Raquel Welch

John Richardson

Percy Herbert

Robert Brown

Martine Beswick

Jean Wladon

Lisa Thomas

Yvonne Horner

Malya Nappi

William Lyon Brown

Richard James

Frank Hayden

Terence Maidment

Micky De Rauch

David Kossoff

Heraclio Niz Mesa

James Payne

Vic Perrin

Dido Plumb

Nikki Van der Zyl

Wilkie Cooper

Ray Harryhausen

Robert Jones

Carl Toms

Michael Carreras

Tom Simpson

Mario Nascimbene

Don Chaffey

Joseph Frickert

Aida Young

Mickell Novack

Olga Angelinetta

George Blackwell

Gillian Aldam

Wally Schneiderman

Hal Roach

George Baker

Dennis Bertera

Ray Atcheler

Colin Lord

Roy Baker

Alfred Cox

A.W. Lumkin

Bill Rowe

Len Shilton

Paul Wurtzel

Norman Hibbert

David Harcourt

Steve Birtles

Adventure

Fantasy

One Million Years B.C.

Hammer Film Productions

United Kingdom

English

new love

sapient

volcano

stone age

primitive time

rivalry

stop motion

prehistory

dinosaur

tribal

cavemen

cave girls

prehistoric man

What say you fuzzy britches?

For their 100th release, Hammer Films remade the 1940 cavemen groaner One Million B.C. It would prove to be a roaring box office success, whilst simultaneously making Raquel Welch an iconic poster girl and Ray Harryhausen an even bigger hero.

Plot is slight. Two tribes exist in prehistoric times, the Rock People and the Shell People. The former are more aggressive and basic, the latter more forward and assured. Tumak (John Richardson) of the Rocks and Loana (Welch) wind up together, fighting prejudices and lots of giant beasties! Hooray!

That's really it, the message is clear but ultimately we are here for the dinosaurs and giant creatures (well OK, the scantily clad cave dwellers as well), with Harryhausen once again showing why he was a legend in his field of animation. With good fights, a bit of sexy sizzle and a volcanic finale, it's all good really.

It's no history lesson of course, but as Harryhausen was wont to say, they wasn't making a film for history professors! 7/10

CinemaSerf

After a bit of a contretemps, "Tumak" (John Richardson) is kicked out of his prehistoric tribe and left to fend for himself. Fortunately, after a few near misses with some larger-than-life creatures, he encounters "Loana" (Raquel Welch) who lives with her people by the seaside. Not everyone likes him though - not least "Payto" (William Lyon Brown) who has eyes on the prize for himself. The plot, the acting, the dialogue - well, who cares? That's all drivel from start to finish. What rescues it entirely from the cutting room floor (where much of this belongs) are the visual effects from the master Ray Harryhausen. Stop motion at it's best - dinosaurs and pterodactyls that, even if they are made of polystyrene and/or papier-mâché easily out-perform the entire human cast. Raquel Welch is just an ichthyolite out of water and the usually more respectable Robert Brown looks faintly ridiculous in his best furs as "Akhoba". The ending comes not a moment too soon, but sadly doesn't really features the stars of this film - the dinosaurs!

One Million Years BC / Original Theatrical Trailer (1966)

John Landis on ONE MILLION YEARS BC

One Million Years B.C.( 1966)

Travel back through time and space to the edge of man's beginnings... discover a savage world whose only law was lust!

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A review by John Chard

Written by John Chard on Wed Apr 06 2016

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