As a portion of the Sun breaks away to form the Moon, creating a fiery ball which causes violent upheavals on earth, Sanna, a beautiful young maiden of the primitive Rock Tribe, escapes the sacrifice for which she has been prepared and is swept out to sea by tremendous winds. She is eventually rescued by Tara, a fisherman of the Sand tribe, but her troubles are only just beginning. For Tara’s woman, Ayak, jealously provokes her people against Sanna, who flees into the wilderness and finds shelter in the egg of a dinosaur…..
Production Details
A Hammer Film production released by Warner Brothers
Copyright MCMLXIX Hammer Film Productions ltd. – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate
The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character, or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional
RCA Sound Recording
Made at Shepperton Studios Limited, Shepperton, Middlesex, England and on location in the Canary Islands
Technicolor 100 mins
Filming Began: 12th September 1968
UK Release: 25th October 1970
Studio:
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire
Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey
Location:
Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain
Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
Fortaleza de Ansite, Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
Caldera de Tejeda, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
Amurga, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Cast – Verified Complete
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
2nd Unit Cameraman | Johnny Cabrera | 45 | 14 Jan 1925 | 18 Apr 2014 | 89 | 1 | 1 | ||
2nd Unit Continuity | Susanna Merry | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Art Director | John Blezard | 43 | 1927 | 2018 | 91 | 1 | 1 | ||
Assistant Director | John Stoneman | 31 | 1939 | 01.01.1939 | 85 | 1 | 1 | ||
Boon Operator | Bob Foley | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Camera Operator | Ronnie Fox-Rogers | 38 | 1932 | 30 Jan 2008 | 76 | 2 | 2 | ||
Clapper / Loader | Jerry Sandler | 23 | Dec 1946 | 01.12.1946 | 77 | 3 | 3 | ||
Co-First Assistant Director: Spain | Miguel Gil | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Construction Manager | Albert Blackshaw | 44 | 5 Oct 1926 | 13 Jul 2016 | 89 | 1 | 1 | ||
Continuity | Josephine Knowles | 39 | 1931 | 7 Apr 1989 | 58 | 1 | 1 | ||
Costume Designer | Carl Toms | 43 | 29 May 1927 | 4 Aug 1999 | 72 | 7 | 7 | ||
Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/val-guest/# | 58 | 11 Dec 1911 | 10 May 2006 | 94 | 30 | 30 | ||
Director of Photography | Dick Bush BSc | 38 | 2 Dec 1931 | 4 Aug 1997 | 65 | 3 | 3 | ||
Dubbing Editor | Frank Goulding | 1991 | 4 | 4 | |||||
Editor | Peter Curran | 46 | 29 Sep 1924 | Jun 1999 | 74 | 1 | 1 | ||
Effects Camerman | Jim Danforth | 30 | 13 Jul 1940 | 13.07.1940 | 84 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
First Assistant Director: Second Unit | Carlos Gil | 22 | 12 May 1948 | 12.05.1948 | 76 | 1 | 1 | ||
Focus Puller | Ray Andrew | 30 | 1940 | 01.01.1940 | 84 | 3 | 3 | ||
Hairdressing Supervisor | Joyce James | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Location Manager | Ariel Levy | 26 | 12 Mar 1944 | 12.03.1944 | 80 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
Make-up Supervisor | Richard Mills | 3 | 4 | 7 | |||||
Matte Artist | Peter Melrose | 40 | 1930 | 01.01.1930 | 94 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
Matte Artist | Doug Ferris | 39 | 1931 | 01.01.1931 | 93 | 2 | 2 | ||
Matte Artist | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/les-bowie/# | 56 | 10 Nov 1913 | 27 Jan 1979 | 65 | 30 | 13 | 43 | |
Matte Artist | Ray Caple | 32 | 5 Jan 1938 | 1993 | 54 | 7 | 7 | ||
Music and Special Musical Effects Composer | Mario Nascimbene | 56 | 28 Nov 1913 | 6 Jan 2002 | 88 | 4 | 4 | ||
Musical Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/philip-martell/# | 63 | 6 Oct 1907 | 11 Aug 1993 | 85 | 104 | 1 | 105 | |
Plasterer | Ken Barley | 25 | 1945 | 01.01.1945 | 79 | 1 | 1 | ||
Plasterer | Ken Powell | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Producer | Aida Young | 50 | 11 Aug 1920 | 12 Aug 2007 | 87 | 8 | 6 | 14 | |
