The Secret of the Loch

This obscure British made item is a far as I can tell the first film about the loch ness monster. The year this film was made, was when the loch ness monster first began to get international notoriety. The first half deals with the comical attempts of a reporter to get the scoop on the monster from the local scientist who distrusts the press. The reporter also romances the scientists niece. The second half deals more with the search for the monster. There is a credit for underwater photography, but most of the underwater sequences look as though they were shot in a dry tank. The monster itself is played by an iguana. In one sequence the monster eats a diver. The locals also blame the monster for several strange deaths. As far I know, the only threatening encounter with the monster was the one told by Saint Columbia. Some names in credits include David Lean (editor) and Charles Bennet (writer) who wrote many scripts for Hitchcock and later Irwin Allen.

I believe The Secret of the Loch was the first movie to deal with the Loch Ness Monster. It was made in 1934, just as people started seeing strange creatures in and around Loch Ness. It was also the year "The Surgeon's Photo" was taken, only to be discovered as a hoax many years later. I found this movie quite enjoyable.

A reporter is sent to Loch Ness to investigate strange sightings and disappearances there. After asking the locals about the monster, he decides to go down into the Loch himself and the monster then appears, which is living in caves below the surface. At the end, the monster comes to the surface and swims away.

The monster used in The Secret of the Loch is a photographically enlarged lizard, which I believe doesn't even live underwater and looks nothing like a Plesiosaur, which most of the sightings describe.

The cast includes Seymour Hicks, Nancy O'Neal and Rosamund John.

The Secret of the Loch is worth watching, despite the monster being an unconvincing enlarged lizard.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

Secret of the Loch, The (1934)

** (out of 4)

British film about a news reporter going to find out the truth about the Loch Ness Monster and a scientist (Seymore Hicks) who claims it's real. I believe this was the first film to deal with the legendary creature and for the most part it's a real disappointment. There's all sorts of questions asked and discussed so the monster doesn't appear until the final comments. When it does appear the low budget movie just uses some sort of lizard for the special effect. Hicks is madly over the top and keeps the film moving somewhat well.

Amateurishly inept in all departments, but you keep watching it, hoping it will improve—especially when it's time for the special effects people to finally have their innings. Alas, it gets worse. Mind you, there are one or two redeeming features, namely Rosamund John and Nancy O'Neil. In fact, it's great to see the lovely Australian actress (born in Sydney in 1911) Nancy O'Neil in her prime. Gibson Gowland is also worth our time, but the rest of the players, including hammy Hicks and pallid Peisley, are strictly from hunger. As for the tepid, treated-for-the-most-part-as-a-silly-comedy story and the absolutely woeful special effects, the less said the better.

Film editor David Lean no doubt had an uphill battle trying to give a bit of pace and credence to Milton Rosmer's lethargic direction which misses out on just about every quality that makes a movie worth watching, including believability, atmosphere and pace.

Available on DVD through Sinister Cinema. Quality rating: seven out of ten.

The most notable feature of this film is that it was edited by David Lean.The acting is variable with Seymour Hicks wildly overacting.The special effects take one back to the birth of film as they are so amateurish.