One Million B.C. (1940) User Reviews

The People United Can Never Be Defeated

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 3 December 2008]

All right enough already, so they got the order of prehistoric life wrong in One Million BC. But it sure looked good to have Victor Mature tangling with that T-Rex and saving the shell people. And that's what the movie-going public paid to see, Victor Mature and Carole Landis scantily clad in front of the camera.

Small studio producer Hal Roach busted the budget for this one, released by United Artists. Conrad Nagel as an archaeologist interprets the cave drawings for a group of weary young people on a hike who take shelter where he's doing some research. The two protagonists Louanna of the shell people and Tumac of the rock people look a whole lot like Carole and Vic.

Vic's from the savage rock clan who basically operate on a survival of the fittest basis. After a quarrel with the head of the clan, Lon Chaney, Jr. he's exiled and he's found in the primeval forest by Carole Landis who definitely likes what she sees.

Her shell people are a bit far up the evolutionary scale and she and the rest strive mightily to break Vic of his individualistic and isolationist ways.

And that's the key to One Million BC. Think of the time it came out and what the world was facing. There's a lot of aggressive wildlife in the forest primeval and the savage wildlife in 1940 had two legs instead of four. Time for the clan and rock people of the day to put aside their differences and face the common foe of nature.

This was supposed to be D.W. Griffith's comeback film and it's open to speculation as to how much he did shoot on this. I think the protagonists have an innocence about them, even the savage Mature before he gets housebroken so to speak the way Griffith protagonists do.

For the next 30 years the footage of One Million BC was used over and over again in every kind of monster film going. Those lizards got to be old friends after a while. It also launched the careers of both Victor Mature and Carole Landis. Though both of them did have considerably more dialog in later films.

After over 60 years One Million BC is still a great film to watch and be enthralled by the special effects as they were originally done. One Million BC got two Oscar nominations for Special Effects and Best Music Score.

Will the rock and shell people find they have a common foe? Watch and find out.

Memorable cave man saga

[jaybee-3 · 6/10 · 13 April 2002]

This film must have been quite a show for moviegoers in 1940. Reportedly it did not do very well at the box office. But, it is remembered fondly by youngsters who saw this movie on television back in the 50s and 60s. Today we have to forgive the very silly story and over the top acting. Production-wise though, the photography, art direction and musical score are all quite good. Special effects are fairly impressive. Indeed, the dinosaur and volcano eruption sequences show up later in many low-budget films of the 40s and 50s so don't be surprised if they look familiar. Give it a shot - it's worth a look ! Footnote: For years, this circulated around under different titles and variable quality prints. Hal Roach Studios went back to the original 35MM elements and produced a very nice video transfer for television broadcast.

Leapin Lizards

[BaronBl00d · 6/10 · 17 January 2005]

A group of mountain travelers find refuge in a cave where professor Conrad Nagel is examining prehistoric wall drawings. Nagel soon goes into a lengthy examination of the meaning of these pictures for his newly arrived guests which turns into the flashback which is the film. The pictures are the story of two prehistoric peoples: the tribal, brute rock people and the pleasant, peaceful shell people. Naturally, the story is a romance between stars Victor Mature(just his second feature film) and the lovely blonde Carole Landis. This film, produced by Hal Roach, has some things going for it. I liked the division between the two tribes and how each sustained life in a prehistoric world. The acting was surprisingly good with Mature and Landis doing credible jobs despite spouting occasional gibberish meant to be taken as caveman lingo. Landis in fact is quite affable and charming(being in a mini-cave dress always helps too). Lon Chaney Jr. gets his start in this type of film so to speak as the head of the rock people and as Mature's father. Chaney is good and is able to emote lots of emotion while using little dialog. The special effects are unfortunately not too special as we are basically given Irwin Allen/Bert I Gordon dinosaurs. You know the type. Iguanas and other common lizards, as well as an alligator, dressed up in fins and the like. For the technology used, these effects are okay and predate my examples of movies using them. There are also some very non-scientific bits of information used throughout the film...like man has already got domesticated dogs for just one example. Overall, this movie is a pleasant fantasy of what life might have been back then. It should not be taken too seriously as it is in truth a fairly simple tale with a simple message of how man might change through the influence of another(Landis on Mature and his people).

Exciting and Entertaining "Prehistory"

[guidon7 · 22 June 2005]

I believe I saw One Million B.C. at the old Rialto Theater in New York City 65 years ago. "B" films always premiered at this small cinema, i.e., the Laurel & Hardy films were shown first here, along with others. Anyhow O.M.B.C. was a surprise hit in 1940. The special effects were crude compared with today, but nevertheless, they were well done for the period and all in all the film holds up very well today. The animal/"dinosaur" sequences are exciting: woolly mammoths, alligators with sailfins attached to resemble prehistoric Dimetrodons, the Rock People fighting hand to hand with horned animals -- all well done. Lon Chaney, Jr. has his best role (except perhaps for Lenny Small in Of Mice and Men) as the bullying, tyrannical leader of the Rock People that gets his comeuppance, Victor Mature, good as his son and the beautiful and athletic Carole Landis, an ideal cave-girl. Incidentally, I'd take Carole any day over Racquel Welch in her remake, One Million Years B.C.

