Atlantis, the Lost Continent
Encyclopedia
Atlantis, the Lost Continent is a 1961
science fiction film
, directed by George Pal
and starring Anthony Hall aka: Sal Ponti, about the destruction of Atlantis
during the time of Ancient Greece
.
. After rescuing an Atlantean princess, Demetrios must travel beyond the Pillars of Hercules to take her home. Upon returning her to her civilization, Demetrios, while expecting to receive a reward, is instead enslaved and forced to fight in the arena to undergo the ordeal of fire and water.
The king, Cronus (Edgar Stehli), is being manipulated by an ambitious usurper, Zaren (John Dall), using an evil sorcerer (Frank DeKova) who wishes to use the resources of Atlantis to take over the world. The slaves of Atlantis have been mining crystals which absorb the sun's rays and can then be used to fire heat rays. Due to arrogant corruption and moral laxity, the country is an abomination before heaven.
Demetrios' fights with a giant ogre in a pool of fire and water. The ogre appears to be about 350 lbs and Demetrios outmaneuvers him and lights his hair on fire with hilarious laughing from the massive crowd in the "coliseum" and goofy scenes of spectators holding grapes cheering them on.
The House of Fear, where slaves become beasts - similar to the House of Pain long before Michael York found
the Island of Dr. Moreau - is one of the plot's less-successful points. Demetrios is partially transformed into one of them.
Unexpected religious overtones enter the story. Impending doom hangs heavy in the air. The birds and animals flee the approaching destruction.
Through the help of a kind, spiritual high-priest named Azar (Edward Platt), Demetrios is able to rescue the princess from the wicked spells of the sorcerer and his malicious pretender to the throne, and escape from the spectacular destruction of Atlantis
in the climactic finale. Azar and Zaren wrestle each other as their huge crystal ray device sweeps about uncontrollably zapping this and that until it destroys both John Dall and Edward Platt. Eventually, the earth moves, thunder crashes, and the volcano erupts, as the survivors flee to different parts of the world, spreading the legend through their own mythology.
and The Naked Jungle
. Props from other productions were also reused, including a large statue at the temple from The Prodigal
and Krell gauges from Forbidden Planet
.
The spectacular special visual effects work of Atlantis
, the elaborate miniature work of ancient Greek and Roman-style buildings, landscapes, temples, the volcano, the destruction of Atlantis
, and the giant crystal ray machine, were the work of the special effects production company Project Unlimited, supervised by Gene Warren
, Wah Chang
, and Jim Danforth
, along with the MGM production staff supervised by A. Arnold Gillespie
. They coordinated their work with George Pal
, who worked closely with the production designer and art director George W. Davis and William Ferrari
.
The film's prologue, describing the legend of Atlantis, features stop motion
animation, often used by producer George Pal
earlier in his career.
Voice actor Paul Frees provides the opening narration, and also is heard dubbing the voice of the hero's father as well as the ruler of Atlantis.
in his 2002 Movie & Video Guide as "Pal's worst film", saying that it had "poor effects" and that it was: "Occasionally funny – but not on purpose."
Science fiction author David Wingrove
also had similar criticisms in his science fiction film source book: "No expense was spared in buying up footage from Quo Vadis to give it true period flavour. Avoid."
At a preview screening of this film, questionnaires were handed to the audience asking what their favorite scene was. One person, apparently recognizing the footage taken from Quo Vadis, replied, "The scene where Robert Taylor
saved Deborah Kerr
from the fire."
1961 in film
The year 1961 in film involved some significant events, with West Side Story winning 10 Academy Awards.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:* Atlantis, the Lost ContinentB...
science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
, directed by George Pal
George Pál
George Pal , born György Pál Marczincsak, was a Hungarian-born American animator and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction genre...
and starring Anthony Hall aka: Sal Ponti, about the destruction of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
during the time of Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
.
