The Land That Time Forgot (1974 film)
A 1974 fantasy film based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel.
Robert parrin · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Land That Time Forgot is a 1974 adventure fantasy film directed by Kevin Connor, with a screenplay by Michael Moorcock and James Cawthorn adapted from Edgar Rice Burroughs’ 1918 novel. A British-American co-production, it stars Doug McClure, John McEnery, Keith Barron, Susan Penhaligon, Anthony Ainley, and Declan Mulholland.
The story begins when a sailor on the English coast finds a bottle containing a manuscript, which is then read. The narrative follows Bowen Tyler, a passenger on a ship torpedoed during World War I by Captain von Schoenvorts. Tyler and a few surviving British officers persuade the men to take over the surfaced German U-boat as their only chance to survive. After a fight on deck, they seize the submarine, with Tyler aiming for a British port. Von Schoenvorts directs his crew toward a safe harbor, but German officer Dietz breaks free and destroys the sub’s radio. Lost and low on fuel in the South Atlantic, the U-boat and its crew enter Caprona, an uncharted subcontinent with lush vegetation, roaming dinosaurs, and primitive humans. Crude oil deposits are found there, and Tyler and von Schoenvorts agree to cooperate to refine it and escape. Tyler learns that on Caprona, individuals evolve not by natural selection but by moving northward across the island. When the submarine is repaired, volcanic eruptions erupt across the island. Dietz mutinies, shoots von Schoenvorts, and takes command, abandoning Tyler and Clayton in Caprona. The U-boat fails in the boiling waters and sinks, killing its crew. Stranded as the sole survivors, Tyler and Clayton move north, and Tyler throws the bottle with his manuscript into the sea.
The cast includes Doug McClure as Bowen Tyler, John McEnery as Captain Friedrich von Schoenvorts, Susan Penhaligon as Lisa Clayton, Keith Barron as John Bradley, Anthony Ainley as Lt. Dietz, Godfrey James as Borg, Declan Mulholland as Olson, Roy Holder as Plesser, Andrew McCulloch as Sinclair, Ron Pember as Jones, Brian Hall as Schwartz, Peter Sproule as Hindle, and Steve James as First Sto-Lu.
During production, Amicus initially wanted Doug McClure in the lead, but he refused, so they signed Stuart Whitman. When Samuel Z. Arkoff of American International Pictures co-financed the film and provided most of the budget, he insisted on McClure, who then changed his mind and agreed. Director Kevin Connor noted McClure’s skill
- Release Year
- 1974
- Director
- Kevin Connor
- Writers
- Michael Moorcock, James Cawthorn
- Based On
- The Land That Time Forgot (1918) by Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Production Companies
- Amicus Productions, American International Pictures
- Lead Actor
- Doug McClure
- Box Office Rank
- 14th biggest hit at the British box office in 1975
Lore & Background
The film's plot begins with a bottle containing a manuscript washing ashore in England. The manuscript narrates the story of Bowen Tyler, a passenger on a ship torpedoed during World War I by Captain von Schoenvorts. After seizing the German U-boat, Tyler and a mixed group of British and German survivors become stranded in the uncharted subcontinent Caprona, where dinosaurs and primitive humans coexist. They must work together to refine crude oil for escape, but a mutiny and volcanic eruptions lead to Tyler being left behind, while Clayton escapes.
Reader's Guide
The Land That Time Forgot is significant as the first of three Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptations produced by Amicus in the 1970s, followed by The People That Time Forgot (1977) and At the Earth's Core (1976). The film employed hand-puppet dinosaurs and front projection techniques to create its prehistoric creatures, a departure from stop-motion animation. Despite mixed critical reviews—earning a 47% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes—it was a commercial success in Britain. The film later gained a cult following, being featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, and inspired comic book adaptations by Marvel Comics and American Mythology Productions.
Did You Know?
- Doug McClure initially refused the lead role, but American International Pictures co-financed the film on condition he be cast.
- The dinosaurs were created using hand puppets and strings, not stop-motion animation.
- The speaking part of Captain von Schoenvorts was later dubbed by German-born actor Anton Diffring.
- Some scenes of Caprona were filmed in a disused claypit in Reading, Berkshire.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed The Land That Time Forgot (1974 film)?
Kevin Connor directed the 1974 adventure fantasy, with a screenplay written by Michael Moorcock and James Cawthorn. It was produced as a British-American co-production by Amicus Productions and American International Pictures.
Who stars in The Land That Time Forgot (1974 film)?
Doug McClure takes the lead as Bowen Tyler, supported by John McEnery, Keith Barron, Susan Penhaligon, Anthony Ainley, and Declan Mulholland.
What is The Land That Time Forgot (1974 film) based on?
The screenplay adapts Edgar Rice Burroughs' 1918 novel of the same name. The plot follows WWI shipwreck survivors who wash up on a hidden island inhabited by dinosaurs and prehistoric humans.
How does The Land That Time Forgot (1974 film) end?
Tyler and the surviving British officers manage to escape the lost island and make their way back to the modern world. The entire adventure is framed as a manuscript that a sailor discovers sealed in a bottle on the English coast.
Why is The Land That Time Forgot (1974 film) notable to fans?
The co-screenplay credit of Michael Moorcock, a towering figure in science-fiction and fantasy literature, gives the project a distinctive literary pedigree. It also remains one of the most recognizable screen adaptations of a Burroughs lost-world story from the 1970s.
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