The creatures are of course live, and recognizable as today's animals, despite attempts to disguise them. To me, the fact that they are living creatures adds excitement, whereas we know today's special effects, good as they are, are still only someone's artificial creation. The fight between the Dimetrodon (alligator) and the lizard is rousing and bloody and the finale "leecha" sequence --the giant dinosaur besieging the Shell People, provides excitement and is also well done.

Last but definitely not least, we should not forget the splendid musical background score for the film. While I give the 1940 One Million B.C. a 9 rating our of 10, the music deserves a 10 out of 10.

Interesting Prehistoric adventure

[chris_gaskin123 · 7/10 · 5 January 2006]

I've seen One Million BC a couple of times and enjoyed it, although its remake, One Million Years BC with Raquel Welch and Ray Harryhausen special effects is much better. This was released on video in Germany, of which I have a copy which a mate ordered for me from Amazon.

A group of explorers go into a cave and look at some cave paintings done by Stone Age Man. The movie then goes back in time and we learn how these people lived. One of these, Tumak meets a girl from a rival tribe and falls in love with her. After getting up to different adventures including battles with dinosaurs and other prehistoric life (more of which later), a volcano erupts and there is also an earthquake towards the end.

Now to those creatures, starting with those "dinosaurs". These are enlarged lizards and alligators with sails stuck on their backs to resemble Dimetrodons. We also see a T-Rex which is just a man in a monster suit and seems to be dancing. At the beginning, the cavemen kill a rubber Tricertops for food. Other creatures we see are Woolly Mammoths which I think are just elephants covered with fur, a giant armadillo, aardvark and snakes. Some of these creatures look OK and some look rather shoddy.

Stock footage from this movie was to appear in many others in years to come, including Teenage Caveman, Tarzan's Desert Mystery and King Dinosaur.

The cast includes Victure Mature in his first movie, Carole Landis, horror star Lon Chaney Jr (The Wolf Man) and John Hubbard.

Though not fantastic, One Million BC is certainly worth a look and is a worthy addition to any collection, especially for fans of dinosaur movies like myself.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

Caveman Classic

[kirbylee70-599-526179 · 7/10 · 23 October 2017]

I've never been a huge fan of caveman movies but I recognize that they have their place. For me the two best were ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. because, well, it had Raquel Welch in a skimpy outfit and I had just hit puberty. The other as CAVEMAN with Ringo Starr, a hilarious movie that should be sought out. That being said I wasn't sure what to expect with this movie.

The film opens with a group of lederhosen travelers seeking shelter in a cave while hiking only to find an archaeologist inside checking out some markings on the wall. To pass the time he begins to interpret them for the group. Naturally those in his story look like members of this group.

The story is fairly simple yet fills the movie's time well. We're introduced to a tribe of rock dwelling cavemen who have little concern for one another. It's a rule by strength caste system. Our hero is Tumak (Victor Mature), the son of the tribe's leader. This tribe wanders in search of food with tree limbs as clubs. When Tumak kills an animal and they go to eat, he offends his father and is banished from the tribe.

Tumak wanders and fall unconscious into a river which takes him downstream. There he is discovered by Loana (Carole Landis), a member of the shell tribe. She calls for help and she and her tribe take him back to their cave. Once awake Tumak finds this tribe completely different from his own. They share food, help one another and have fashioned spears from the branches and stones they've found.

Eventually Tumak falls prey to his old way of doing things and steals a spear from a tribe member. This causes Loana's father, the head of the tribe, to cast him out. Tumak takes Loana with him and they are on their own. They come across two dinosaurs fighting one another and when Tumak sends Loana for cover, she is found by his old tribe. Tumak comes to her rescue and begins to teach his old tribe the lessons he has learned from Loana's. An eventual unification of the two tribes is in the works and if you didn't see it coming right from the start you've not seen many movies.

So is the movie any good? Is it entertaining? The easy answer is yes to both questions. One has to take into consideration that the movie was made back in 1940 long before CGI created creatures took over movie screens. A combination of animals and people in costumes as well as rear projection footage of larger lizards made to appear enormous made this film a spectacle for audiences of the day. So much so that the film was nominated for an Oscar for special effects.

The dialogue once we get into the story could be posted on two pages if that. It is the visual story that is going on here not the words being spoken. This provides a chance for actors to perform with their body language and motions rather than their oratory skills. And it works quite well.

The print being offered here is the best available and probably not seen this way since the film was originally released. Digitally restored by VCI you won't find a better presentation. This version also has a commentary track by film expert Toby Roan as one of the few extras. There is also a stills gallery with tons of ad artwork and stills from the film.

This might not be the first item you pick up off a shelf to purchase when you go shopping but for film fans it will be something to treasure. It's a piece of film history, more so than the story it tells.

Reptiles Were Harmed During the Making of this Movie

[LeonLouisRicci · 5/10 · 18 July 2012]

It's rather a Weak and Flaccid Film. Although the Hammer Remake with Raquel Welch/Ray Harryhausen is much Better, it is Amazing how many Non Monster Scenes are virtually Identical.

Of course there are No Excuses (except maybe making it on the cheap) for the Lame and Less then Impressive live Animals made up to Look Prehistoric. Not Seven Years after "King Kong"(1933).

It doesn't look bad, but it ends up a Ho-Hum, rather Banal Trip back in Time. A Good Musical Score and fairly Good Pacing keep things from Petrifying, and the Cast is Willing and Able.

