The Valley of Gwangi (1969)

**Ray Harryhausen's best work** Forget the patches of swinging sixties dialogue and the questionable acting prowess of Gila Golan and let us instead consider Harryhausen's superb animation, the beauty of Erwin Hillier's Technicolor photography and Jerome Moross' unbeatable western musical score - definitely the best soundtrack for a western ever recorded. Yes, indeed, _even better_ than his score for The Big Country. James Franciscus (star of Beneath the Planet of the Apes) is the hero here and although two dimensional - the old Franciscus charm saves the day. Franciscus gives us a likeable hero to root for here. Able support comes in the form of Richard Carlson ( Creature from the Black Lagoon) and Laurence Naismith as a wily professor. A surprisingly violent film with two people ending up screaming and kicking about in the titular Gwangi's jaws - a circus midget and a mouthy Mexican - but both of them had it coming, _so that's okay._ - Potential Kermode