Mysterious Castles of Clay

An Oscar nominated nature film, this Joan & Alan Root film is amazing. It's easy to root for the termites and the footage of the spitting cobra is...well, just wait until you see it.
30 years ago we would order that film reel for my school and the Science teachers would line up for it. Since then most copies of the film have been lost and online versions are often without good sound. I found a VHS tape by accident about 15 years ago and finally got around to transferring it to digital. Contrary to Wikipedia, It isn't Orson Welles that narrates it, instead it is the amazing Derek Jacobi of "I, Claudius" and everything else. As I learned from Comments, This is actually “Castles of Clay” whereas “Mysterious Castles of Clay” is narrated by Welles. Two narration versions of the same film.

[@user-xc4nm5ju7p]

I'm so glad you put this up on TH-cam. Simply astonishing and beautifully done. I'd seen it in 1978 or '79 - it's my all-time favorite nature documentary - and have tried off and on to find a copy or a way to watch it again.

[@smilodontiger5675]

OUTSTANDING !!

[@proudhug]

I'm wondering if there are two versions of the narration. I have a TV Guide that lists it airing on NBC on March 18, 1978 with Orson Wells narrating.

[@BoxLunches-xt7ef]

Interesting, that very well could be.

[@BoxLunches-xt7ef]

You are correct! I found a really rough copy of the 1979 Academy Awards introduction of the film by George Plimpton followed by the film. Indeed it was Orson Welles that narrated that one. During the actual film, Welles even says "This is Orson Welles, with a story of those mounds." :)

[@proudhug]

@@BoxLunches-xt7ef Awesome! Where'd you find that? I wonder why it was redone.

[@mr.fostersworld]

​ @proudhug Oops, used the wrong account to reply :) There is a sketchy site called rare films and they have that rough copy-It has horrible sound. Here is the link: rarefilmm.com/2017/12/mysterious-castles-of-clay-1978/ and then there was some info here: letterboxd.com/film/mysterious-castles-of-clay/ Now you know all I know!

[@Natabus]

Wiki says there are two versions. One narrated by Wells, and this one by Derek Jacobi. Also, the Wells version was usually called "Mysterious Castles of Clay" and the Jacobi version just "Castles of Clay" It was the latter that I first saw on PBS way back in 1980.