The Success of this Movie is probably what brought Willis O'Brien out of Retirement and gave Ray Harryhausen the Opening for Better Things to come, that New Cycle started with "Mighty Joe Young" (1949).

While this isn't the sort of film I enjoy, for what it is, it's very well done...

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 20 January 2010]

I was very surprised to see from the IMDb trivia that this was the highest grossing film released in 1940. I just wouldn't have imagined that a caveman film with dinosaurs consisting of lizards on tiny sets would have brought in that much money. I think it's because such a film would be passé today, but back in 1940 it viewed quite differently.

The film begins with some travelers coming into a cave to get out of the storm. Inside was an archaeologist (Conrad Nagel) and he tells them a story about what life would have been like during early human history. Interestingly, the travelers played out the roles as cave people in the tale. You'll probably notice rather quickly that one of the cavemen (Tumak) is Victor Mature--in only his second film role. Carole Landis, a lovely contract actress with Hal Roach Studios and Lon Chaney, Jr. also star in this tale.

Having actually seen the 1966 remake of this film in the theater (when it was re-released in 1970), I noticed very quickly that this 1940 version actually had better sets and special effects. While this version was impressive in its day, the 1966 version wasn't so cutting edge. I was particularly impressed by the matte paintings and sets in this 1940 version--it looked very professional, even though the Roach studio was NOT a fancy or rich operation. They generally seemed to make the most of what they had--including putting hairy suits on modern mammals to make them look wild and woolly.

Mature is a bit of a wimp in the film--at least at the beginning. Despite his age and size, he's beaten up in a fight with an old man and is tossed from the cave--and has to fend for himself. He eventually floats down stream to another social group where he meets an exceptionally well-coiffed group of people (for cave dudes, most of them looked awfully nice--with nicely trimmed beards and clean skin). Landis, in particular, is quite a dish. Actually, now that I think about it, Mature looked amazingly good also. Despite his slightly unruly long hair, he was clean-shaven--something you wouldn't expect from such a guy.

At first, Mature has some difficulty adjusting to life in the new tribe. However, soon he becomes an important member--especially after he saves a young girl's life by killing what appears to be a mini T-Rex. But, because he is a pile of raging hormones, he eventually is forced to leave this group--and Landis goes with him because he's such a hunk. Will the two ever be able to make it on their own? What will become of them? Tune in and see...or not.

Generally, it's the sort of movie I could care less about unless it were made really, really poorly (then it's good for a laugh). While some of the animal fighting scenes between alligators and monitor lizards are cheesy, the rest of the film is not. Interestingly, however, the worst parts of the film (these reptile fights) were often re-used in later films--crappy ones such as ROBOT MONSTER and TEENAGE CAVE MAN. In addition to these scenes being poor, they were also amazingly cruel, as the reptiles actually were allowed to tear each other apart and fires were set in which they appeared to be killed or at least badly injured! I can see why censor officials in the UK insisted that these scenes be cut.

Overall, if you insist on seeing a caveman movie, this or THE FLINTSTONES (1994) are your best bet. Still, even a good caveman film is something I can't get that excited about--after all, it's all a lot of grunting and modern animals pretending to be ancient. And, I doubt if my not being that impressed by this film is unusual for audiences in 2010. It's the sort of film that once packed 'em in, but now just seems a tad silly.

Shell People Good...Rock People Bad!

[Space_Mafune · 5/10 · 5 July 2003]

This tale supposedly about a primitive people in a primitive land is in essence more a tale of morality, right and wrong. A male member of the Rock People, who show no feeling or compassion for their fellow man and basically act upon their savage instincts of greed and survival of the fittest comes to learn from the kinder and more civilized Shell people ways of his newfound cave girlfriend the value of sharing and the goodness inherent in helping the sick and elderly...basically this is pretty goofy and silly for the most part. However the slurpasaurs and the suitmation T-Rexs make this film more fun than one might expect. Talented performers such as Victor Mature, Carole Landis and Lon Chaney Jr. attempt to rise above the limitations of a silly script here but in the end it's just not possible.

Watch This with Your Inner Child

[PrairieCal · 7/10 · 24 July 2014]

I just watched One Million B.C. I hadn't seen this in sixty years and it certainly brought back memories. I remember seeing it at the Rialto Theater in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. But no one called it the Rialto, everyone called it the Rat Hole. Why? Because rats ran across the floor in the dark, bats swooped down from the ceiling, and poor old winos slept and snored in the back row. Decent people didn't go there.

But on Saturday afternoons, kids took over the place to watch four to five hours of movies, cartoons, and 1930's serials -- which even by 1953 standards were corny – all for only 15 cents. I don't remember that any of us ever questioned whether we were decent people or not; the popcorn was great. How the winos could sleep with all the noise I have no idea. Child audiences were highly proactive with what was going on up on the screen.

It was safe then for kids to ride their bikes downtown. And every Saturday afternoon that place was packed. The winos never bothered us, and we'd never heard of child molesters. All we knew was not to accept candy from strangers and since no one ever offered us any, we all felt safe.

This movie stuck in my mind because it was unlike anything I'd ever seen. At ten years old it fulfilled my every dream of adventure ... dinosaurs, volcanoes, ancient peoples, jungles, snakes and morals that we could all understand and appreciate: It's better to be kind and unselfish than to be mean and brutal. I'd highly recommend this film but only if you think back to when you were 8 – 11 years old and watch it as you would have then. Even if you find it a tad corny, the child in you will love it.

