Review The Lost Continent (1968)

[Doctor Omega]

The Lost Continent is a 1968 adventure film made by Hammer Films and Seven Arts featuring Eric Porter, Hildegard Knef, Suzanna Leigh, Tony Beckley, and James Cossins. The film was produced, directed and written by Michael Carreras based on Dennis Wheatley's novel Uncharted Seas (1938).

The film sees the crew and passengers of the dilapidated tramp steamer Corita heading from Freetown to Caracas. While the passengers all have their own reasons for getting out of Africa, the captain of the ship is also eager to leave, as he is smuggling a dangerous explosive cargo. Whilst en route to South America the ship is holed and eventually what's left of the crew and passengers find themselves marooned in a mist-enshrouded Sargasso Sea surrounded by killer seaweed, murderous crustaceans and previously marooned descendants of Spanish Conquistadores and pirates.


Principal cast

• Eric Porter as Captain Lansen
• Hildegard Knef as Eva Peters
• Suzanna Leigh as Unity Webster
• Tony Beckley as Harry Tyler
• Nigel Stock as Dr Webster
• Neil McCallum as First Officer Hemmings
• Ben Carruthers as Ricaldi
• Jimmy Hanley as Patrick, bartender
• James Cossins as Nick, chief engineer
• Dana Gillespie as Sarah
• Darryl Read as El Supremo
• Victor Maddern as The mate
• Reg Lye as The Helmsman
• Norman Eshley as Jonathan
• Michael Ripper as Sea Lawyer

Crew

• Directed by Michael Carreras
• Produced by Michael Carreras
• Music by Gerard Schürmann and title song by The Peddlers
• Special effects by Robert A Mattey

Production

A 175,000 gallon tank was constructed at Elstree Studios to shoot the sea scenes. The credits list Michael Nash — a pseudonym for Michael Carreras — as the screenwriter.

The production began under the direction of Leslie Norman, but he was soon replaced by Carreras. Hammer's musical director Philip Martell rejected the original film score by Benjamin Frankel and commissioned a new one from Gerald Schumann.[3]

This film was one of several Hammer movies that featured unusual characters and prehistoric creatures, following the tradition of One Million Years B.C.. It was rated X when first released.

Soundtrack

The film titles has the song Lost Continent performed by The Peddlers played over them.

 

[Doctor Omega]

What a strange film!

 

[Doctor Omega]

Soundtrack

The film titles has the song Lost Continent performed by The Peddlers played over them.

 

[Doctor Omega]

based on Dennis Wheatley's novel Uncharted Seas (1938).

In the face of an Atlantic hurricane, a boatload of mis-matched crew and passengers find themselves aboard a life-boat and must pit their strength against the rigours of the open sea. Tension mounts both inside and outside the rescue vessel - the desirable Synolda is forced into the arms of a man who knows her past and uses that knowledge. A man with hatred in his eyes – a hatred that can only be satisfied with blood.

There is mutiny and murder before the unrelenting Sargasso weed entombs them all. But suddenly land is sighted – land unmarked on the chart, concealing further, unimaginable horrors.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Credit to this film - or story - with the plot suddenly making a left turn from an ordinary drama at sea into the truly bizarre!