Prehistoric Humans in Film and Television

From the early days of the movies, “cavemen” have been a popular subject for filmmakers—not surprisingly, since the birth of cinema occurred only a few decades after the earliest scientific studies of prehistoric man. Filmmakers, however, were not constrained by the emerging science; instead they most often took a comedic look at prehistory, a trend that continued throughout the 20th century. Prehistoric humans also populated adventure-fantasy films, with the original One Million B.C. (1940) leading the charge. Documentaries were also made, but it was not until the 1970s that accurate film accounts of prehistoric humans finally emerged.
This exhaustive work provides detailed accounts of 581 film and television productions that feature depictions of human prehistory. Included are dramas and comedies set in human prehistory; documentaries; and films and television shows in which prehistoric people somehow exist in historical periods—from the advent of civilization up to the present—or in extraterrestrial settings. Each entry includes full filmographic data, including year of release, running time, production personnel, cast information, and format. A description of each film provides background on the prehistoric elements. Contemporary critical commentary is included for many of the works.

Librarian Michael Klossner is retired from Arkansas State Library. He is a contributor to Anatomy of Wonder (1995) and Fantasy and Horror (2000). He lives in Little Rock.

Michael Klossner
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 330
Bibliographic Info: 74 photos, appendices, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2006
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2215-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0914-0
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

III. Fictional Works in Prehistorical Settings      7

III. Documentaries      167

III. Fictional Works in Historical, Modern and Extraterrestrial Settings      211

Appendix A: Misleading Titles, Unknown Contents, Aborted and Proposed Projects      279

Appendix B: Post-Apocalypse Primitives in Film and Television      285

Appendix C: Outstanding Performances as Prehistoric Characters      287

Appendix D: The Creationist Challenge: Productions That Question the Existence of Prehistoric Humans      288

Bibliography      291

Index      293

“descriptive”—ARBA; “exhaustive…detailed…numerous photos and mountains of information”—Prehistoric Times; “a great reference…fun to read”—Trussel.com; “useful, well documented, organized and annotated reference tool…a treasure trove”—www.sfsite.com; “this book is the first guide devoted exclusively to prehistoric humans…remarkable achievement…essential reference…highly recommend”—SFRA Review; “excellent”—Scary Monsters; “seems to have peered into every cave…comprehensive”—Counterpoise; “definitive”—Nicholas Ruddick, author of The Fire in the Stone.