The Lost Continent – 1968

A Seven Arts-Hammer Film production presented by Associated British Pathe Limited and released through Warner-Pathe Limited (UK) and Twentieth Century-Fox (USA)
Copyright MCMlXVIII Hammer Film Productions Limited – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate
The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character, or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional
RCA Sound Recording
Made at the Elstree Studios of Associated British Productions Limited, Herts, England
Technicolor 98 mins
Storyline
A leaky, decrepit boat bearing an illegal and highly dangerous cargo of phosphorus sets out from Africa on the long voyage to Caracas. Also on board is a motley collection of misfit passengers, all with shady pasts which they are keen to escape. When the captain/owner Lansen ignores a hurricane warning, most of his crew desert the boat, which is now in danger of being blown apart by the explosives in the hold. Lansen and the passengers insist on going on, but soon drift into the Sargasso Sea, filled with terrifying monsters and the remains of ancient galleons. Then they discover a land peopled by the descendants of fanatical Spanish conquistadors and ruled by a young boy known as ‘El Diablo’.
Watch the trailer on YouTube
Crew
Function | Credited | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits |
Art Director | Arthur Lawson | 60 | 1908 | 1970 | 62 | 1 |
Assistant Art Director | Don Picton | 51 | 22 Feb 1916 | 1 Nov 1981 | 65 | 15 |
Assistant Director | Dominic Fulford | 48 | 19 Aug 1919 | 23 Apr 2007 | 87 | 1 |
Associate Producer | Peter Manley | 43 | 28 Nov 1924 | 19 Nov 2009 | 84 | 1 |
Camera Operator | Russell Thompson | 57 | 30 Sep 1910 | 1 Jul 2003 | 92 | 1 |
Casting | Irene Lamb | 9 | ||||
Consultant | Arthur Hayward | 79 | 1889 | 1972 | 83 | 1 |
Continuity | Doreen Soan | 42 | 1926 | Living | 95 | 3 |
Costume Designer | Carl Toms | 40 | 29 May 1927 | 4 Aug 1999 | 72 | 7 |
Directed by | Michael Carreras | 40 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 83 |
Director of Photography | Paul Beeson, BSc | 46 | 16 Nov 1921 | 19 Jul 2001 | 79 | 3 |
Editor | Chris Barnes | 30 | 1938 | 5 Jun 2009 | 71 | 21 |
From the novel "Uncharted Seas" by | Dennis Wheatley | 70 | 8 Jan 1897 | 10 Nov 1977 | 80 | 3 |
Hairdresser | Elsie Alder | 62 | 2 Nov 1905 | 1973 | 67 | 8 |
Make-up | George Partleton | 58 | 21 Jan 1909 | 17 Oct 1992 | 83 | 6 |
Modeller | Arthur Fehr | 70 | 1898 | 1990 | 92 | 1 |
Music Composed by | Gerard Schurmann | 43 | 10 Jan 1924 | 24 Mar 2020 | 96 | 2 |
Musical Supervisor | Philip Martell | 60 | 6 Oct 1907 | 11 Aug 1993 | 85 | 103 |
Produced by | Michael Carreras | 40 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 83 |
Recording Supervisor | A.W. Lumkin | 54 | 2 Feb 1913 | 25 Oct 1985 | 72 | 30 |
Screenplay by | Michael Nash (Michael Carreras) | 40 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 83 |
Songs by | Roy Phillips | 24 | 5 May 1941 | Living | 79 | 1 |
Sound Editor | Roy Baker | 40 | 1 Jul 1927 | 1 Feb 2011 | 83 | 29 |
Sound Mixer | Dennis Whitlock | 40 | 1928 | 2008 | 80 | 13 |
Special Effects | Cliff Richardson | 62 | 20 Feb 1905 | 5 Dec 1985 | 80 | 1 |
Special Effects | Robert A. Mattey | 57 | 27 Jun 1910 | 14 Jan 1993 | 82 | 1 |
Sung by | The Peddlers | 1 | ||||
Supervising Editor | James Needs | 48 | 17 Oct 1919 | 2003 | 83 | 111 |
Wardrobe | Mary Gibson | 13 |
Cast
Character | Actor | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Appearances |
Braemar | Charles Houston | 37 | 1931 | 2006 | 75 | 5 |
Captain Lansen | Eric Porter | 39 | 8 Apr 1928 | 15 May 1995 | 67 | 2 |
Chief | James Cossins | 34 | 4 Dec 1933 | 12 Feb 1997 | 63 | 5 |
Customs Man | Horace James | 40 | 1928 | 17 Jun 2000 | 72 | 2 |
Customs Man | Mark Heath | 42 | 1926 | Living | 95 | 1 |
El Diablo | Darryl Read | 16 | 19 Sep 1951 | 22 Jun 2013 | 61 | 1 |
Eva | Hildegard Knef | 42 | 28 Dec 1925 | 1 Feb 2002 | 76 | 1 |
Helmsman | Reg Lye | 55 | 14 Oct 1912 | 23 Mar 1987 | 74 | 2 |
Hemmings | Neil McCallum | 38 | 20 May 1929 | 26 Apr 1976 | 46 | 2 |
Hurri Curri | Shivendra Sinha | 1 | ||||
Inquisitor | Eddie Powell | 40 | 9 Mar 1927 | 11 Aug 2000 | 73 | 2 |
Jason | Alf Joint | 40 | 22 Sep 1927 | 25 Jul 2005 | 77 | 1 |
Jonathan | Norman Eshley | 22 | 30 May 1945 | Living | 75 | 1 |
Mate | Victor Maddern | 39 | 16 Mar 1928 | 22 Jun 1993 | 65 | 2 |
Pat | Jimmy Hanley | 49 | 22 Oct 1918 | 13 Jan 1970 | 51 | 2 |
Ricaldi | Benito Carruthers | 31 | 14 Aug 1936 | 27 Sep 1983 | 47 | 1 |
Sarah | Dana Gillespie | 18 | 30 Mar 1949 | Living | 71 | 1 |
Sea Lawyer | Michael Ripper | 54 | 27 Jan 1913 | 28 Jun 2000 | 87 | 34 |
Sergeant | Frank Hayden | 39 | 1929 | 1988 | 59 | 4 |
Sparks | Donald Sumpter | 24 | 13 Feb 1943 | Living | 78 | 1 |
Tyler | Tony Beckley | 40 | 7 Oct 1927 | 19 Apr 1980 | 52 | 1 |
Unity | Suzanna Leigh | 22 | 26 Jul 1945 | 11 Dec 2017 | 72 | 3 |
Webster | Nigel Stock | 48 | 21 Sep 1919 | 22 Jun 1986 | 66 | 1 |
Footnotes
The screenplay for this film was written by Michael Carreras under the pen-name Michael Nash, which was apparently the name of his gardener.
Special Effects man Robert A. Mattey went on to create the famous shark for Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster, “Jaws” (1975).
Details were complied viewing the actual film.
Source of viewing copy – The Hammer Graveyard Collection