THE VALLEY OF GWANGI

US, 1969, 96 minutes, Colour.
James Franciscus, Gila Golan, Richard Carlson, Laurence Naismith, Freda Jackson.
Directed by Jim O' Connolly.

The Valley of Gwangi has more than a touch of Jurassic Park long before Jurassic Park. The main value in seeing this particular film is that it is an example of the special effects of expert Ray Harryhausen, a veteran of many films including Jason and the Argonauts and the various Sinbad stories and the classic Clash of the Titans.

The film focuses on a circus in Mexico managed by Gila Golan. It has a small horse as one of its attractions - but gypsies want the horse returned to the Valley of Gwangi. An American cowboy assists in the process but captures a tyrannosaurus rex which he brings to the circus. An English professor is also interested in the dinosaur. James Franciscus is the cowboy, Laurence Naismith is the professor.

On looking again at the synopsis of The Valley of Gwangi, one wonders whether it was also read by Michael Crichton and lent inspiration to Jurassic Park.

1. The quality of the film as science fiction, the adventure, matinee material, a monster fiction?

2. The importance of the Mexican setting, the circus backer und, the monsters and their pre-history, Mexico? How well were all these ingredients blended?

3. The settings, the colour, the technical quality of presentation: monsters, the blending of human action? enjoyment, fright?

4.. The circus and the people who belonged to the circus? Their attraction, neney? Inter-relationships and quarrels?

5. Kirby as the hero: the type, hard, the hero, changing, heroics? A believable hero?

6. Teresa and her role in the circus, as jilted, loving Kirby, involvement with him in the expedition, the threat of the monsters, the heroics, her changing at the end with love for Kirby and foregoing the attraction of the monster?

7. Comment on the other characters: the gypsies and their superstition, their fore¬telling of disaster, meeting then by the waysides of the Mexican roads? The circus people and their clashes? Their involvement in the expedition?

8. The professor and his ambitions, cynical about superstitions, over reaching himself in scientific investigation, the nature of his death, the reasons for his death?

9. How interesting was the presentation of the small horse? The theories about pre-historic animals?

10. Response to the valley, the monsters, the fights between the monsters, their threats to the humans?

11. The response to the finale in the arena, the monster caged, audiences feeling sorry for him? His wrecking the cage and frightening the people?

12. The moral points made about interference with nature?