Lost Horizon (1973)
While escaping war-torn China, a group of Europeans crash in the Himalayas, where they are rescued and taken to the mysterious Valley of the Blue Moon, Shangri-La. Hidden from the rest of the world, Shangri-La is a haven of peace and tranquility for world-weary diplomat Richard Conway. His ambitious brother, George, sees it as a prison from which he must escape, even if it means risking his life and bringing destruction to the ancient culture of Shangri-La.
"Come to Shangri La!"
Sam Cornelius: Are you an American?
Sally Hughes: No, Mongolian.
Sam Cornelius: You'll have to teach me the language some time.
Backlot, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA
Cascade Mountains, Washington, USA
Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA
Lake Chelan, Washington, USA
Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA
Mount Hood, Oregon, USA
Tucson, Arizona, USA
(airport scenes)
This movie was the first one Columbia Pictures filmed after it moved onto the Warner Brothers lot in 1972, creating The Burbank Studios, to facilitate both production companies. The castle set from Camelot (1967) was recycled as Shangri-La. The medieval turrets were removed and replaced with Tibetan gables to simulate Himalayan Buddhist monasteries. Most of the castle's lower levels remained intact, and the courtyard was replaced with layered steppes and fountains. The set remained on the studio's backlot for several years before it was torn down to make way for a new office building.
This movie was one of the few mainstream American movies of the 1970s that was never released on VHS in the U.S. A Limited Edition LaserDisc release in the early 1990s was the only U.S. home video release until 2011, when Sony released the movie on DVD.
In a 1975 magazine interview with Rona Barrett, producer Ross Hunter acknowledged the failure of the soundtrack. "When we hired Bacharach and David to write the songs, we didn't know they were on the verge of dissolving their partnership. When they finally delivered the music, we were already deep into pre-production. We knew it was a bum score, but we couldn't do anything about it."
Pierre Cardin put out a line of costume jewelry, watches and belts "inspired by Lost Horizon." Marrakech, Ltd. had a line of "Lost Horizon" shirts for men, Periphery a line of women's attire, Rijir a line of colognes and soaps, and Brown Jordan a line of rattan furniture all designed for that Shangri-La look. Craft Masters put out a paint-by-number set, and Saalfield marketed a "Lost Horizon" coloring book.
This movie is listed among the 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book "The Official Razzie Movie Guide."
Continuity
When Robert and his brother leave Shangri-La they're in ordinary clothes and trilby hats but when seen with the party of porters they're in boots , heavy coats and protective head gear.
Revealing mistakes
The library at Shangri-La is supposed to be a repository for the world's great literature, yet a number of "Readers' Digest Condensed Books" are visible on its shelves.