Prehistoric Humans in Film and Television

<p> From the early days of the movies cavemen have been a popular subject for filmmakers--not surprisingly since the birth of cinema occurred only a few decades after the earliest scientific studies of prehistoric man. Filmmakers however were not constrained by the emerging science; instead they most often took a comedic look at prehistory a trend that continued throughout the 20th century. Prehistoric humans also populated adventure-fantasy films with the original <I>One Million B.C.</I> (1940) leading the charge. Documentaries were also made but it was not until the 1970s that accurate film accounts of prehistoric humans finally emerged.</p><p> This exhaustive work provides detailed accounts of 581 film and television productions that feature depictions of human prehistory. Included are dramas and comedies set in human prehistory; documentaries; and films and television shows in which prehistoric people somehow exist in historical periods--from the advent of civilization up to the present--or in extraterrestrial settings. Each entry includes full filmographic data including year of release running time production personnel cast information and format. A description of each film provides background on the prehistoric elements. Contemporary critical commentary is included for many of the works.</p>