Lost Horizon (1937)

My Review

“Lost Horizon” is the story of a British diplomat whose airplane is hijacked during a chaotic evacuation in China and crashes in the Himalayas. The survivors are taken to the utopian sanctuary of Shangri-La where inhabitants live in harmony and age incredibly slowly. After spending some time there, the crash survivors see some problems below the surface and are prevented from leaving utopia. The drama proceeds from there, well directed by Frank Capra from a screenplay by Robert Riskin. It was adapted from the 1933 novel of the same name by James Hilton.

The stars include Ronald Colman, Jane Wyatt, Edward Everett Horton, John Howard, Thomas Mitchell, Margo, Noble Johnson, Isabell Jewel, H. B. Warner, and Sam Jaffe as the High Lama. This watchable black-and-white film “Lost Horizon” was successful in theatrical release for producer Frank Capra and Columbia Pictures. It was filmed at various location across Southern California.

“Lost Horizon” was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning two – Best Art Direction and Best Film Editing. Non-winners include Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Warner), Best Assistant Director (C. C. Coleman Jr.), Best Sound, and Best Musical Score (Dimitri Tiomkin, Morris Stoloff).