Production Manager | Christopher Sutton | 39 | Sep 1931 | 01.09.1931 | 93 | 7 | 7 | ||
Sound Camera Operator | Patrick Heigham | 27 | 2 Dec 1942 | 02.12.1942 | 81 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sound Re-Recordist | Ted Karnon | 58 | 23 Jan 1912 | 1991 | 78 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sound Recordist | Kevin Sutton | 3 | 3 | ||||||
Sound Supervisor | A.W. Watkins | 74 | Dec 1895 | Feb 1970 | 74 | 1 | 1 | ||
Special Effects | Brian Johnson | 31 | 29 Jun 1939 | 29.06.1939 | 85 | 3 | 7 | 10 | |
Special Effects | Roger Dicken | 31 | 15 Apr 1939 | 18 Feb 2024 | 84 | 2 | 2 | ||
Special Effects | Alan Bryce | 42 | 21 Dec 1927 | 24 Dec 2000 | 73 | 2 | 2 | ||
Special Effects | Martin Gutteridge | 31 | Apr 1939 | 01.04.1939 | 85 | 1 | 1 | ||
Special Effects | Garth Inns | 27 | 12 Apr 1943 | 30 Jan 2021 | 77 | 2 | 2 | ||
Special Effects | Brian Humphrey | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Special Visual Effects | Jim Danforth | 30 | 13 Jul 1940 | 13.07.1940 | 84 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Stand-in: Sean Caffrey | Alan Harris | 32 | 28 May 1938 | 25 Jan 2020 | 81 | 2 | 2 | ||
Stunts | Steve Emerson | 35 | 31 Oct 1934 | 31.10.1934 | 89 | 2 | 2 | ||
Stunts | Peter Pocock | 36 | 1934 | 5 May 2007 | 73 | 2 | 2 | ||
Treatment by | J.B. Ballard | 39 | 15 Nov 1930 | 19 Apr 2009 | 78 | 1 | 1 | ||
Visual Effects Assistant | David Allen | 26 | 22 Oct 1944 | 16 Aug 1999 | 54 | 1 | 1 | ||
Wardrobe Master | Brian Owen-Smith | 4 | 4 | ||||||
Writer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/val-guest/# | 58 | 11 Dec 1911 | 10 May 2006 | 94 | 30 | 30 | ||
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Ammon | Patrick Holt | 58 | 31 Jan 1912 | 12 Oct 1993 | 81 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
Ayak | Imogen Hassall | 28 | 25 Aug 1942 | 16 Nov 1980 | 38 | 1 | 1 | ||
Caveman | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/dido-plumb/# | 65 | 23 Jun 1905 | 4 Mar 1991 | 85 | 10 | 10 | ||
Caveman | Charles Price | 9 May 2004 | 2 | 2 | |||||
Cavewoman | Ann Barrass | 40 | 9 Jul 1930 | Nov 2017 | 87 | 2 | 2 | ||
Fisherman | Jimmy Lodge | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Hunter | Billy Cornelius | 36 | 18 Aug 1934 | 18.08.1934 | 90 | 1 | 1 | ||
Hunter | Ray Ford | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Kano | Sean Caffrey | 30 | 15 Apr 1940 | 25 Apr 2013 | 73 | 2 | 2 | ||
Khaku | Drewe Henley | 30 | 1940 | 14 Feb 2016 | 76 | 1 | 1 | ||
Kingsor | Patrick Allen | 43 | 17 Mar 1927 | 28 Jul 2006 | 79 | 4 | 2 | 6 | |
Minor Role | Polly Dillon | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Omah | Maria OBrien | 22 | 11 Apr 1948 | 13 Jan 2017 | 68 | 1 | 1 | ||
Rock Girl | Jan Rossini | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Rock Mother | Maggie Lynton | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Sand Mother | Connie Tilton | 42 | 1928 | 27 Mar 2017 | 89 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sanna | Victoria Vetri | 26 | 26 Sep 1944 | 26.09.1944 | 80 | 1 | 1 | ||
Tara | Robin Hawdon | 31 | 28 Mar 1939 | 28.03.1939 | 85 | 1 | 1 | ||
Ulido | Magda Konopka | 27 | 15 Mar 1943 | 15.03.1943 | 81 | 1 | 1 | ||
With | John Levene | 28 | 24 Dec 1941 | 24.12.1941 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
With | Jacquelene Pullen | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Yani | Carol-Anne Hawkins | 21 | 31 Jan 1949 | 31.01.1949 | 75 | 1 | 1 | ||
Young boy | Bruce Moore | 1 | 1 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
The special effects for this film earned Hammer their one and only Academy Award nomination.
Victoria Vetri was another of those curvaceous young beauties whom Hammer appeared to be grooming for stardom. Again, though, like so many others she seems to have disappeared without trace after this film.
Actor Patrick Allen was well known to TV audiences for his role in the ITV drama series Crane. His films include the Planet Films sci-fi thriller Night of the Big Heat (1967, directed by Terence Fisher and starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee).
Actress Imogen Hassall was known for playing sexy, scantily clad characters in film and on TV. She committed suicide in 1980 at the age of 38.