From the Folks Who Brought You The Little Rascals!

[Hitchcoc · 5/10 · 2 January 2010]

I saw this on late night TV some 40 years ago. It has not been available on DVD and I was always curious about it. Behold, it shows up on TCM. I had fond memories. It turns out to be slow moving sludge with very little excitement, reproducing a cave culture of little interest. The dinosaur scenes, which have become stock footage for other bad movies, are just iguanas and alligators with fins on their backs. Victor Mature, one of the dullest actors in history, mumbles and grunts his way through this thing. I had forgotten that it is a story being narrated by a recluse who is being visited by some hikers. They then play a part in the visuals. I don't mean to dis it too much. It's just not what I thought it was. Hal Roach was a bit of a pioneer, but this is just not very interesting or entertaining.

Always a Halloween Favorite

[xerses13 · 8/10 · 8 November 2005]

My brother and I first saw ONE MILLION B.C. in the 1960's. It was always shown in our area as part of a one (1) week Halloween celebration on the local channel. We liked it then and I still think highly of it now. This is a fun and for its subject matter gentle film and find it more enjoyable then the technically superior Ray Harryhausen remake. It is very easy on the eyes in B&W compared to the rather harsh color of ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. It also boasts a very enjoyable and sentimental musical score.

The acting is credibly done to the level of the subject matter. Mr. Chaney, Mature and Ms. Landis are not performing RICHARD III. We believe in their characterizations because they are sincere and not over the top. The Special Visual Effects of course could have used Willis O'Brien (yes, we knew they were lizards even back then in the 60s) but there are several convincing scenes. The drift down the river with various creatures in the background, the march through the jungle pursued by what appears to be a Armadillo, duel of the dinosaurs in the desert and finally the Volcano and the saving of the Shell People. All are well mounted and succeeded in their intent which we don't believe was to scare the audience but to involve them in the story line. You wanted these characters to succeed against nature and each other.

So take a chance on this one (1). In fact watch both versions and I bet you will come back with a better appreciation of what the Hal Roach Studio presented. Hopefully they will reissue (restored) on DVD. It needs it badly since like KING KONG it suffered much in re-releases and sale to television and bits and pieces that have been grafted into so many 1950's horror/sci-fi films. Like THINGS TO COME it would be nice to see it in its original premier release.

Dated, but possibly of interest as an archaic fantasy.

[weezeralfalfa · 6/10 · 3 January 2019]

This film dramatizes the concerns of 2 quite different prehistoric peoples, who come together in the end to form one culture. We might think of the Rock people as Neanderthals, and the more advanced Shell people as Cro-Magnons. However, if we take the date One million BC literally, modern humans had not yet evolved, and we are dealing with pre-human Hominoids. Since they wear clothing, which evidence suggests is a much more recent invention, I will assume that we are dealing with much more recent human-like beings........ There are many anachronisms. The most glaring example is the inclusion of various reptiles and mammals made up and greatly magnified to resemble dinosaurs or other prehistoric beasts. Dinosaurs, of course, vanished 64 million years before humans emerged. Even more anachronistic is the inclusion of a sail-backed Dimetrodon, made by gluing fins on a crocodilian. Dimetrodon was not a dinosaur, per say. In fact, it belonged to a group that went extinct about 250 million years ago, before the first dinosaurs emerged! Dogs weren't domesticated until perhaps 20,000 years ago, and it is doubtful the early ones looked anything like a Great Dane......... We see the Shell people eating nice big juicy apples that weren't bred until comparatively recent times, from much smaller, sour, progenitors........The prologue consists of a group of rock climbers seeking shelter from a thunderstorm. in a sizable cave. They discover an archeologist, played by Conrad Nagel, examining an extensive set of wall paintings. To pass the time, he offers to tell them the story that the paintings suggest.........Seems there were 2 local bands of humanoids. The Rock people were more primitive in several ways. They lived on mountains, ate exclusively meat, practiced an extreme version of survival of the fittest, and wielded shafts without stone spearpoints . Without spears, I find it difficult to believe that they were fierce warriors and hunters, as suggested........... On the other hand, the Shell people had spears with stone spearpoints, yet were mostly vegetarians, subsisting on modern fruits and vegetables that didn't yet exist in the real world. Socially, they were more cooperative, treating the relatively week members with deference. Thus, in contrast to the Rocks, they allowed children and women first choice at the food stewing in the communal hole in the ground, that served as their cooking pot. Also, the sick and disabled were cared for. Apparently not warlike, presumably, they carried their spears as defense against the various large wild animals and waring tribes......... Apparently, Victor Mature, with only one minor film role under his belt, was judged to have the right physique and looks to carry the lead Tarzan-like role of Tumak, son of the leader of the headman of the Rocks. He was banished from the Rocks for fighting, surviving a push off a cliff, and fall into a swift stream. He floated downstream to the territory of the Shell people, where he was discovered, resting in a little cove, by the maiden Loana, played by Carole Landis. She soon decides he's the man for her, although being a foreigner. She teaches him the ways of the Shell people, such as being kind to the less fortunate, and the use of the spear. But, eventually, he is banished for stealing a spear. Loana follows him, as they head toward the Rock people. Surprisingly, Tumak soon establishes himself as the leader of the Rock people(perhaps partly by his possession of a spear?). He has several encounters with beasts, and watches several fights between beasts. Eventually, the nearby volcano explodes, sending lava down, to inundate the people's villages(I thought the Rock people lived high on a mountain?). Further terror is unleashed by the opening of huge cracks in the earth, as an earthquake accompanied the volcanic explosion(not unusual). One mother is consumed by the lava. Tumak and Loana adopt her small girl, who survived. Now, the Rock people are threatened by a huge dinosaur who has them trapped in a cave. The Shell people show up to try to defeat the monster. Their spears bounce off it's thick hide, so they succeed by causing a rockslide that plummets the beast to death. The two tribes join, as symbolized by Tumak and Loana walking into the sunset, with their adopted girl between. Interestingly, physical and molecular evidence suggests that the Neanderthals and modern humans interbred, to some degree.........This story was remade in 1966, with the voluptuous Rachel Welch, in a revealing bikini, serving as Loana. Not having seen it, I won't comment on other comparisons, except the obvious Technicolor vs. B&W photography.

