ALL SCI-FI

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Baby, Secret of the Lost Legend is a Walt Disney movie released on March 22, 1985 under their Touchstone Films subsidiary company, & in conjunction with Silver Screen Partners II, and directed by William Norton.

Synopsis: During an exploration into Central Africa, paleontologist Dr. Susan Matthews-Loomis (Sean Young)
and her husband, sports reporter George Loomis (William Kat), attempt to track down evidence of a legendary local monster.

The couple eventually discover a Brontosaurus herd and are amazed that they show little fear of Susan and George.
They observe the creatures and become especially enamored with the curious offspring they nickname Baby.

Unfortunately, their discovery soon places both Susan, George, and the dinosaurs in jeopardy from the local military as well as the deadly and ruthless scientist Dr. Eric Kiviat ((Patrick McGoohan).

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I saw this movie many moons ago, so I do not remember every detail about it. I watched a review of the film on Youtube to see if that could refresh my memory.

The review felt that this film was a mix of some good things along with some not so hot stuff. Seems like about what my take on it is too.

The cast is good with all giving decent performances. The location shooting in Cote D' Ivoire a.k.a. the Ivory coast of West Africa is impressive and lends an air of prehistoric atmosphere for the movie.

The dinosaurs. Well, they're a combo of good and poor. Animatronix, people in latex suits, and stop-motion animation were all the special effects employed to create the friendly dinos. The worst look was the people inhabiting dinosaur suits. It just looked as cheesy as it did in the 1957 film The Land Unknown. One would think that special effects would have advanced in this particular area in the intervening 28 years; especially with Disney producing Baby? Nope.

The animatronix are better but they really should be since the Disney company was doing research & development in it in the 1960's. There's a marvelous Youtube video of Walt Disney giving a tour of the workshop of his legendary Disney Imagineers. Walt shows us the animatronix they are preparing for the 1964 NYC World's Fair. The dinos in the tour remain impressive looking to me even in the 21st century as I viewed it on YT a few years ago. What can be achieved today with animatronix is astonishing from its early pioneering days.

There certainly exists foolish plot developments along the way. In one scene, George Loomis confronts Dr. Kiviat in a remote part of the jungle. Kiviat is backed up by his heavily armed military standing next to him. What was Loomis even thinking? Does he have a death wish?

Later on, we see Susan & George fleeing through the jungle with Baby in an attempt to save the little dino from being captured by the pursuing Kiviat and his armed squad. So naturally, this would be the perfect time for Susan & George to stop and make out! Obviously both have a lot to learn about being on the run. After all, the idea is not to be captured. Oh, and why Susan & George were "getting busy" with one another we see Baby wander away from them. Susan & George aren't gonna be candidates for MENSA anytime soon.

The finale scene where Baby is rescued from the evil Dr. Kiviat by Susan, George, and the local tribe is quite well staged and exciting. Hardly a Disney classic movie by any means but it does manage to have its moments here and there, including a heartbreaking death.

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William Katt did an interview about the making of Baby.

The temperatures on location in Africa would reach 110 degrees. The people in the dino suits could only last inside them for a short time due to the oppressive heat & humidity. Medical staff stood by in case these folks suffered from heat exhaustion or heat stroke and had plenty of water ready for them.

Heavy rains would make it easy for the trucks hauling the cast, crew, and equipment for the daily hour drive to location to become mired in mud. Trucks would slide off the road, and the drivers were a wild bunch with their driving.

The water was infested with crocodiles, so there was a guy posted up in a tree to shoot them whenever cast & crew were in or near water.

Director Bill Norton thought that the dinos looked awful. Bill Katt recalled the horrified expression on Norton's face when he saw the dinos for the first time on location.

The cook for the cast and crew was infected with malaria.

Director Bill Norton became very ill during the shoot. He would be placed on a stretcher and strapped in it. Men would carry him in order to shoot a scene. They'd stand the stretcher upright and Norton would yell, "Action!"

Tragically, a women was accidentally killed when one of the company trucks struck her. A mob was enraged and chased the cast & crew who fled for their lives. It took them hours to return back to their hotel because they took roads that weren't a direct route because they feared might be intercepted by the angry villagers.

The crew was made up of English speaking and French speaking individuals. Communication issues would arise as a result.

There was concern that co-star Sean Young had a reputation of being eccentric & difficult. Katt said the first few weeks with her was not easy, but eventually things smoothed out and he & Young got along just fine.

First Disney film where we see the heroine smoke a cigarette.

Katt felt that the movies failure was due to it being "neither fish nor fowl." It was too edgy for young kids, not enough for adults.

[Bud Brewster]

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Well now, here's something different, a suite of Jerry Goldsmith's score, accompanied by an action sequence from the movie.

BABY : SECRET OF THE LOST LEGEND (Jerry Goldsmith - 1985) : "The Rescue"


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)