I too saw this film as a double bill with 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad' back in 1974. I remember nothing of the Sinbad film but this film stayed with me all my life. I remember being terrified that the boy and his pet dog would be killed at any minute, either by the harshness of the Kalahari Dessert or by being attacked by the Hyena that stalked them throughout the film. Some scenes in the film i.e. where the boy is stung, injured, dying of thirst and blistering in the heat and then his dog was attacked and savaged were just too much for me as a young child to handle. When the film was over I sat in shock all the way through the main feature film and have never forgotten Lost in the Dessert. I have just watched it again as an adult and I still find it a bit of a seat gripper though it is very dated. The acting and script is appalling though the little boy who plays Dirkie is outstanding and totally believable.
Review of Dirkie