Lizards, Alligators and Even an Armadillo

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 17 August 2013]

A group of hikers are trekking through the forest when it suddenly begins to rain. To avoid an approaching storm they take shelter inside a cave where an archaeologist is examining some drawings painted during prehistoric times. Since the hikers express their interest in them the archaeologist tries to interpret what they mean. He tells them of a tribe known as the "Rock Tribe" which is a savage group of people who live by the rule of "survival of the fittest". As the story unfolds it appears that a young warrior named "Tumak" (Victor Mature) gets in a fight with "Akhoba" (Lon Chaney Jr.) who happens to be both his father and the leader of the tribe. Akhoba wins and Tumak is forced out. As he ventures into the wilderness he accidentally falls into a river and floats downstream where a beautiful woman named "Loana" (Carole Landis) of the "Shell Tribe" just happens to be fishing. Badly wounded, Tumak is taken into the cave harboring the Shell Tribe and has his wounds tended until he gets healthy. While there he begins to learn of differences between his tribe and Loana's which benefits him greatly. Anyway, rather than detail the entire story I will just say that this was an interesting movie for the most part. Although some scenes were rather obvious and boring there were plenty of other scenes which made up for it. I especially liked the special effects which utilized lizards, alligators and even an armadillo to make them appear like vicious dinosaurs. Even so, while the special effects might have been great during this particular time the movie itself doesn't age well. That said, all things considered I give it an average rating.

Worth a Closer, Slightly Off-Center, Look

[dougdoepke · 19 July 2012]

Considering how much worse this movie could have been, I'm a bit surprised, what with old Hollywood taking on prehistoric times with the well-scrubbed likes of hunky Victor Mature and nubile Carol Landis. Frankly, both look like they just stepped off the pages of Photoplay, even if their fashion attire is a bit dated, to say the least. But whatever the expected Hollywood nonsense, the underlying story is a good one, with lessons even for today.

Apparently, the Rock people are early ancestors of our modern rugged individualists, even if their table manners leave a lot to be desired. No sir, no one here depends on anyone else. Catch dinnertime among these no-nonsense Rock people where the pecking order is strictly enforced—it's the roughest guy first, then the hunting dogs, then the rest of the guys, and finally the women, all grabbing what they can. Maybe that also accounts for why so few kids are seen among them. Anyway, everyone jealously guards his own hunk of meat since somebody else will grab it if they can. And better not get injured because if you do, you'll have to take care of yourself. No medical insurance here. But one thing about this tribe, they're tough as nails.

Then there're the Shell people, probably forerunners of modern day European socialists. They all eat out of a communal vegetable pot, even passing plates of food from one to another. Just as importantly, each eats in peace knowing his neighbor can get more from the pot instead of grabbing someone else's. Then too, there's leisure activities, such as small group singing that's more like synchronized grunting, along with etching on rock walls for later archaeologists to find. So, since they all seem to get along with one another, it's not surprising a ton of kids are running around. The trouble is the tribe's terrorized into group huddles by one of those big lizards Hollywood was so fond of. What the Shell folks need is a dose of the Rock people boldness. And what the Rock folks need is a dose of Shell people civilization.

Good thing for both tribes that Hollywood's got a Neolithic version of Romeo and Juliet that eventually brings the two groups together. But then what can you expect when hunky Tumac (Mature) from the Rock people meets up with the winsome Loana (Landis) from the Shell folks. Just goes to show, I guess, that no matter what, biology trumps all else, especially when all you're wearing is a bear skin. Still, I would like to know just how Tumac gets such a smooth shave—and I do mean smooth shave-- when the other Rock guys don't. But then how else could we recognize TCF's newest heart throb if he didn't. At the same time, I'm wishing I was born a lot, lot, sooner so maybe I could meet up with a prehistoric babe like Loana. I mean Las Vegas showgirls in their skimpy costumes have nothing on our great-great-great… (you get the idea) grandmothers.

But then, if I were born a lot, lot sooner, I might meet up with one of those scary big lizards that seem always fighting with one another or I might get blasted by a volcano or swallowed up by an earthquake. Thanks to the screenplay, it's just one prehistoric hazard after another, and I'm thinking the special effects crew really deserved their Oscar nominations-- especially since there's no digitalized computer to fill in the blanks. All in all, I guess it's just as well that I'm knocking around in the 21st century where my biggest worry is commuter traffic at rush hour.