Plot
A Greek fisherman named Demetrios (Sal Ponti, under the screen name of Anthony Hall) and his father rescue Princess Antillia (Joyce Taylor) from a shipwreck without knowing that she is from the technologically advanced civilization of AtlantisAtlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
. After rescuing an Atlantean princess, Demetrios must travel beyond the Pillars of Hercules to take her home. Upon returning her to her civilization, Demetrios, while expecting to receive a reward, is instead enslaved and forced to fight in the arena to undergo the ordeal of fire and water.
The king, Cronus (Edgar Stehli), is being manipulated by an ambitious usurper, Zaren (John Dall), using an evil sorcerer (Frank DeKova) who wishes to use the resources of Atlantis to take over the world. The slaves of Atlantis have been mining crystals which absorb the sun's rays and can then be used to fire heat rays. Due to arrogant corruption and moral laxity, the country is an abomination before heaven.
Demetrios' fights with a giant ogre in a pool of fire and water. The ogre appears to be about 350 lbs and Demetrios outmaneuvers him and lights his hair on fire with hilarious laughing from the massive crowd in the "coliseum" and goofy scenes of spectators holding grapes cheering them on.
The House of Fear, where slaves become beasts - similar to the House of Pain long before Michael York found
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977 film)
The Island of Dr. Moreau is the second movie version of the H. G. Wells science fiction novel about a scientist who attempts to convert animals into people, starring Burt Lancaster, Michael York, Barbara Carrera, and Richard Basehart...
the Island of Dr. Moreau - is one of the plot's less-successful points. Demetrios is partially transformed into one of them.
Unexpected religious overtones enter the story. Impending doom hangs heavy in the air. The birds and animals flee the approaching destruction.
Through the help of a kind, spiritual high-priest named Azar (Edward Platt), Demetrios is able to rescue the princess from the wicked spells of the sorcerer and his malicious pretender to the throne, and escape from the spectacular destruction of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
in the climactic finale. Azar and Zaren wrestle each other as their huge crystal ray device sweeps about uncontrollably zapping this and that until it destroys both John Dall and Edward Platt. Eventually, the earth moves, thunder crashes, and the volcano erupts, as the survivors flee to different parts of the world, spreading the legend through their own mythology.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Sal Ponti (as Anthony Hall) | Demetrios |
| Joyce Taylor | Princess Antillia |
| John Dall John Dall John Dall was an American actor.Primarily a stage actor, he is best remembered today for two film roles; the cool-minded intellectual killer in Alfred Hitchcock's film Rope, and the trigger-happy lead in the 1950 noir Gun Crazy.He first came to fame as the young prodigy who comes alive under the... |
Zaren |
| William Smith William Smith (actor) William Smith is an American actor who has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.Smith began his acting career at the age of 8 in 1942... |
Captain of the Guard |
| Edward Platt Edward Platt Edward Cuthbert Platt was an American actor best known for his portrayal of "The Chief" in the 1965-70 NBC/CBS television series Get Smart... |
Azar the High Priest |
| Frank DeKova Frank Dekova Frank Dekova was an Italian-American character actor.-Biography:Dekova was born in New York City and taught at a school in New York before joining a Shakespeare repertory group... |
Sonoy the Astrologer |
| Berry Kroeger Berry Kroeger Berry Kroeger was an American film, television, and stage actor.Born in San Antonio, Texas, Kroeger got his acting start on radio as an announcer and actor, playing for a time The Falcon and The Shadow... |
Surgeon |
| Edgar Stehli | King Cronus [Kronos] |
| Wolfe Barzell | Petros, Demetrios' Father |
| Jay Novello Jay Novello Jay Novello was an American radio, film, and television character actor.Born in Chicago as Michael Romano, of Italian descent, Novello began his career as a radio actor, playing Jack Packard on the Hollywood version of I Love a Mystery for a brief period, circa 1944... |
Xandros the Greek Slave |
| Paul Frees Paul Frees Paul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago... |
Narrator/multiple voices |
Production notes
The film is notorious for its inclusion of stock footage material from other movies, including Quo VadisQuo Vadis (1951 film)
Quo Vadis is a 1951 epic film made by MGM. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sam Zimbalist, from a screenplay by John Lee Mahin, S. N. Behrman and Sonya Levien, adapted from Henryk Sienkiewicz's classic 1896 novel Quo Vadis. The music score was by Miklós Rózsa and the cinematography...
and The Naked Jungle
The Naked Jungle
The Naked Jungle is a 1954 film directed by Byron Haskin, and starring Charlton Heston and Eleanor Parker. Telling the story of an attack of army ants on a Peruvian cocoa plantation, it was based on the short story "Leiningen Versus the Ants" by Carl Stephenson.-Plot:As the film opens, Joanna , a...
