The geographic scope of this work is all of Europe, European Russia, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, the Mediterranean Islands such as Sicily and Corsica, the Caucasus area north of Turkey, including territory now in the new republics of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and the Balkans and Greece. There are entries for shorts, animation, silents, television series, films (both theatrical and made-for-television releases), miniseries, epics, war films, dramas, literary adaptations, comedies, horrors, mysteries, musical comedies, and operettas. Complete entries provide such particulars as the title, date, alternate title(s), black & white or colour, nationality, director, production company, length, producer, screenplay writer, literary source, cinematographer, score composer, actors (in order of importance) with character names and a brief synopsis or description, commentary, and references to the Variety review and one other filmographic source. Most of the titles were produced in Europe or Hollywood, but a few were made in such countries as Japan, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and Argentina. Productions based on Shakespeare's plays themselves are omitted; those based on his life are included. Opera and ballet films are omitted but musical comedy and operetta films are included, as are silent films based on operas. Fairy tales are out but folkloric works are in. Documentaries are not included. Subject (places, periods, events, and historical figures) and name indexes allow for easy reference.

From the early days of the movies, ?cavemen? have been a popular subject for filmmakers?not surprisingly, since the birth of cinema occurred only a few decades after the earliest scientific studies of prehistoric man. Filmmakers, however, were not constrained by the emerging science; instead they most often took a comedic look at prehistory, a trend that continued throughout the 20th century. This exhaustive work provides detailed accounts of 579 film and television productions that feature depictions of human prehistory. Included are dramas and comedies set in human prehistory; documentaries; and films and television shows in which prehistoric people somehow exist in historical periods?from the advent of civilization up to the present?or in extraterrestrial settings. Each entry includes full filmographic data, including year of release, running time, production personnel, cast information, and format. A description of each film provides background on the prehistoric elements.