Earlier this week Flicker Alley released the 1925 silent film The Lost World on Blu-ray. I repeat — this is a silent film from 1925 and it’s now available on Blu-ray. Not only that, it’s a deluxe edition Blu-ray that is loaded with special features. Next time you hear someone say physical media is dead just shove this in their face!
The Lost World, a tale of adventure based off the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, getting a Blu-ray is a big deal beyond the historic significance of the film. This film, which help set the stage for the likes of King Kong and Ray Harryhausen, pretty much disappeared in 1929. Flicker Alley, with the assistance of Lobster Films and Blackhawk Films, have tracked down the reals and put together the most complete version of the film ever released. That’s pretty damn exciting and pretty damn important.
Enjoy the below clip showing some of the film’s restoration efforts. It’s glorious.
Head on over to Flicker Alley to order your copy now and then check out the full details below.
Press Release:
True to its title, the 1925, 10-reel version of The Lost World effectively disappeared from circulation in 1929—all known positive prints destroyed—a move by First National Pictures to help clear the way for another “creature film” utilizing special effects and Willis O’Brien’s cutting-edge animation techniques: King Kong. For more than 80 years, only abridged editions of The Lost World remained in existence… until now!
Follow Professor Challenger, played by the inimitable Wallace Beery, as he and a crew of curious explorers embark on an expedition in search of a mythical, prehistoric plateau in South America. Along for the adventure are eminent scientist Summerlee (Arthur Hoyt, the director’s brother), sportsman Sir John Roxton (Lewis Stone), journalist Ed Malone (Lloyd Hughes) and Paula White (Bessie Love), whose father disappeared on the same plateau. The party is not there long before the “lost world” of the jungle begins to reveal its secrets: a primitive ape-man, a Pterodactyl flying through the air, a massive Brontosaurus feeding upon the trees, the vicious Allosaurus, and many more monstrous beasts of the Jurassic age.
Flicker Alley, Lobster Films, and Blackhawk Films® are thrilled to present the world-premiere Blu-ray edition of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, the most complete version of the film ever released. This visually stunning 2K restoration, accomplished by Lobster Films, features newly-discovered scenes and special effect sequences, incorporating almost all original elements from archives and collections around the world. Renowned silent film composer Robert Israel contributes a new and ambitious score, performed by a full orchestra in 2016.
Bonus Materials Include:
- Audio Commentary: Feature-length audio essay by Nicolas Ciccone, amateur filmmaker and film historian.
- Deleted Scenes: Restored outtakes from a 1925 original nitrate transfer of The Lost World.
- R.F.D., 10,000 B.C. (1917): Short film directed by Willis O’Brien for producer Thomas Edison.
- The Ghost of Slumber Mountain (1918): Short film written and directed by Willis O’Brien in a new 2K restoration by the Dinosaur Museum.
- Creation (1930): Unfinished film directed by Willis O’Brien that nonetheless convinced Merian C. Cooper to hire O’Brien for King Kong.
- Image Gallery: Featuring original production, exhibition, and promotional materials.
- Booklet Essay: “The Lost World: Secrets of the Restoration” by Serge Bromberg of Lobster Films.
