One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing
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| One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing | |
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 One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing film poster |
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| Directed by | Robert Stevenson |
| Produced by | Bill Walsh |
| Written by | David Forrest (novel) Bill Walsh |
| Starring | Peter Ustinov Helen Hayes Clive Revill Derek Nimmo |
| Music by | Ron Goodwin |
| Cinematography | Paul Beeson |
| Editing by | Peter Boita |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney |
| Release date(s) | 1975 |
| Running time | 100 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing is a 1975 British comedy film, which is set in the early 1920s, about the theft of a dinosaur skeleton from the Natural History Museum. The film was produced by Disney. The title is a parody of the film title One of Our Aircraft is Missing. The film was based on the 1970 novel The Great Dinosaur Robbery by David Forrest (pseudonym of David Eliades and Robert Forrest Webb).
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[edit] Plot
Escaping from China with a microfilm of the formula for the mysterious "Lotus X", Lord Southmere is chased by a group of Chinese spies.
Back in London, Lord Southmere manages to escape from a taxi driver who is trying to kidnap him, and then runs into the Natural History Museum. Chinese spies follow him, so he hides the microfilm in the bones of one of the large dinosaur skeletons. He is relieved to meet his former nanny, Hettie, in the museum, and asks her to retrieve the microfilm. Southmere then faints and is captured by the Chinese, who tell Hettie and Emily (another nanny) that they are taking him to a doctor.
Hettie and Emily enlist other nannies to help them search. They hide in the mouth of the blue whale display until after closing time and then begin looking. They are unsuccessful, and most have to return home to care for their children, but Hettie, Emily and their friend Susan remain to continue with the search. They are captured and taken to the spies' London headquarters, underneath a Chinese restaurant in Soho. The nannies are locked up in the 'dungeon', with Lord Southmere. Fortunately, the nannies are able outwit their captors and escape.
Meanwhile, the spies have decided to steal the dinosaur, so they can search it properly. That night, they trick their way into the museum. The three nannies follow on a motorbike and sidecar and watch from the shadows. After the Chinese load the very large skeleton on the back of their steam lorry, the nannies steal the vehicle. The spies give chase through the foggy streets of London in their charabanc and a Daimler limousine, but the nannies drive into a railway goods yard, onto a flat wagon at the back of a train, and are carried off to safety.
The nannies fail to find the microfilm on the skeleton. Meanwhile, back in London, Hettie's two young charges, Lord Castleberry and his younger brother, Truscott, have been captured by the spies. They are taken to the museum and the chief spy retrieves the microfilm from the other large dinosaur. The two boys are allowed home and tell Nanny Hettie the news. Realising that Lord Southmere is now in danger, Hettie organises a rescue. Hettie and her team of nannies invade the Chinese restaurant base and battle with the spies over Lord Southmere. Meanwhile, Emily and Susan return with the dinosaur and the lorry and bring the fight sequence to a shattering conclusion. Everything ends well and the secret of the mysterious "Lotus X" is finally revealed.
[edit] Cast
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[edit] About the book
The book from which the film was taken, The Great Dinosaur Robbery, was aimed at an adult audience by its authors, Robert Forrest Webb and David Eliades, and was set in New York. The authors, both very experienced UK national journalists and best-selling authors, extensively researched material in New York and were greatly assisted by the Natural History Museum which is situated alongside Central Park, and by the New York Police Department responsible for that area. The authors were disappointed that the humour of the film was aimed at a very much younger audience than that in the book which had been published,in several languages,extremely successfully throughout Europe, and also in Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
[edit] Production Notes
- This film was made entirely on location in England at Elstree Studios and Pinewood Studios, along with some location shoots around Windsor, Berkshire.
- It is interesting to note that a considerable number of cast members for this film had previously been involved in the Carry On films, one of which, Carry On Behind, was in production as the same time as this film. Bernard Bresslaw and Joan Sims were the only actors in both of these films, but other Carry On regulars starring in this film include Jon Pertwee (who had appeared in Carry On Cleo, Carry On Cowboy and Carry On Screaming) and Amanda Barrie (who appeared in Carry On Cabby and Carry On Cleo).
- Frank Williams and John Laurie, who both made cameo appearances in this film, were regular castmembers of the popular sitcom Dad's Army, which was touring with a live stage-show at the time of the film's release.
[edit] External links
- One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing at the Internet Movie Database
- One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing - Time Out Film
