WORLD WITHOUT END
US, 1956, 80 minutes, Colour.
Hugh Marlowe, Nancy Gates, Rod Taylor.
Directed by Edward Bernds.
World Without End was made by Allied Artists, a small B-budget company who made this film in Cinemascope and colour, hoping to improve their image. For science fiction fans, they won’t be surprised at this style of 1950s science fiction film-making – fantasy and with small budgets. This, of course, was to change during the 1960s especially with the emergence of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur Clarke giving a greater respectability to the genre.
Science fiction fans will also find echoes of futuristic films like The Time Machine as well as Planet of the Apes in the picture of this world of the future.
Hugh Marlowe had appeared in a classic science fiction film, The Day the Earth Stood Still. Rod Taylor, at this time, had just moved from Australia and was to appear in a number of more prestigious films like The Catered Affair and Raintree County before beginning a substantial career internationally.
Edward Bernds was directing films from the late 40s with B-budget titles like Beware of Blondie, Gasoline Alley, Three Arabian Nuts, Dig for Uranium. He was to continue making such films with titles like High School Hellcats, Queen of Outer Space. Possibly his most prestigious films were Alaska Passage and Return of the Fly at the end of the 1950s. In the early 60s he directed some Three Stooges films.
1. The interest of science fiction and its appeal? The conventions of the genre, style, themes? Understanding the future, the present?
2. The appeal and interest of this film? Its place in the developing of science fiction films? Sophisticated in its presentation and in its themes?
3. The atmosphere of the fifties for science fiction films? Colour, scope, special effects?
4. The atmosphere of fiction for science? And yet the contribution of realism? The contribution of fantasy? The twentieth century and its comparison with the future?
5. The typical structure of the film: a mission, a journey, a journey put of control, a journey of discovery, salvation and climax? Audience involvement in this kind of plot?
6. The modern and contemporary atmosphere of the film? The nature of the mission, the mathematical and scientific theories, the time change, the equipment etc.?
7. How plausible did this make the film? The plausibility of the introduction with the news, the people, the atmosphere of the 1950s?
8. The film's view of the twentieth century? The pessimism about nuclear warfare, death, mutants, the survivors of mankind, the changes to the earth? The warning atmosphere of the film?
9. The presentation of twentieth century men and their style, personalities, ability to cope and survive heroic nature. Contribution to the future? How idealistic a picture of modern people? In comparison with the theme of
world destruction?
10. The men's experience as they land in the future, the earth of the future, abilities to cope, radioactivity etc., the mutants and the confrontation with them?
11. Audience interest in mutants and the future? Radioactivity, survival, brutality, a threat to the civilized humans?
12. The picture of humans in the 26th. century? The sophisticated society, scientific invention, the abomination of weapons, the seeking of peace? Yet their living under the earth in fear? The condemnation of lack of moral fibre? Courage? The Fifties and their attitude towards courage and moral stances?
13. The development ard interaction between the men of the past and the future? Courtesy, love and jealousy, the common human emotions? Capacity for learning? War?
14. How conventional was the villain and his motivation and behaviour? Justice? His death?
15. The significance of twentieth century men leading, the men of the future to war and self-assertion? The choices, preparation and training, the actual battles, individual combat to the death? The significance of individual combat and leadership?
16. What was the achievement of this science fiction film?
