Posted: Sat., Dec. 31, 1960, 11:00pm PT

Atlantis, the Lost Continent

By Variety Staff

M-G-M. Director George Pal; Producer George Pal; Writer Daniel Mainwaring; Camera Harold E. Wellman Editor Ben Lewis; Music Russell Garcia Art George W. Davis, William Ferrari

Anthony Hall Joyce Taylor Frank de Kova John Dall

After establishing legendary significance via an arresting prolog in which the basis for age-old suspicion of the existence of a lost continental cultural link in the middle of the Atlantic is discussed, scenarist Daniel Mainwaring promptly proceeds to ignore the more compelling possibilities of the hypothesis in favor of erecting a tired, shopworn melodrama out of Gerald Hargreaves' play.

There is an astonishing similarity to the stevereevesian spectacles. An 'ordeal by fire and water' ritual conducted in a great, crowded stadium seems almost a replica of gladiatorial combat in the Colosseum. When Atlantis is burning to a cinder at the climax, one can almost hear Nero fiddling. Even Russ Garcia's score has that pompous, martial Roman air about it. And at least several of the mob spectacle scenes have been lifted from Roman screen spectacles of the past (the 1951 version of Quo Vadis looks like the source). The acting is routine.

(Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1961. Running time: 91 MIN.