One Million B.C.

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One Million B.C. was an American fantasy motion picture produced by Hal Roach Studios and released by United Artists in 1940. It is also known by the titles Cave Man, Man and His Mate, and Tumak.

Producer Hal Roach hired the legendary D.W. Griffith to direct the film. Although Griffith eventually disagreed with Roach over the production and was fired, Roach later insisted that some of the scenes in the completed film were indeed directed by Griffith. This would make the film the final production in which Griffith was actively involved.

The film stars Victor Mature as Tumak, a young cave man who strives to unite the uncivilized Rock Tribe and the peaceful Shell Tribe. Co-starring is Carole Landis as Loana, daughter of the Shell Tribe chief and Tumak's love interest. Lon Chaney Jr. Co-stars as Tumak's father and leader of the rock tribe. The film was one of the first to portray primitive humans in any sort of a serious manner.

One Million B.C. was a popular success and was nominated for two Academy Awards for its special effects and musical score.

The film was remade in 1966 as One Million Years B.C. starring John Richardson as Tumak and Raquel Welch as Loana.

1 Plot
2 Cast and Crew
3 Facts
4 Trivia
5 Awards
6 Compare with
7 External links

[edit] Plot

After a prologue, in which an elderly scientist introduces the story for his students, the film opens with a young man hunting a small, pig-sized triceratops. He wrestles it to death, and he and his brutal tribe feed on the creature. Tumak leaves the group for a short amount of time, and gets lost. Unable to find his way back, he despairs until he finds a gentle woman, apparently of another tribe. Slowly he begins to gain acceptence into a smarter, more peaceful tribe, eventually winning the hand of Loana and uniting the two tribes in peace after both are threatened by an erupting volcano and a dinosaur.