Dinosaurs in film were not a thing until Unknown Island came out in 1948; after that, they began to appear more regularly as studios saw what was possible. Despite the appearance of giant lizards and the like, though, there is not a whole lot to this movie to make it very memorable. Such as it is, having dinosaurs in this picture, even if only momentarily, was a boon.

The plot, for what it was, involved a man named Ted who flew fighter planes during the war and, while doing so, went off course and saw what he believed to be prehistoric dinosaurs on an uninhabited island. He would keep that information to himself until he could go there and investigate it himself. That time is now, and so he and his fiancée, Carole, get themselves a boat helmed by one Captain Tarnowski and begin their grand adventure. Suffice it to say, they manage to get themselves into a bit of trouble, and it is not only the prehistoric that they must defend themselves against.

For a movie made on the cheap, it looks good and, more importantly, would provide a bit of fun over the course of its seventy-five minutes. Most of that would come from the light, breezy atmosphere director Jack Bernhard would foster throughout, and the easy performances of its cast. Virginia Grey would end up being both the eye candy and the damsel in distress in this endeavour, while being the love interest for not one, not two, but three men. Phillip Reed would pose as her fiancée, and Barton MacLane as the overbearing and over-the-top Captain Tarnowski. Coming in third but ending up with the girl when all was said and done would be Richard Denning as the man known as Fairbanks. He, too, would end up on the boat with the rest of the players, as he had previously been to the island of dinosaurs, and being the only survivor meant he might have a perspective that the others could use.

As mentioned, everyone involved would face a bit of adversity, and there would be a bit of action, turning the predominantly lighter fare into something a little more serious at times. MacLane would pose as the villain of the picture and do a good job of it, if not too good a job, as there were moments where he was completely insufferable. Denning would turn out to be the leading man and the hero of it all, saving Grey and winning her away from the man she was supposed to marry. While there was some decent character work, the film belonged to those previously extinct reptiles, including a Brontosaurus or two, a Tyrannosaurus Rex and even a giant sloth. The special effects might not have been top of the line, but given the year it was released and the fact that it was not from a major studio, they looked pretty decent.

There are probably many, if not most, who have not seen this film, at least in this current day and age. Even given its subject matter, few will ever seek it out as it is a relic of the past. That is not to say that classic movies do not hold value or are not enjoyable, they are in most cases far better than what is released today, but given the lack of star power budget, it is hard to say where Unknown Island might fall with the general public. For those who do give it a chance, it is a fun way to while away a bit of an afternoon, which is the best thing that a movie can do.

2.5 out of 5