"THE LOST WORLD."

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 183, 5 August 1925, Page 8

"THE LOST WORLD."

A UNIQUE PHOTOPLAY.

No better advertising slogan could be found for the unique First National production, "The Lost World," which will open at the National and Lyric Theatres to-morrow, than "made for your amazement." "Amazing" does not describe adequately this film, which must, for sheer novelty and genius of film art, be placed in a class by itself. When you see this version of Sir A. Conan Doyle's imaginative story, you can easily believe the statement of the producers that it represents seven years of arduous work— not mere labour in the sense of fitting up studios and engaging casts, but years of careful scientific research. For this feature is no ordinary love Btory—it brings to life those terrible monstrosities of prehistoric animals that are known by such names ac alloeauri, brontoßauri, diplodooi and pterodactyl. It is the insurrection of these animals —the placing them before us with almost frightening reality—that makes the picture the most extraordinary of its age. We realise from the outset that, no matter how much alivo they eeein, the animals are faked; but what amazing fakiisg it is! There on the screen, you see, not one, but dozens of these terrible creatures, iv their native habitat—in the Lost World, a large territory at the back of the Amazon. They are beasts of peculiar form, so large that against them, the intrepid explorers who dare to enter the death-country, look inconceivably small. But these reconstructions of life ages ago walk and breathe, their skins fold when they move, their bodies heave from exertion, their eyes have a natural glint. But most marvellous of all the scenes is when they fight, as they often do, to the death. These terrible monsters attack one another and strike, with deadly accuracy, for the vital spots in each other's bodies—they rend one another's flesh, they writhe in the deaththroes, and—wonder of wonders!—the blood spurts from them. In the close ups, too, one can see the saliva and froth in their mouths. One of the most sensational scenes in the film is that of a night of terror, when a volcano belches forth, molten lava runs down and the jungle burns fiercely, while the frenzied animals, smoked out like gigantic rats, rush for safety, fighting and killing as they go. Then the dawn comes up, and a whole plateau is covered with them. The great climax will leave any audience gasping. A giant brontosaurus, with a body like an elephant, a tail the size of a big tree, and a neck and head like a long snake, which has been taken to England to convince a disbelieving public of the existence of it and its knid, escapes from its cage in London and dashes about the streets while terrified crowds flee before it. Pandemonium ensues, as the monster thunders along, its massive feet going through the concrete pavement, while it demolishes whole buildings and tears statues from their foundations. Finally the animal gets on to a bridge across the Thames, which is too frail a thing to hold the monster, with the result that the bridge collapses, casting it into the water. The film closes showing the brute making out to sea, while a passing liner seems like a dinghy in comparison. Apart from the prehistoric aspect, the scenes of the sunrises in the jungle and the photography as a whole, are superb. A pretty love story is nicely placed against the sensational background. Alice Joyce, Wallace Beery, and Lewis Stone have the leading roles in this most unique production, which will not be forgotten for a long time after it has nnished its run here.