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Released to theatres in 1948, "Unknown Island" is
one of many movies that play into the fantasy human beings have of seeing
dinosaurs first-hand. "Unknown Island" falls under the template
for the genre of film that contains classics such as "King Kong" produced
in 1933 and "The Lost World" produced in 1925. These films
establish a formula wherein explorers find an island, a lost valley or
plateau, where prehistoric life teemed. Though the special effects of
"Unknown Island" are drastically weak and almost humorous to modern viewers,
the film does maintain an element of excitement, as the viewer becomes
aware of the fact that in this film, dinosaurs still roam part of the
earth.
Though not celebrated for its visual effects, "Unknown Island" can be taken seriously due to the actors that star in the Cinecolor film. Jack Bernhard, a director/producer who wrote and produced many of his films, was the director of the film, and was limited to mostly "B" pictures for most of his career. For "Unknown Island", Bernhard cast Virginia Grey as the sassy Carole Lane. The daughter of director, Ray Grey, Virginia Grey made her debut as an actress at the age of ten in the silent film, "Uncle Tom's Cabin". Grey starred in over 100 films throughout the course of her career, and was a regular on television in the 1950s.
Philip Reed was cast alongside Virginia Grey as Ted Osborne, the kind but self-absorbed fiancee of Carole Lane. Reed, who's real name is Milton LeRoy, received his education at Cornell University, and starred in over fifty five films and made nearly twenty TV guest appearances. The last movie that Philip Reed made was "Harum Scarum", starring Elvis Presley. Following the completion of "Harum Scarum", Reed left entertainment at the age of 57 to launch a career in business.
Richard Denning stars as the handsome John Fairbanks, who at the beginning of the film is introduced as an alcoholic ex-Navy captain who has experienced the mysterious island firsthand. Denning, who is formally known as Louis Albert Hendrich Denninger, later reunited with Virginia Grey in a killer robot epic, "Target Earth", produced in 1954. Though Denning made many movie appearances, he is best known for his role as the governor of Hawaii in "Hawaii Five-O".
Barton MacLane, perhaps the most famous figure in the movie, plays the crude Captain Tarnowski. MacLane started his career as an exceptional football player at Wesleyan University. His first movie role was in "The Quarterback", a role that he landed specifically for his talents in football. Following his involvement with "The Quarterback", MacLane went to the Academy of Dramatic Arts and later performed on Broadway. In 1932, MacLane wrote a play called "Rendezvous". Due to his successful career, MacLane earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The first encounter that the characters in "Unknown Island" have with the dinosaurs is when they happen upon brontosauruses that are standing in lakes, eating from trees and lazily drinking the water. The brontosaurs featured in the film are static props pulled by strings. The tyrannosauruses that the characters later run in to are rather fake looking to modern viewers. Since computerized special effects were not available at the time, actors had to dress in dinosaur suits and awkwardly stumble around on the set to create some tension between the characters and the dinosaurs.
Though the film is clearly fictional, there are some aspects of it that could be accurate. The fact that the dinosaurs reside on an island is not too far fetched, as there have been many fossils uncovered in the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest was a much drier environment after the dinosaurs perished. About 25 million years ago, volcanoes in the Cascade Mountains oozed lava and spewed ash. During the last Ice Age, a succession of glaciers scoured the land. Warmer weather brought about meltwaters that rushed down mountains and cut new rivers and channels. Thus, the characters could embark on a trip to an island and find dinosaurs. However, they would find 65 million year old fossils rather than living creatures.
In addition to the huge Tyrannosaurs Rex that the characters are constantly trying to avoid, the group later discovers that a giant ape-like sloth has picked up on their scent, and is hunting them down. The sloth is played by Ray "Crash" Corrigan, who frequently made his living in Hollywood dressing up in monkey suits. Corrigan's role as the sloth is much more convincing than the various individuals who are dressed in the T-Rex suits. Though it makes for an interesting element of the film, the giant sloth did not co-exist with dinosaurs. According to scientific research, sloths appeared in the Ice Age, 1.8 million years ago during the Quaternary Period.
Though "Unknown Island" is not considered a cult classic, it did play an important role during its time. The film's two biggest selling points were that it is in color, and that it featured a slew of prominent actors. Modern day viewers should note that the film clearly serves as a precursor to the renowned "Jurassic Park". Though not nearly as technologically advanced as "Jurassic Park", the film is successful in that it allows the viewer to imagine for 76 minutes that dinosaurs do in fact still exist.