. Props from other productions were also reused, including a large statue at the temple from The Prodigal
The Prodigal
The Prodigal is a 1955 Biblical epic film made by MGM. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Charles Schnee.The Maurice Zimm screenplay was adapted by Joseph Breen, Jr. and Samuel James Larsen from the New Testament story of the selfish son who leaves his family in search of riches...
and Krell gauges from Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain...
.
The spectacular special visual effects work of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
, the elaborate miniature work of ancient Greek and Roman-style buildings, landscapes, temples, the volcano, the destruction of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
, and the giant crystal ray machine, were the work of the special effects production company Project Unlimited, supervised by Gene Warren
Gene Warren
Gene Warren, Sr. won an Academy Award for the special effects on George Pal's The Time Machine in 1960. He also contributed to such projects as Land of the Lost, Man from Atlantis, and The Crow: City of Angels...
, Wah Chang
Wah Chang
Wah Ming Chang was a Chinese American designer, sculptor, and artist. He is known primarily for his sculpture and the props he designed for Star Trek , including the tricorder, and communicator...
, and Jim Danforth
Jim Danforth
Jim Danforth is a stop-motion animator, known for model-animation and matte painting. Danforth is known for his work on When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth , a sequel of sorts to Ray Harryhausen's One Million Years B.C....
, along with the MGM production staff supervised by A. Arnold Gillespie
A. Arnold Gillespie
Albert Arnold Gillespie was an American cinema special effects artist.-Early years:Gillespie joined MGM as a set designer in 1925, a year after it was founded. He was educated at Columbia University and the Arts Students League. His first project was the silent film Ben-Hur, released that same year...
. They coordinated their work with George Pal
George Pál
George Pal , born György Pál Marczincsak, was a Hungarian-born American animator and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction genre...
, who worked closely with the production designer and art director George W. Davis and William Ferrari
William Ferrari
William Ferrari was an American art director. He won an Academy Award and was nominated for another in the category Best Art Direction.-Selected filmography:...
.
The film's prologue, describing the legend of Atlantis, features stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animation, often used by producer George Pal
George Pál
George Pal , born György Pál Marczincsak, was a Hungarian-born American animator and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction genre...
earlier in his career.
Voice actor Paul Frees provides the opening narration, and also is heard dubbing the voice of the hero's father as well as the ruler of Atlantis.
Reaction
The film has generally received poor reviews and was described by film critic Leonard MaltinLeonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
in his 2002 Movie & Video Guide as "Pal's worst film", saying that it had "poor effects" and that it was: "Occasionally funny – but not on purpose."
Science fiction author David Wingrove
David Wingrove
David Wingrove is a British science fiction writer. He is well-known as the author of the Chung Kuo novels . He is also the co-author of the three Myst novels....
also had similar criticisms in his science fiction film source book: "No expense was spared in buying up footage from Quo Vadis to give it true period flavour. Avoid."
At a preview screening of this film, questionnaires were handed to the audience asking what their favorite scene was. One person, apparently recognizing the footage taken from Quo Vadis, replied, "The scene where Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor (actor)
Robert Taylor was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born Spangler Arlington Brugh in Filley, Nebraska, he was the son of Ruth Adaline and Spangler Andrew Brugh, who was a farmer turned doctor...
saved Deborah Kerr
Deborah Kerr
Deborah Kerr, CBE was a Scottish film and television actress from Glasgow. She won the Sarah Siddons Award for her Chicago performance as Laura Reynolds in Tea and Sympathy, a role which she originated on Broadway, a Golden Globe Award for the motion picture The King and I, and was a three-time...
from the fire."