THE MYSTERY OF EASTER ISLAND

Year Published: 1940s

Creator: Simmel-Meservey

Description: Produced by Simmel-Meservey and with a story by Jackson Winter, THE MYSTERY OF EASTER ISLAND is an obscure documentary look at the stone statues that populate Easter Island. It likely dates to the late 1940s or early 1950s. The film does not present any answers to the questions it raises, and has many false assumptions that have been disproven by modern research. Still, it is an interesting look at the island in the mid-20th century. The Compania Explotadora de las Isla de Pascua, the Chilean company that administrates the Island, is mentioned in a prologue. The film takes a look at the barren landscape of Rapa Nui and its iconic statues. At 2:30, the native village of Hanga Roa is shown. At 3:00, the annual visit of a supply boat from Chile is seen. The boat services a sheep farm on the island. At 4:30, an extinct volcano is shown where the quarries for the statues are seen. At 4:50, tourists visit some of the 485 statues found on the island. At 6:30, a statue is seen in the quarry, including at 6:40 a gigantic 66 foot statue. At 7:00, tools for making the statues are seen. At 7:20, a BBQ is conducted for visiting tourists. At 8:00, remains of ahu are seen on the island, where they have fallen. At 11:15, the question of how the "monsters" were moved is raised, given that there were no draft animals available and no trees on the island.

Complete Record: Produced by Simmel-Meservey and with a story by Jackson Winter, THE MYSTERY OF EASTER ISLAND is an obscure documentary look at the stone statues that populate Easter Island. It likely dates to the late 1940s or early 1950s. The film does not present any answers to the questions it raises, and has many false assumptions that have been disproven by modern research. Still, it is an interesting look at the island in the mid-20th century. The Compania Explotadora de las Isla de Pascua, the Chilean company that administrates the Island, is mentioned in a prologue. The film takes a look at the barren landscape of Rapa Nui and its iconic statues. At 2:30, the native village of Hanga Roa is shown. At 3:00, the annual visit of a supply boat from Chile is seen. The boat services a sheep farm on the island. At 4:30, an extinct volcano is shown where the quarries for the statues are seen. At 4:50, tourists visit some of the 485 statues found on the island. At 6:30, a statue is seen in the quarry, including at 6:40 a gigantic 66 foot statue. At 7:00, tools for making the statues are seen. At 7:20, a BBQ is conducted for visiting tourists. At 8:00, remains of ahu are seen on the island, where they have fallen. At 11:15, the question of how the "monsters" were moved is raised, given that there were no draft animals available and no trees on the island.