The lowdown: 'One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing' is a very British comedy that was made by Walt Disney Productions,
and stars Peter Ustinov, Derek Nimmo and Helen Hayes, amongst a cast that features some well-known British actors
of the 1970s. Nimmo is Lord Edward Southmere, who escapes from China with the secret formula for Lotus X on microfilm.
However, the Chinese want the formula back, and pursue him to London, where he hides the microfilm on the skeleton of a
dinosaur in the Natural History Museum. Before he is captured by Chinese spies, Lord Southmere mets the nanny from his
childhood, and entrusts her to recover the microfilm. A group of nannies steal the dinosaur skeleton from the Chinese, who 
have already taken it from the museum. What follows is entertaining farce, with a car chase through the streets of London
involving a steam-powered truck with a dinosaur on the back of it being pursued by two cars full of Chinese spies.

Jon Pertwee has a brief cameo as Colonel Mortimer, a big game hunter and retired military man who espies the dinosaur 
passing his home and decides that he needs to add it to his collection of animal trophies. He spends most of his scenes
on the roof of one of the spies' vehicles trying to shoot the dinosaur. Pertwee is of course wonderful, but the real star of the
film is Peter Ustinov, as the leader of the Chinese spies, Hnup Wan. Helen Hayes and Joan Sims are also excellent as the
two nannies who come to Lord Southmere's aid.

The verdict: Definitely aimed at a younger audience, but still entertaining for families and those who are young at heart.
There are worse ways to wile away a wet afternoon, although there is a certain cringe factor in watching actors such as 
Peter Ustinov and Bernard Bresslaw (of Carry On fame) in very unconvincing Chinese makeup. One can imagine the reaction
if a film studio made a film featuring Caucasian actors made up to look Chinese today! However, if you can overlook this 
politically uncorrect aspect of the film (and remember, it was common practice back then, even in 'Doctor Who') you will 
be entertained.

  Quote:
Elderly woman #1: Look, there's Colonel Mortimer riding down the street on the back of a dinosaur.
Elderly woman #2: How very odd.
Elderly woman #1: Now he's fallen off.		 Video Clip:
Dinosaur hunt  (5.8mb)


 
 
 
 

 
<< Back to the Jon Pertwee page