World Without End (1956)

Director:

Edward Bernds

Writer:

Edward Bernds (story)

Release Date:

25 March 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

CinemaScope's First Science-Fiction Thriller Hurls You into the Year 2508!

Plot:

Astronauts returning from a voyage to mars are caught in a time warp and are propelled into a post-Apocalyptic Earth populated by mutants.

Plot Keywords:

Mutant | Astronaut | Giant Spider | Mission | 26th Century

Cast

Hugh Marlowe	...	John Borden
Nancy Gates	...	Garnet
Nelson Leigh	...	Dr. Eldon Galbraithe
Rod Taylor	...	Herbert Ellis
Shirley Patterson	...	Elaine (as Shawn Smith)
Lisa Montell	...	Deena
Christopher Dark	...	Henry 'Hank' Jaffe
Booth Colman	...	Mories
Everett Glass	...	Timmek
Stanley Fraser	...	Elda
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Alpert	...	Public Relations Officer (uncredited)
John Bleifer	...	Jule (uncredited)
Paul Brinegar	...	Vida (uncredited)
John Close	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Walter Conrad	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Hugh Corcoran	...	Jaffe's Son (uncredited)
William Forman	...	Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Michael Garth	...	Military Officer (uncredited)
Mimi Gibson	...	Ginny Jaffe (uncredited)
John Hiestand	...	TV Newscaster (uncredited)
Nancy Howard	...	Mrs. Jaffe (uncredited)
Don Kennedy	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Rankin Mansfield	...	Beryl (uncredited)
Strother Martin	...	Nihka (uncredited)
Keith Richards	...	Slave (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson	...	Naga (uncredited)
William Vedder	...	James (uncredited)
Herb Vigran	...	Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward Bernds

Writing credits
Edward Bernds		(story and screenplay)

Produced by
Richard V. Heermance	....	producer (as Richard Heermance)

Original Music by
Leith Stevens

Cinematography by
Ellsworth Fredericks		(as Ellsworth Fredricks)

Film Editing by
Eda Warren

Art Direction by
Dave Milton		(as David Milton)

Set Decoration by
Joseph Kish

Makeup Department
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist: surface beasts

Production Management
Allen K. Wood	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Don Torpin	....	assistant director

Art Department
Sam Gordon	....	props (uncredited)
Ted Mossman	....	props (uncredited)
James West	....	construction (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ralph Butler	....	sound recordist
Del Harris	....	sound editor
S. Robert Quick	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Paul Schmutz	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Irving Block	....	special effects
Jack Rabin	....	special effects
Milt Rice	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Emmett Bergholz	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Dick Johnson	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Harry Lewis	....	grip (uncredited)
Fred Morgan	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Robert Wyckoff	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Neil Brunnenkant	....	music editor
Leith Stevens	....	conductor

Other crew
Kathleen Fagan	....	continuity
Alberto Vargas	....	set sketches
Hubie Kerns	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Pete Kooy	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Sam Peckinpah	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Allied Artists Pictures

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Canada) (DVD) (4 film set)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (4 film set)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording) | Perspecta Stereo

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #17701) | USA:Unrated (video release) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Allied Artists Pictures

Trivia:

Director Edward Bernds sought first Sterling Hayden and then Frank Lovejoy. Producer Richard Heermance eventually hired Hugh Marlowe, who asked for only a quarter of the other actors' salaries. According to Bernds, Marlowe was often lazy and unprepared.

Goofs:

Factual errors: A revolver is shown that has a blown barrel due to what was said to be lack of strength in the metal as well as too strong a propellant powder. If the metal in the gun was weak, the part to fail would have been in the cylinder and frame area, not the barrel. The most likely cause of the damage that was shown would have been an obstruction in the barrel.

Quotes:

Timmek, President of the Council:Armageddon. The slaughter of humanity. An atomic war no one wanted, but which no one had the wisdom to avoid.

Movie Connections:

Features Flight to Mars (1951)

Very Enjoyable Low-Budget B/W Sci-Fi; Unusually Well-Considered

This is the perhaps the best script from a writer's point of view of any of the 1950s low-budget "B" sci-fi films. Galactic fiction being beyond the capacities of Hollywood writers' imaginations, the best they could do is "futuristics", stories of apocalyptic, invaded, poisoned or plagued Earth. Larger budgets made possible color features such as "War of the Worlds"; and "When Worlds Collide"; others with less backing made "Kronos", "Earth Versus the Flying Saucers" and this gem of the genre. Here four astronauts who return from a mission to Mars are caught in the usual 'time warp'; and so they return to find a devastated Earth of the future--atomic war being the destructive force. The astronauts are led by dependable leading man Hugh Marlowe; the others are young Rod Taylor, Christopher Dark and announcer--voiced nice guy Nelson Leigh. They become involved with The Council, led by Everett Glass and run afoul of fine actor Booth Colman as a man jealous of their potency as political leaders and their genetic potential to please the local female population. Others in the cast include fine character actors Paul Brinegar and Herb Vigran. Borrowing a page from Edgar Rice Burroughs' Opar tales, author and director of the film, Edward Bernds, has introduced beast men, impotent males and gorgeous women who seem seem almost to belong to a different race. The three lovelies are played by capable leading lady Nancy Gates, Lisa Montell and Shawn Smith. What sets this film apart is fine music by Leigh Harline, intelligent sets, enjoyably-revealing costumes for the ladies and its dialogue and interestingly-developed characters. The four astronauts learn about the new society of wrecked Earth, its problems and hopes, as we do, adding to the impact of the story. Dark has a good part as he mourns his lost family; the older Leigh enjoys his status as a sought-after-male and scientist, Taylor is stalwart and promising but battles his Australian accent. Marlowe makes everyone else look better as usual by his intelligence and ability to handle adventure-level dialogue. The action climax sets the four up to be the leaders of a new and perhaps better world, with the beast men at bay and affairs of the heart settled admirably-- and Dark in charge of the children who are the hope of a rebuilt Earth... I cannot recommend this exercise in clever low-budget sci-fi film-making too highly. This is an exciting and interesting narrative.