Museum Musings

Prehistoric Cinema: A Film Review of The Ghost of Slumber Mountain

December 20, 2023

Written by: Haley Dyck

As the weather gets chillier and the nights get cozier, there is no better time to curl up with some popcorn and watch a movie. Today, we’ve got a great suggestion that probably isn’t already on your must-watch list: The Ghost of Slumber Mountain. This film takes us all the way back to the early days of cinema, which also happened to be the pioneering days of dinosaur discovery. If you’re interested in a quick critique, QMNH co-op student Haley has written just the thing!

The most important thing to note before reviewing The Ghost of Slumber Mountain is that it is a 105 year old film. Released in 1918, it looks very different from what one might expect of an epic dinosaur thriller today. I am happy to say that the film surpassed my initial expectations. I originally thought that it would feel very outdated and unrelatable. Instead, it had a modern feel in an old setting. I could easily imagine how exciting the film’s storyline would be to audiences more than a century ago.

Part fantasy and part prehistoric fact, the film begins with explorer Jack Holmes telling his two young nephews about an adventure he had in the forest surrounding Slumber Mountain. Jack and his partner Joe, along with their dog Soxie, find an abandoned cabin while on a camping trip. Jack discovers a strange telescope-like device in the cabin that allows him to look into the past. Peering at the peak of the mountain, he sees several prehistoric creatures, including a battle between a triceratops and T.rex. The film ends with a twist, as Jack’s adventure is revealed to have been nothing more than a dream. Only 18 minutes in length, the storyline progresses very quickly. Context is communicated through on-screen subtitles, backed by thematic music. I found the background music quite entertaining, as it cleverly matches with the action of the storyline.

The Ghost of Slumber Mountain’s visual effects are achieved with stop motion animation. By today’s standards, the animation in the film is not very impressive. If I were to watch it in 1918, however, I likely would have been captivated by the fascinating creatures on screen. When thinking of early stop motion, I had the expectation that the film would be choppy and slow. Though not choppy, the storyline did seem disjointed, likely the result of frames worth of footage that have been lost over the years. Beyond that, the animated representation of each animal was excellent. The dinosaurs and birds were clearly defined, with detailed feathers, textures, and key features.

To me, the true stars of the film were the dinosaurs. The T.rex, triceratops, and brontosaurus are easily recognizable, as they are portrayed in largely the same way as we see them today. While the size and ferocious behaviour of the film’s T.rex is quite accurate, its upright posture reflects a time before this species was confirmed to have a bird-like stance. The triceratops is big and bulky with two horns on its head. The film makes reference to how they look similar to rhinoceros. The brontosaurus is depicted as a docile, herbivorous giant with a long neck and long tail. Overall, The Ghost of Slumber Mountain’s dinosaurs are not all that different from the animated versions we are familiar with now.

The Ghost of Slumber Mountain marks the first time that audiences saw a T.rex on screen. Today, we can only imagine their reactions to seeing this creature. If it was anything like our excitement about dinosaur movies today, it must have been extraordinary! I would imagine feelings of interest, wonder, and fear washed through theatres. Interest in witnessing this never-before-seen species for themselves. Wonder about how it eats, sleeps, and behaves. Fear based on unfamiliarity and uncertainty.

Modern dinosaur action movies and The Ghost of Slumber Mountain have striking similarities and vast differences. Throughout cinematic history, dinosaurs have consistently been used as a point of fascination, drawing in excited audiences of all backgrounds. T.rex are typically portrayed as violent creatures driven only by instinct. They are film villains, existing only to attack and antagonize other dinosaurs and even people. The Ghost of Slumber Mountain differs from many modern films in that it keeps dinosaurs and humans separate. Modern flicks, like the Jurassic Park franchise, usually centre around people having to survive dinosaur attacks and emerge victorious. In contrast, The Ghost of Slumber Mountain focuses on human fascination with prehistoric beasts, but never actually places them in a scene together.

Overall, The Ghost of Slumber Mountain is a very enjoyable film. With a creative plot, prehistoric creatures, fun music, and interesting animation techniques, it has something for everyone to enjoy. If you are a fan of modern dinosaur thrillers, I definitely encourage you to take a journey back to where the genre began.

Resources

O‘Brien, Willis. The Ghost of Slumber Mountain. Directed by Herbert M. Dawley, 1918; United States: World Film Company, 1918. Film.

The Ghost of Slumber Mountain (World Pictures, 1918).

Heritage Auction website. Pictured is The Ghost of Slumber Mountain poster Illustrated by unknown. Accessed Dec 2023. https://movieposters.ha.com/itm/movie-posters/science-fiction/the-ghost-of-slumber-mountain-world-pictures-1918-six-sheet-81-x-81-/a/7125-86187.s

THE GHOST OF SLUMBER MOUNTAIN (1918) — Willis H. O’Brien. Depiction of a T.rex and a triceratops, created in 1918 by Willis H. O’Brien. Accessed Dec 2023. https://trettleman.medium.com/the-ghost-of-slumber-mountain-was-a-trial-run-for-the-lost-world-c30bcea79a5b

Janne Wass. The Ghost of Slumber Mountain. Image of Herbert Dawley with a dinosaur. Illustration by unknown. Scifist. Accessed Dec 2023. https://scifist.net/2018/05/11/the-ghost-of-slumber-mountain/

Janne Wass. The Ghost of Slumber Mountain. Image of brontosaurus. Illustration by Willis O’Brien. Scifist. Accessed Dec 2023. https://scifist.net/2018/05/11/the-ghost-of-slumber-mountain/

Wikipedia. Theatrical poster to The Ghost of Slumber Mountain by

Willis O’Brien, 1918. Accessed Dec 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_of_Slumber_Mountain

‘Brien, Willis. The Ghost of Slumber Mountain. Directed by Herbert M. Dawley, 1918; United States: World Film Company, 1918. Film.

The Ghost of Slumber Mountain (World Pictures, 1918).

Janne Wass. The Ghost of Slumber Mountain. Image of Herbert Dawley with a dinosaur. Illustration by unknown. Scifist. Accessed Dec 2023. https://scifist.net/2018/05/11/the-ghost-of-slumber-mountain/

Janne Wass. The Ghost of Slumber Mountain. Image of brontosaurus. Illustration by Willis O’Brien. Scifist. Accessed Dec 2023. https://scifist.net/2018/05/11/the-ghost-of-slumber-mountain/

Wikipedia. Theatrical poster to The Ghost of Slumber Mountain by Willis O’Brien, 1918. Accessed Dec 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_of_Slumber_Mountain