Anyhow, skeptics have poked a lot of fun at this epic over the years, and truth be told, it's not too difficult. But despite the occasional silliness, the importance of learning from others is still more than just a prehistoric challenge.

So that'a how it was back in those days!

[sol-kay · 6/10 · 5 November 2006]

(There are Spoilers) The movie starts with a narration by Conrad Nagle about this group of people out to see the sights going into a cave ,during a violent thunderstorm, for shelter. Finding this worldly and wise old man studying the ancient writings on the caves wall the sightseers are then told this fantastic story that he deciphered about what happened back then when it was carved, or written, as we go back in time to One Mllion B.C.

Tumet is the bull-headed young son of Akhobo the leader of the warrior-like Rock People who's independence and disobedience towards his father is just too much for him to take. Getting into a fight with the old man during dinner over who gets the biggest piece Tumak is kicked out of the tribe and left on his own to fend for himself in the wild. Being attacked by this woolly mammoth Tumek ends up falling into a nearby stream almost breaking his neck. Found by gorgeous and sexy Loana of the far more civilized and peaceful Shell People Tumak is slowly nursed back to health and to a new world of understanding of his fellow man in that sharing is the secret to surviving in these wild and crazy times. Unlike where the leader takes all and give out the scraps to those lesser in his tribe, like with the Rock People, who are subservient to him.

It takes a while for Tumek to get the hang of it in living in a society where caring and looking after your fellow tribesman was more important then how brave strong and victorious your were in taking on and killing everyone who's a threat to you and your tribe.

The fact that Tumek's life was saved by the foreign Shell People where he was earlier ostracized into the wilderness to die by his own flesh and blood made him to be more akin with them. Also the fact that he's now in love with Loana, a stranger to his tribe, was more reason for him to feel like that.

The movie really gets moving in the last fifteen minutes or so after a number of family squabbles between Tumek and Lnana as well as fights that Tumek has with his former tribe the Rock people. Tumek's father Akhobo is unseated from his leadership position after he was badly injured trying to take down a prehistoric ox and is left a shell of his old self. Tumek in taking back his leadership of the Rock People in hand to hand combat with their new leader instills in them what he learned in shearing the pie, or a form of prehistoric socialism, from the shell People that makes things a bit more bearable for everyone in it.

With both the former enemy Rock and Shell people now living in peace together all hell breaks loose with the nearby volcano blowing it's top leading to a massive earthquake with all the wild animals, mostly giant lizards, going bananas attacking each other and the people in the area. Top special effects for it's time back in 1940 make "One Million B.C" a real novelty item. With a very realistic volcanic eruption followed by a heart-stopping lava flow that wipes out just about everything, man and animal, in it's path.

It was really a shame that the animal scenes were not supervised by members of the Humane Society back then which lead to most of the lizards in them ending up dead and mangled in the fights they were encouraged to have in the movie. In fact the scenes of the lizards fighting with each other and attacking and killing the cavemen were, unfortunately, so good and realistic that they were incorporated into scores of movies and TV shows over the next thirty years.

The movie ends not with Conrads Nagels narration to his captive band of sightseers about the story of Tumek and Loana but with both tribes, Rock & Shell, now living in peace and harmony. As we see them walking into the sunset with their adopted son who's mother was killed, when he was overtaken by the deadly lava flow, after the earth shaking volcanic explosion in the film.

Authentic mammals and reptiles enlarged make for fun, campy sci-fi.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 26 January 2015]

This will never be a rival to "Jurassic Park" or even "The Lost World" in the history of films about dinosaurs, but for what the creators of this fun yet silly adventure do makes it worth seeing. The audience is expected to suspend all disbelief in believing that enlarged wild animals of today could be compared with giant animals of the pre-historic time. As told to a group of cave explorers (including a lederhosen wearing Victor Mature), this takes all the people seen in this prologue and transports them back to caveman days where men battle each other as well as nature. The camera is really the star here, enlarging these animals to appear to be dinosaurs, huge snakes and even a woolly mammoth (obviously just an ordinary elephant) and making them appear even greater in size than your usual Geiko gecko.

After battling his cave chief, pre-historic he-man Victor Mature is pushed off a cliff, fortunately falling into sand, and setting out on his own to find his own tribe to rule. He battles an elephant (supposed to represent a woolly mammoth) and after floating through a swamp (as giant lizards who obviously are congested and can't smell him swim by), he finds himself a new home where he battles other he-men cavemen for the affections of pretty blonde cave girl Carole Landis. There really isn't too much of a plot other than to explain how these ancient peoples could possibly survive with the elements around them. For that aspect alone, the film is really interesting, even though it is obvious that you can't take science fiction to any lower element of fiction than how this ends up being portrayed.

Rock People and Shell People learn to live together.

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 22 February 2015]

I see where Lon Chaney Jr. made this picture right after the Oscar nominated picture "Of Mice and Men" in 1939. Talk about a reversal of fortune.

So gee, where to start. Probably the best thing this picture has to offer is the faux dinosaur battle between the tricked out alligator and the spotted lizard some way into the picture. I love the way these old flicks took ordinary animals and made it look like they were monstrous dinosaurs. Also can't forget how patching up your ordinary every day elephant with a mohair suit qualified them as woolly mammoths and mastodons.

