Much like Howard Hawks' The Thing where we watch a group of professionals doing their job, the story of Lost Continent progresses with good dialogue performed by talented character actors, including:

Cesar Romero (a top star at the time), Whit Bissell (The Time Machine), Hugh Beaumont (Leave it to Beaver) & John Hoyt (Spartacus).

The writer of that dialogue went on to write 89 top TV episodes. It's that dialogue between the men that I find enjoyable.

However, unlike Hawks' movie, Lost Continent had a budget that allowed only 11 days of filming.

Sure, the first 15 minutes, introducing the situation and characters, are slow-paced. But when the men get on the plane, the fun starts. And if you can switch to a 10-year-old mind and join the men on their quest for the rocket, you’ll have a good time.

Sure, the dinosaurs are not up to the standards of King Kong, nor is the long shot of the mountain, but let's go with it.

Some complain about the long climb up the mountain. But that’s the most fun for me, as there is danger, strange sightings and tragedy on the way up. The death of one scientist is filmed in a unique way. (It's in the above trailer at 0:45.)

The climb to some unknown place is the same idea as Charleston Heston and his men walking through the desert in Planet of the Apes. What’s ahead? Some say the mountain 'looks fake' and that 'they go over the same course many times'. But the mountain is a mysterious 'rockpile' as on character says, so it fits the movie. And since the men are split up as they climb, the camera cuts to them going over the 'same area' as the men before ahead of them.

Though the movie is black and white, when the men reach the top of the mountain, a green tint is added to the black and white movie. The men mention the greenish light as a phenomenon coming from the trees, mist and steam from volcanic waters.

Hey, green tint. At least they’re trying to add something special. This tint continues until they start climbing back down 30 minutes later.

The light-hearted member of the group is played by actor Sid Milton. I met him at a Hollywood event. He told me, “We climbed around that fake mountain for days with no net below us.”

Melton also said, “Lost Continent was ahead of its time.”

I guess he was referring to it coming before the Jurassic Park movies. But for sure, he was proud of his movie.

I’d be proud too if, as director, I could accomplish that many scenes, shots, and action on an 11-day schedule.