Mistress of Atlantis (1932)

Lost Atlantis
Queen of Atlantis

Cast:

Brigitte "Robo-Chick of Metropolis not anywhere near a daily newspaper" Helm is Antinea
John Stuart is Lt. Saint-Avit
Tela Tchaï is Tanit Zerga
Gustav Diessl is Morhange
Gibb McLaughlin is Count Velovsky

What the DVD says:

Two French Foreign Legionnaires are lost amid the shifting sands of the Sahara Desert when they stumble across the entrance to an underground world. Searching this newly found subterranean passage, our heroes are surprised to find the lost city of Atlantis. Ruling over this fantastic underworld realm, an evil queen sets her sights upon these strangers to her kingdom.

Plot:

A reporter announces that Atlantis is actually in the Sahara. Elsewhere, Lt. Saint-Avit reveals that he killed his friend Captain Mirage was his friend. Cut back to the flashbacks. The French Foreign Legion soldiers are exploring the desert and find an injured guy and take him to a nearby village.

That night, a gunfight ensues between the soldiers and some unknown enemies. Captain Mirage is hauled off to an enemey camp. Lt. Saint-Avit searches for Mirage and is also captured.

Count Velovsky gives Saint-Avit on a tour of Atlantis and explains Anintea, the queen, to the new prisoner. Another guy, Torsinkson, is so insanely jealous with Antinea that he attacks Saint-Avit to keep her for himself. However, Saint-Avit defends himself. Torsinkson commits suicide for not keep Anitinea for himself.

Velovsky introduces the good Lt. to Antinea.

Extreme paddycake goes too wrong... Afterwards, he wants the Lt. to aide in Torsinkson's funeral.

Velovsky is trying to drive Mirage and Saint-Avit crazy for Antinea. Suddenly, the movie cuts back to Paris when Velovsky was at a saloon watching can-can- dancers. He talks with a dancer who is going to marry a prince, 20 years earlier.

Saint-Avit learns that the Atlantian women pick the men. The queen wants Saint-Avit to dispatch Mirage. Later, a fortune teller helps Saint-Avit to escape. He finds Mirage has been murdered.

Saint-Avit and the fortune tellerescape from the city into the desert. Cue the long walk across the beating sands.

Present day, Saint-Avit is on guard watching the desert at the French Foreign Legion post. He recognizes the guy who helped him to escape years earlier at Atlantis.

Saint-Avit heads back into the desert, others search for him but lose him in a sandstorm.

What I say:

Taking a European movie and dubbing it English can be awfully hard especially when the story makes no sense... From the jail cell to Paris can-can dancing is more than just jarring. It's enough for Groucho Marx to want it toned down. With the way the headman acts deranged and has a mustache with more wax than 3-D House of Wax.

Atlantis is underwater not lost somewhere in the desert. Too many times have Atlantis been so inspired sci-fi and comic books. Aquaman and Sub-Mariner. A lost city should have have all kinds of super-technology.

This has to be one of the movies that drags along and not accomplishes anything much like Massacre. Low budget movies aren't known for quality. Plenty of B-budget horror and action has strengthened our pain tolerance...

It'd be better for you to just rewatch the Indiana Jones movies or the 1999 Mummy movie. If you want some sand, watch Lawrence of Arabia.

Quotable Dialogue
"Is it not possible to bury it?"
"The camels! I'll be back in a minute..."
"Antinea is Paris!"
"Her name was Clementine..."
"Where is my friend?!?"
Morals of the Story
A large number of lost cities of Atlantis are covered by sand in deserts.
Guns are trustworthy.
Music can make camels sound ominious.
Atlantis has a leash law for leopards.