You know, those prehistoric cavemen were a hardy bunch weren't they? When Tumak (Victor Mature) went over the cliff in his battle with Akhoba (Chaney) he should have been a goner, don't you think? Instead, he just brushes himself off long enough to get sideswiped into a river by one of those mammoths. That might have been bad news if he hadn't run into Loana (Carole Landis) of the Shell People. Loana spends some time teaching Tumak the benefits of sharing food and even introduces him to the folks once she figures he might be a handy guy to have around.

What struck me was how a hardy bunch like the Rock People didn't have their own spear tips fashioned from stone or how they hadn't caught on to the concept of fire, even though they lived a mere stone's throw up river from the Shell folks. Oh well, no use wondering about such things when so much other zany stuff was going on. Like Tumak wrestling a mini-triceratops or teaching the youngsters at the Shell camp how to shake apples out of a tree.

The finale was pretty exciting and I couldn't believe the scene where the fleeing cave-girl got smothered by the lava pouring out of the volcano. The rock slide that killed the big lizard was thrilling too, but I did have to wonder why agile creatures like iguanas couldn't avoid falling into those crevices when the ground started separating. But for 1940 I guess this was pretty amazing stuff, so who am I to judge.

Simple Fun

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 4 January 2014]

Usually it's not a good sign when your favorite part of a movie is the opening five minutes, because that means the movie goes downhill from there. This might be the exception to that because, despite the opening being my favorite part, the rest of the movie is entertaining as well. This movie begins with some travelers seeking shelter from a storm inside a cave. But in the cave is an archaeologist (Conrad Nagel), who is studying paintings on the cave walls left by primitive man. The travelers are interested in the paintings so Nagel tells a story based on his interpretations of them.

The story is about caveman Tumak (Victor Mature) of the rock tribe, who is hurt and taken in by the shell tribe. The shell tribe are gentle, peaceful people, unlike the rock tribe which is violent. Tumak gradually becomes one of the shell tribe and falls in love with their ways and the beautiful Loana (Carole Landis). As the story progresses, the cavemen must contend with various monstrous creatures. An almost unrecognizable Lon Chaney, Jr. also appears as a bearded member of the rock tribe.

Mature makes for a funny caveman but Chaney seems right at home. Landis plays the sweet innocent Loana well and looks very attractive in the skimpy cavegirl outfit. The special effects are cheap by today's standards but don't seem out of place here. They range from a guy in a dinosaur suit to animals optically enlarged by photographic trickery to a big volcanic eruption. Quaint as these effects may seem today, the film was nominated for a special effects Oscar. Stock footage from this movie would be reused over and over in the next few decades. The musical score is pretty good and was also nominated for an Oscar.

It's an enjoyable movie but one that requires patience. The lack of dialogue makes the pace drag some and that's tough for what is essentially a simple adventure story. Still, it's good fun if you see it when you're in the mood for such a movie.

Slightly weaker than the remake

[jamesjustice-92 · 5/10 · 3 April 2020]

Halfway One Million Years B.C. (1966) I have discovered that it was a remake of this 1940 movie. Opened up unexpectedly, set in the real time it showed a group of travellers who got into a cave to wait for the rain to stop and found all of those ancient paintings on the cave walls about the life of prehistoric people. The beginning was promising but further into the film I realized that it loses in almost every little detail to the remake: poorer set design, hilariosly bad creatures, slightly less realistic plot and character development, sometimes overly long action. The only good things I can name about this movie are the scene of the volcano eruption and better soundtrack but as with the remake there's not much to talk about after this movie is over. One Million B.C. is also just another plotless spectacle of a movie and nothing more.

ONE MILLION B.C. (Hal Roach and Hal Roach Jr., 1940) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 11 April 2009]

Although I am not that much of a fan of the 1966 Hammer color remake to begin with – or caveman epics in general – I had always been intrigued by the original 1940 black-and-white version which, apart from being arguably Hal Roach's most ambitious undertaking, was (ostensibly) a pioneering work in special effects and, furthermore, served to give Victor Mature his first starring role. Although a friend of mine (who is the No. 1 fan of the latter that I know of) does have a 16mm print of this under its British title MAN AND HIS MATE, I eventually managed to track it down via a TCM USA screening. Having now watched it for myself, I cannot say that it has served to endear the genre in my eyes or make the thin plot any more compelling than in the Hammer version. Firstly, the special effects may have been nominated for an Oscar, have a primitive {sic} charm about them and been re-utilized in many another cheap production thereafter (notably the abysmal ROBOT MONSTER [1953]) but the various anachronistic dinosaurs look far too much like magnified-lizards-shot-on-miniature-sets to be believably dangerous; a long-drawn out battle between two such 'monsters' is a particular liability! Besides, the grunt-laden 'dialogue' grows alternately silly and tiresome as the film progresses; at least, the film-makers have provided a prologue in which modern day travelers take shelter from the rain in a cave and a residing(?) anthropologist entertains them by interpreting the age-old illustrations on the walls as re-enacted by themselves. At the age of just 33, Lon Chaney Jr. is made up to look much older and play Mature's dad while the latter – sporting a full head of hair a decade before SAMSON AND DELILAH (1949) – appears decidedly schoolboyish; still, what is even harder to accept is how blonde Carole Landis blossomed amidst these surroundings! This is not to say that the film is unentertaining or badly made because it really is not; in fact, the climactic volcano eruption is very well staged and the film's undeniable highlight, the set decoration appropriately atmospheric and Werner R. Heymann's rousing score was deservedly singled out by the Academy for Oscar consideration. Incidentally, for years it was believed that forgotten cinema pioneer D. W. Griffith – whose famous two-reeler MAN'S GENESIS (1912) may well have inspired the film to begin with – had been actively involved in the production before getting the sack from Roach, but his contribution has since been disputed as having been all too minimal (unless our resident Griffith expert wants to give his informed account of the matter).

