme, creating a hybrid soundscape across the runtime. The soundtrack first appeared in 1988 on a Silva Screen CD shared with cues from Manifesto, Making the Grade, Doin' Time on Planet Earth, and The Seven Magnificent Gladiators. In 2009, La-La Land Records released it as a standalone album. The track listing spans pieces such as "Quatermain Shows Off," "Dumont Dies," "Umslopogaas," "Earthquake," "Love Scene," and "Agon Wants Revenge," with cues containing Goldsmith material distinguished in italics on the release.

Reception & Legacy

The film met with critical disdain upon its January 1987 American release. The film sits at a 40% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, drawn from a mere five critic reviews. The Boston Globe dismissed it as hollow spectacle with washed-out scenery, stale dialogue, and lackluster performances, suggesting it was only for audiences unbothered by empty adventure. The New York Times considered it a curiosity of limited significance, noting that viewers accustomed to Spielberg-level effects would learn a great deal watching the same tricks executed poorly, while crediting Chamberlain's professionalism as the sole redeeming quality. At the box office, the film debuted at number seven with two million dollars in its first week but became a clear disappointment, contributing to Cannon Films reporting a loss in early 1987. The commercial failure effectively killed any plans for additional sequels. Chamberlain himself acknowledged the film's shortcomings, noting his mother felt the marketing failed to signal it was a comedy, yet he maintained the experience did not damage his career prospects.