MovieChat Forums > World Without End (1956) Discussion > Avoids a LOT of science-fiction movie an...

Avoids a LOT of science-fiction movie and television chiches.

posted 10 years ago by surf_dude
3 replies | jump to latest

• They travel to the future and deduce that a major catastrophe has occurred.

Any other sci-fi story would say.
"remember that fatal virus, plague, disease, etc. scientists in the 1940's always warned us about?"

OR "I noticed in the cemetery that a large number of fatalities occurred in the 1970's. I guess Earth had that big nuclear war everyone always worried about."

Nope none of that. They arrive in the year 2300. (I forget the exact date and the precise catastrophe).

• They have to fight the mutants and their evil leader Naga. Any other story would have the new guys build some advanced, high tech, phase shifting amplitude dimension destroyer, which kills the surface dwellers, - ALL with one shot. Instead, the new guys successfully devise a bazooka!! (Even to 1950's viewers of the movie this was "old technology").

• The ending - don't worry - no "spoilers" here.

Other stories? "Hey captain remember that experimental time machine we were carrying back to Earth on board our space ship? Maybe we could use that to get back to our own time and meet everybody we knew and warn them of the 23rd century catastrophe." OR (equally hokey) "Wow these scientists are just a week away from building a time machine."

Not the happiest of endings but a happy ending of sorts (and no cliches). The Earth is at peace once again. Although Christopher Dark won't ever get back to his family, he seems interested in rebuilding a new Earth, etc.

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This is a great movie!!!

[–] gary_overman 10 years ago

OR "I noticed in the cemetery that a large number of fatalities occurred in the 1970's. I guess Earth had that big nuclear war everyone always worried about."

This might be nit-picking, but isn't that what they did when the saw the cemetery, and saw that the last burials were in the year 2188? They deduced from that that some great catastrophe had taken place in that year, or soon after, possibly an atomic world war.

They have to fight the mutants and their evil leader Naga. Any other story would have the new guys build some advanced, high tech, phase shifting amplitude dimension destroyer, which kills the surface dwellers, - ALL with one shot. Instead, the new guys successfully devise a bazooka!! (Even to 1950's viewers of the movie this was "old technology").

I also note that our heroes were also armed with what Herb called 'old fashioned shootin' irons' Smith & Wesson revolvers. You're right there,; that was a nice touch.

This is a great movie!!!

There I agree with you once more; excellent movie!!

[–] davidjanuzbrown 7 years ago

If you watch the movie you will see a not so sad ending for Christopher Dark. Why? He will likely end up with the redhead ( although
Deena ( the brunette), and Garnet ( the blonde) are hotter). Watch her carefully: At first, she wanted Rod Taylor ( she liked him with no shirt), but he prefers Deena. There are two scenes that show she will get what she wants. 1: Where he is teaching the children and she is close by. 2: When Rod Taylor and the other astronauts were ready to go out to battle the "Beasts" Deena was hiding ( she is afraid Taylor will reject her), she brought Deena over to him and she looking at Dark. She is taking no chances that Deena ends up with Dark.

[–] statdudejeff 7 years ago

Another cliche it avoided is that astronauts did not contain comic relief, often a big muscular enlisted man from the Bronx. I do enjoy how the 1950s extrapolated from flight crews to what astronauts would be like - a mix of white and blue collar men, well armed and well supplied as a bomber crew might be.

Where Planet of the Apes (and its sequel) would revisit much of this, its a lot more hopeful than that later film. While the 1950s had a lot of issues we now recognize, the movies at least retain a backbone of hope, instead of cynicism. Science is a two edged sword, but it seen as a tool to be used by vital people with guts and a sense of duty.

The hope is also that while a great war comes, it comes a hundred years later, not a few years later as seems to have happen in later movies. The crew have a serious difference of opinion on trying to return to their time, or make a life where they were, but its resolved mostly by a single individual essentially putting it up to fate - join his lost family in death or make a new life here.

There might still be lots of cliches here, but apart from the special effects, it really can stand up well to other Sci Fi movies of the day.