The Ghost of Slumber Mountain by H. M. Dawley
(Library of Congress copyright synopsis)

This record is damaged. Here's what I've been able to piece together (some words are those inferred by me.)

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Two boys, Bill and ???? are playing in the yard with Uncle Jack's Dog. They tire of the play and decide to get 'Unk' to tell them a story. The discover him on the veranda hard at work on a manuscript. After much reluctance he is persuaded to tell them a really truly story from his diary.

He describes a journey through he depths of the forest to Slumber Mountain and Dream Valley through which flows the River of Peace. After meeting Joe the guide, they load their canoe and embark in search of adventure. Landing at the foot of the mountain they climb up and up to their camping place at the top.

The next morning they go to Rhododendron Lake, where Uncle Jack spends the day sketching. On their way back they pass a haunted cabin, where a hermit known ad 'mad Dick' use to live. Joe tells how he saw the old man leave the cabin one night, followed him to the mountain top, and watched him gaze intently through a queer looking instrument. As soon as Dick became aware of Joe's presence he fled.

After they arrived at the camp Joe went to bed, but Uncle Jack sat by the fire with his dog, listened to the owls and whippoorwills, and thought of the mad hermit. After a long time he was aroused from his reverie by a voice calling him. The dog ran into the woods to investigate. Uncle Jack becoming alarmed, buckled on his pistol and started in pursuit. He lost the dog but the voice led him through the ???s to the cabin. He forced the door open and once inside, the voice ?????d. He discovered a deserted room filled with bones and books about prehistoric animals. In a box was the instrument Joe spoke about. While he was examining it, the Ghost of Mad Dick appeared; described the use of the instrument and beckoned him away. Once again he followed the ????? to the mountain top where the ghost appeared and bade him look through the glasses. To his amazement he beheld a Thunder Lizard on hundred feet long which browses about and disappeared in the water. ???? he saw a huge bird dig a snake out of the rocks and kill it. The glasses then revealed two horned dinosaurs who engaged in a furious combat. The victor remained and was in turn attacked by a mammoth two-legged reptile. A bloody battle ensued in which the horned dinosaur was killed. As the reptile was devouring him the ghost disappeared. Uncle Jack became frightened and ran away followed by the monster. A shot from the pistol failed to halt the creature which followed him to camp. He yelled loudly for help and just as the huge teeth were about to grasp him he was awakened from his dream by Joe and the dog.

When the boys recover from their wonderment and discover that their uncle did not tell them a really truly story, they pummel him heartily.

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I always find the original written material for these films of interest. That's in spite of the fact that The Ghost of Slumber Mountain is still in existence and this synopsis admittedly doesn't provide much of anything new. However, while "Ghost of.." can still be viewed:
(1) it only survives on 8mm prints. The print that I've viewed is 16mm "blowup". (I'm not technical enough on these matters but seemingly that improves the quality)
(2) in original form, it was meant to be much longer.

This little movie is a great look at Willis O'Brien's early dinosaur work. If The Lost World is to be considered a precursor to O'Brien's King Kong, then The Ghost of Slumber Mountain is an equally great forerunner of The Lost World.

written: 10/19/2004

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