One Million B.C. is a 1940 American fantasy film produced by Hal Roach Studios and released by United Artists. It is also known by the titles Cave Man, Man and His Mate, and Tumak. The film stars Victor Mature as protagonist Tumak, a young caveman who strives to unite the uncivilized Rock Tribe and the peaceful Shell Tribe, Carole Landis as Loana, daughter of the Shell Tribe chief and Tumak's love interest, and Lon Chaney Jr. as Tumak's stern father and leader of the Rock Tribe. Chaney's billing differs from that of his home studio Universal Pictures in that Hal Roach elected to retain the "Jr." instead of billing him under his father's name, possibly because Roach was co-directing the film with his own son Hal Roach Jr. The film was a popular success and was nominated for two Academy Awards for its special effects and musical score, although the film is controversial for its use of live animals dueling.
Plot A group of modern-day hikers caught in a storm seek shelter in a cave. They encounter an anthropologist who interprets prehistoric carvings that introduce the story of a young caveman. Akhoba, head of the Rock Tribe, leads a hunting party. His son Tumak begs the right to his first kill, a small Triceratops which he wrestles to death. An elderly man in the party falls from a cliff and is left to die. The party arrives at the Rock Tribe's cave with their prey. The beast is cooked on an open fire. When it is done, the strongest feed first, next the women and children, then the few elderly pick through the scraps. Tumak defends his portion from demands by Akhoba. They fight and Akhoba knocks Tumak over a cliff as his mother watches. Tumak recovers to find a mastodon attacking him. He runs and climbs a tree. The mastodon rams the tree and knocks it into a river. Tumak floats downstream unconscious and is found by Loana of the Shell Tribe. Her tribesmen answer her shell horn call and take Tumak to their cave. The tribe gathers for a meal of vegetables, shared orderly with the children, women, and elderly served first. Tumak awakes and Loana gives him food, which he guards as he eats, perplexing the tribe who share and do not fight. Tumak looks on, confused by the customs of the Shell Tribe. Meanwhile, Akhoba leads a hunting party into the hills but is injured trying to take down a muskox. As Akhoba lies injured, a younger hunter asserts authority over the others and takes Akhoba's place as leader, leaving Akhoba to die. Later, Akhoba, crippled, shows up at the cave but is treated with contempt. Tumak adjusts slowly to life with the Shell Tribe. He helps the children gather food by shaking fruit out of a tree, and they teach him how to laugh. He tries to fish with Loana but grows frustrated, as spearfishing is not like land hunting. While he is fishing, an Allosaurus traps a child in a tree. Tumak uses a borrowed spear to kill the dinosaur and save the child, but does not want to return the spear to its owner. Later that night, Tumak steals the spear and a hammer from their maker, and attacks him when he tries to reclaim them. The tribal leader, Loana's father, banishes Tumak. As Tumak departs, Loana, who has fallen in love with him, leaves her tribe to follow him, much to his dismay. Tumak pulls apples from a tree for himself, ignoring Loana. Seeing that she has trouble reaching apples herself, he relents and helps her. Along the way, they spot a giant armadillo, which chases them up a tree. Later, as Tumak and Loana reach Rock Tribe territory, they are trapped in a fissure during a fight between a sail-backed dinosaur and a lizard-like dinosaur. Loana escapes, but is menaced by the leader who previously displaced Akhoba. She blows her shell horn, leading Tumak to her rescue. He saves her by defeating the leader, becoming the new leader. Tumak has Loana handle the meals, which confuses the Rock Tribe, since she feeds the women and children first, then Akhoba whom she has sat on his former throne, and then the other elders. Lastly, Tumak and the able-bodied men are fed. The next day, Akhoba comes outside to see his tribe learning to gather fruits and vegetables, with Loana showing them which are good to eat and which are not. Loana and Tumak sit and talk, but Tumak is called away to help hunt a deer, while Loana helps a Rock woman, Nupondi, to search for her missing child Wandi. A nearby volcano erupts, scattering the Rock Tribe after destroying their cave. Nupondi is engulfed by a lava flow, while Loana saves Wandi but is cut off from the others. She and Wandi head to the Shell Tribe. Many animals fall into the crevasses opened by the volcanic eruption. Tumak searches for Loana but finds only a scrap of her clothing near the lava flow, and presumes her to be dead. Later, a Shell tribesman seeks out Tumak and tells him that Loana is still alive, but the Shell Tribe is trapped in their cave by an iguana-like dinosaur. Tumak leads his men to attack the beast. Akohba and the women with the children follow. The Shell Tribe hold off the creature with torches. Tumak's direct spear attack is futile. Akhoba advises Tumak to distract the dinosaur while the rest of the men climb to higher ground. They start a rockslide that kills the beast. The formerly despised Akhoba becomes recognized for his experience and wisdom. As a result, both tribes unite as one. Tumak, Loana, and Wandi are framed in the last scene as the dawn of a new day begins.
Cast
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