at long last and i manage to get my hand on universal covet the classic sci fi ultimate collection 3 disc set and i start off with this film and one of three i hadn not watch before . follow an embarrass pre credit sequence feature a very dull lecture by an overly mannered university professor and this turn into a fairly engage piece of sci fi in the proved universal manner ( from the mummy and creature from the black lagoon series of film ) . even so and about half of this early section involve a group of archaeologist who climb a previously irreproachable mountain after stumble upon relic belong to a legendary lose civilization be and amusingly and comprise of stock footage ( some of it and apparently and from the celebrated german silent amountain picture the white hell of pitz palu [ 1929 ] ) . unfortunately and the latter stage when the survive member of the group ( include likable hero john agar and a regular of universal sci fi outing ) come face to face with an underground race of albino and their mutant amole slave . which bear strong echo of another fantasy stalwart and h. rider haggard she and prove incredibly disappoint while curiously enough and this would also turn out to be the case in such diverse and later sci fi film a the time machine ( 1960 ) and beneath the planet of the ape ( 1970 ) and logan run ( 1976 ) . in fact and those sequence here come off a downright inane at time ( virtually grade z stuff ) . at least and alan napier give a committed amenacing performance a the chief villain . the thing be that the plot do have philosophical or existential interest represent the specie concern have somehow survive the biblical flood and and due to a constant lack of sunlight and have degenerate to their current form ( with the notion that above them and there only heaven hence and when the normal human appear and theyre mistake for god . ) . of course and they still live in the dark age wear toga and the like and regularly sacrifice obsolete member in their midst by fry them to death . however and be never tell how the mutant evolve or and for that matter and just why a normal and inevitably beautiful girl should turn up among them after all this time ( and whom they obviously consider a freak of nature . ) . the support cast include nestor paiva ( like agar and producer william alland and a black lagoon alumnus ) a the hero elderly companion and who panic stricken in the presence of this alternate universe and and soon end up a victim of the mole people thus expose the intruder essential mortality . though alexander golitzen set design per se be impressive and the low budget afford the film be most evident during the very mild destruction of the underground city at the climax while the downbeat coda in which the heroine be stupidly kill be perhaps unwarranted and though . in the end and i wholeheartedly share the generally hold view that this one probably the bad of universal international 50 sci fi movie ( to quote leonard maltin ) .