Lord John Roxton
Encyclopedia
Lord John Roxton is a supporting character in the Professor Challenger
series of stories by Arthur Conan Doyle
. He makes his initial appearance in the first entry of this series, The Lost World, wherein he is a member of the expedition to the eponymous land of the title, and is a prominent character in some of the subsequent stories as well, specifically The Poison Belt
and The Land of Mist. The narrator of The Lost World, Edward D. Malone, describes him as being tall and thin, with peculiarly rounded shoulders, skin which is "a rich flower-pot red from sun and wind" and cool, masterful blue eyes. Malone compares him to Don Quixote and Napoleon III
as well as to the quintessential English
sporting gentleman. Roxton greets the prospect of visiting the Lost World with delight, largely because of the prospect of bringing home a dinosaur
as a hunting trophy:
Roxton has travelled the world, as a hunter in addition to his pursuits as an explorer in the main bodies of the novels. Being an enemy of slavery
, he made enemies in Brazil
in his campaign against that institution, a fact which comes into play over the course of the plot of The Lost World.
The titular "lost world" is located on a remote South American plateau, accessed by using a felled tree as a bridge across a vast sheer drop. When Lord John Roxton and the other members of his expedition use this makeshift bridge to enter the Lost World, Roxton is the only one who takes the easy but dangerous option of walking across it; all the others straddle the tree and carefully inch their way across.
The character was based on Conan Doyle's friend & British Consul/Irish patriot Roger Casement
.
Professor Challenger
George Edward Challenger, better known as Professor Challenger, is a fictional character in a series of science fiction stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...
series of stories by Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
. He makes his initial appearance in the first entry of this series, The Lost World, wherein he is a member of the expedition to the eponymous land of the title, and is a prominent character in some of the subsequent stories as well, specifically The Poison Belt
The Poison Belt
The Poison Belt was the second story, a novella, that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about Professor Challenger. Written in 1913, roughly a year before the outbreak of World War I, much of it takes place—rather oddly, given that it follows The Lost World, a story set in the jungle—in a room in...
and The Land of Mist. The narrator of The Lost World, Edward D. Malone, describes him as being tall and thin, with peculiarly rounded shoulders, skin which is "a rich flower-pot red from sun and wind" and cool, masterful blue eyes. Malone compares him to Don Quixote and Napoleon III
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
as well as to the quintessential English
Culture of England
The culture of England refers to the idiosyncratic cultural norms of England and the English people. Because of England's dominant position within the United Kingdom in terms of population, English culture is often difficult to differentiate from the culture of the United Kingdom as a whole...
sporting gentleman. Roxton greets the prospect of visiting the Lost World with delight, largely because of the prospect of bringing home a dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
as a hunting trophy:
Roxton has travelled the world, as a hunter in addition to his pursuits as an explorer in the main bodies of the novels. Being an enemy of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, he made enemies in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in his campaign against that institution, a fact which comes into play over the course of the plot of The Lost World.
The titular "lost world" is located on a remote South American plateau, accessed by using a felled tree as a bridge across a vast sheer drop. When Lord John Roxton and the other members of his expedition use this makeshift bridge to enter the Lost World, Roxton is the only one who takes the easy but dangerous option of walking across it; all the others straddle the tree and carefully inch their way across.
The character was based on Conan Doyle's friend & British Consul/Irish patriot Roger Casement
Roger Casement
Roger David Casement —Sir Roger Casement CMG between 1911 and shortly before his execution for treason, when he was stripped of his British honours—was an Irish patriot, poet, revolutionary, and nationalist....
.
Other appearances
- Roxton features in Philip Jose FarmerPhilip José FarmerPhilip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
's fictional biography of TarzanTarzanTarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
, Tarzan Alive, where it is claimed that he is a descendant of Lord Byron. - Roxton is a supporting character in the noveletteNoveletteA novelette is a piece of short prose fiction. The distinction between a novelette and other literary forms is usually based upon word count, with a novelette being longer than a short story, but shorter than a novella...