Caveman Canon

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 13 October 2004]

Prehistoric man strives to elevate himself above the bestial in ONE MILLION B.C.

Hal Roach Studios produced this vivid and exciting film which ambitiously takes on nothing less than presenting the Birth of Civilization and the Beginning of Civility. That it does so without seeming pedantic or foolish is due in large measure to fine performances and special effects which still look good many decades later. The viewer knows the exploding volcano is a fraud and the dinosaurs are actually magnified lizards, but somehow it does not matter. The entertainment value is real and the sentiments presented by the actors still ring true.

Victor Mature & Carole Landis do quite well in roles which demanded speaking little more than nonsense words and grunts and using a significant amount of pantomime. They have no difficulty in conveying their thoughts and emotions to the audience. Their characters' efforts just to survive in an exceedingly harsh environment elicit the viewer's interest and respect.

Lon Chaney Jr, in a role his father would have relished, plays the brutal chief of the Rock People. Silent film actor Nigel De Brulier portrays the Shell People's gentle patriarch. Another star from silent days, Conrad Nagel, appears in the movie's opening sequence as the slightly obsessed scientist who interprets the cave paintings which tell the film's tale.

Hysterical Morality Play

[smokehill retrievers · 7/10 · 10 February 2007]

This has to be one of the funniest, most simple-minded morality plays ever put out by the mincing socialist nancy-boys in La-la-Land. With a couple of huge bowls of popcorn and a few alcoholic beverages -- or the recreational substance of your choice -- there is no better way to spend a few hours laughing at the primitive attempts of the early Hollywood leftists to influence political dialogue.

Note the evil, crude, warlike Republicans .... er, "Rock People" ... a pack of dirty, hairy, unkempt thugs who live in filthy caves, hate everyone and everything, murder poor innocent animals to eat meat, and generally are just plain nasty, hurting everything they touch. Not a very attractive group. We're never sure why they keep those nasty, vicious-looking Irish Wolfhounds that never help them hunt or do anything else, but it's just the sort of thing those awful conservatives would keep. Think of them as prehistoric Pit Bulls.

Then when Victor Mature is cast out and saved by those wonderful Communis ... er, "Shell People," he sees the delight of socialist cooperation where everyone smiles a lot and laugh, eat mostly fruit and vegetables, and are so, so culturally advanced -- their so-called speech is lilting and musical, instead of guttural conservative grunts; they have musical instruments and methods of signalling, and only use their next-generation spears to kill fish ... no doubt with much regret and tenderness. They help each other, are kind, and though we don't see any pets, we're fairly certain they probably have a Persian cat or a Lhasa Apso or a tropical aquarium there somewhere, hidden behind their communal food locker. And of course the village helps with the children playing merrily in this tropical paradise located apparently only a short walk from the craggy active volcanoes of the Republican Tribe.

Since this was manufactured by Hollywood leftists, they diddle with the facts and history in order to make things fit in their Communist ...er, socialist .... paradise. We're not sure what those big lizards with rubber prosthetics are supposed to represent -- maybe the Nazis, or Herbert Hoover, or Standard Oil, or the Rockefeller/DuPont/Hearst cabal. As our heroes show, it's best to just keep out of their way and avoid confrontation (worked so well for Neville Chamberlain that year).

All in all, this hysterical morality play is almost as silly as the Scientology space fantasy they sell to only their "advanced" students. But unlike Scientology, this one is genuinely funny and can be enjoyed with pizza and beer.

I believe I'd give it at least a 7, maybe more for those cow ponies decorated up with plastic ox horns and buffalo hides. Loved it.

A fun movie with a good musical score.

[Lars-13 · 12 February 1999]

I really enjoyed this movie as a kid, and it's still fun today. The dinosaur special effects were advanced for its day, and frequently "borrowed" by later films. The music score was nominated for an Oscar, and quite impressive. And Carol Landis was a babe!

Not bad but not great!

[RodrigAndrisan · 6/10 · 30 December 2019]

Victor Mature in his second role in a movie, he looks more like Johnny Weissmuller in Tarzan, than the prehistoric Tumak. Carole Landis is beautiful, full of charm, but totally unfit for the role of Loana. I don't want to say more about her, because her film career and her private life have been a great great drama. She would have deserved much better and more consistent roles to demonstrate her obvious talent. The music from this is totally inappropriate, even ridiculous compared to the excellent music of Mario Nascimbene in the remake with Raquel Welch. The animals also look as exactly what they are, a lizard, a crocodile, an armadillo, an elephant. I am convinced that it was fun in 1940, not today. The remake of this one, the one with Raquel Welch, obsessed me all my life and I've seen it many many times. By far much much better than this one.