Review of The Valley of Gwangi (1969) by Greg W — 28 Nov 2015

Jim O'Connolly's enjoyable fantasy adventure which takes place in Mexico, circa 1900, where a struggling wild west circus show makes an efforts to boost it's attendance by trying to find something special for its show, the owner T.

J. Breckenridge, well-played by Gila Golan, has found a tiny horse which turns out to be a prehistoric Eohippus, which comes from the legendary Forbidden Valley which is filled with prehistoric creatures.

This discovery leads to the idea of capturing some of the dinosaurs and putting them on display in a traveling circus to make big money. One of the bigger ones known as Gwangi, is an Allosaurus, a large bipedal super-lethal predator that after an extremely long chase that sidetracks to a bloody battle with a Styracosaurus is captured and put on display in the new show, only escape and go on a murderous rampage through a nearby town.

The late great Ray Harryhausen's impressive special effects animation is the film's highlight, there is good direction by O' Connolly, and fine performances from James Franciscus, Richard Carlson, Laurence Naismith, and Freda Jackson.

Erwin Hillier's cinematography, and Jerome Moross' superb score all add up to an immensely entertaining forgotten gem of a film. Recommended.