The Found World in the collection Miss Wildthyme and Friends Investigate by Jim SmithJim Smith (Writer)James Edward Smith is a writer and critic best known for writing film and television criticism and directorial critical biographies - including studies of George Lucas, Tim Burton and Quentin Tarantino...
.
Actor portrayals
All film/TV depictions of Roxton have been in adaptations of The Lost World.- In the first, silent film versionThe Lost World (1925 film)The Lost World is a 1925 silent film adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel of the same name. The movie was produced by First National Pictures, a large Hollywood studio at the time, and stars Wallace Beery as Professor Challenger. This version was directed by Harry O...
, Roxton, a knight instead of a lord, was played by Lewis StoneLewis StoneLewis Shepard Stone was an American actor.Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, son of Bertrand Stone and Philena Heald Ball. Stone's hair grew gray by the time he was twenty. He fought in the Spanish-American War, then returned to a career as a writer. He soon began acting...
.
- The 1960 remakeThe Lost World (1960 film)The Lost World is a 1960 science fiction adventure film based on the novel of the same name by Arthur Conan Doyle and directed by Irwin Allen...
featured Michael RennieMichael RennieMichael Rennie was an English film, television, and stage actor, perhaps best known for his starring role as the space visitor Klaatu in the 1951 classic science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still. However, he appeared in over 50 other films since 1936, many with Jean Simmons and other...
as Lord John Roxton.
- In 1997, a radio-style drama of The Lost World was produced for audio cassette/compact disc release by Alien Voices, with John de LancieJohn de LancieJohn de Lancie is an American actor. He has been active in screen and television roles since 1977, though he is best known for his recurring role as Q on the various Star Trek series and as Frank Simmons in Stargate SG-1....
as Lord John Roxton.
- A direct-to-video adaptationThe Lost World (1998 film)The Lost World is a 1998 film, based on the book of the same title by Arthur Conan Doyle.- Plot :Mongolia, 1934.The researcher Maple White , together with his assistant Azbek , discovers an unknown world populated by dinosaurs, situated on a plateau in Mongolia...
of 1998 saw Lord John Roxton embodied by David Nerman.
- In a 1999 made-for-cable movie and the syndicated television series which followed it, William SnowWilliam Snow (actor)William Snow is an Australian actor born in Sydney. He is most famous for his role as Lord John Roxton on the TV series The Lost World.- Filmography :- External links :...
portrayed Lord John Richard Roxton.
- A 2001 BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
miniseries adaptationThe Lost World (2001 film)The Lost World is a 2001 adaptation of the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, directed by Stuart Orme and adapted by Adrian Hodges. It was filmed at various locations on the West Coast of New Zealand. The film was produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC1 in the United Kingdom and A&E in the United...
had Tom WardTom WardTom Ward is a British film, stage and television actor.-Early life:Tom Ward was born in Swansea, to the poet and academic John Powell Ward and Sarah Ward OBE, a farmer. His brother Tristan became a partner at Macfarlanes LLP, a firm of solicitors in the City of London.Ward was sent to the Dragon...
as John Roxton.
- Another direct-to-video film, the unrecognizably loose (but for Conan Doyle's character names) King of the Lost WorldKing of the Lost WorldKing of the Lost World is a 2005 film produced by The Asylum. The film is a very loose adaptation of The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, but the film bears a closer resemblance to the remake of King Kong released in the same year, particularly as both center on a...
, included actor Rhett Giles as a man called John Roxton.
- Surprisingly, the 1992 adaptationThe Lost World (1992 film)The Lost World is a 1992 film, based on the book of the same title by Arthur Conan Doyle.- Plot :It is approximately 1912. Junior reporter Edward Malone bungles into the office of Gazette editor McArdle looking for an adventurous assignment and is sent to interview Professor Challenger , whose...
and its simultaneously filmed sequel, Return to the Lost WorldReturn to the Lost WorldReturn to the Lost World is a 1992 film, a sequel to the film The Lost World, which was released the same year.-Plot:Belgian scientist Bertram Hammonds, along with Gomez, who survived being injured in the first film, arrives in the Lost World to drill for crude oil. He and his men begin capturing...
, left Roxton out of their plots.