Atlántida el continente perdido

Yes, yes. Actually, I encountered this movie first as a "comic book based on the movie" when I was 11 years old (in 1961). That comic book really made an impression on me! (Money well-spent from my paper route). Anyway, the part I like best is where the Atlanteans are making men into beasts by grafting snouts and horns onto them. Impressive! I can't work out whether its "Island of Dr Moreau meets Ulysses" or "Pinochhio meets Jason and the Argonauts". However, all of that doesn't really matter. Let's just say they don't make em like this no more. Stiff, Biblical-epic-style acting abounds.

Three cheers for George Pal!

Anyone else notice that Paul Frees, the worlds greatest voice, doesn't just do the narration. He is doing the voice for Demetrius' father. Weird accent and all. And the Princess' father as well! Which is strange since the actor playing him has such a distinctive, tired old man delivery that goes with his appearance much better than Frees voice. There can't be any argument Frees sounds more like a King. Pal obviously loved the guy. He's in every film Pal made from '53 on.

I remember seeing this film as a 14 year old in 1961 at a Saturday afternoon matinée...my brother and I were supposed to go to a Detroit Tiger baseball game but it was rained out...what to do? We went to see this movie and I have always remembered it and loved it. Back in the late 50s, early 60s Hollywood was putting out a lot of science fiction fantasy films, like "Seventh Voyage of Sinbad", "Jack the Giant Killer", "Mysterious Island" and all of the sword and sandal Hercules movies with Steve Reeves and other musclemen. What could you not like about this film as a kid? A beautiful princess, a submarine in the shape of a fish, giant monsters fighting our hero in a fire/water pit, animal men with bull heads and horns, a giant sea monster Neptune showing our hero and his princess through the pillars of Hercules on their way to Atlantis and plenty of evil sorcerers and villains. A good love story to boot with our hero Demetrious winning the love of his lady Antillia and getting out of Atlantis just before the submerging and destruction of the mythical land. Edward Platt who was on the TV show "Get Smart" as the chief in a role as a minister/prophet who foretells the doom of the fabled continent. I fell in love with Joyce Taylor, the princess Antillia way back then....only problem is that our hero, played by Anthony Hall looked like he could have used some time in the gym training with Steve Reeves. On the very thin side for a hero to fight giants and evil rulers. Great science fiction stuff for the 60s.

I agree that this is not one of George Pal's stronger efforts, but it does have merit. The sinking of Atlantis at the conclusion still looks good today even though some of the shots of the burning city were taken from "Quo Vadis."

Near the end of the film Russell Garcia's music repeats an easily remembered motif from his "Time Machine" score.

Edward Platt's performance as High Priest Azor is one of the best in the film although I kept expecting someone to call him "Chief."

The writing is a little stiff as it always seems to be in these ancient times epics. The only real awkward moment is the bizarre chant the slaves recite as they twist the giant drill in order to speed the eruption of the volcano.

Very colorful sets and costumes along with the usual amount of special effects mayhem you would anticipate from George Pal. The lead f/x man was A. Arnold Gillespie who worked on "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone With the Wind." The miniature sets and explosions are especially good.

An overlooked, above average spectacle from one of the best showmen working in Hollywood at the time.

At the age of 14 I liked Atlantis, The Lost Continent because I had 14 year old tastes at the time it was in theater. George Pal produced a really neat show for juveniles and it came out at a time when Italian studios were turning out dozens of these films based on classical ancient times.

Looking at it more than five decades later I can now appreciate the great cast of character players brought in to support a pair of less than charismatic leads. Any film that has John Dall, Edward Platt, Berry Kroeger, Frank DeKova, Jay Novello, and Edgar Stehli should not be missed.

Our leads are Anthony Hall as Demetrios a poor but humble Greek fisherman who catches Joyce Taylor a princess from a far away land. She's run away because she doesn't want to marry Dall and considering he's more than a bit off kilter who could blame her. She still insists on royal prerogatives in dealing even with her rescuer.

In the end Hall takes his little fishing boat beyond those Pillars of Hercules at the mouth of the Mediterranean and they find Atlantis or Atlantis actually finds them in a metallic submarine that Dall is captaining. After that Hall is taken to the island of Atlantis where Edgar Stehli is the king, Taylor his daughter, Kroeger a mad scientist physician who has created a race of mutants, DeKova the court astrologer and Platt a priest. Each one of these people gets to strut the stuff that we expect from them. Pal gave them all their heads and they run with it. As an adult this is what I love this picture for.

Especially Dall working that death ray machine. The man is truly achieving orgasm as he zaps people into non-existence with a phaser like device. The Atlanteans all dress in classical Peplum style, but have made some really far advances.

Juveniles will still love it, many adults will too. But as Atlantis falls, didn't someone think to save that submarine. Whoever did would be ruling the planet.