The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959)

Director:

Ranald MacDougall

Writers:

M.P. Shiel (novel)
Ferdinand Reyher (story)
(more)

Release Date:

20 May 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The Most Unusual Story Ever Told!

Plot:

Ralph Burton is a miner who is trapped for several days as a result of a cave-in. When he finally manages to dig himself out...

Plot Keywords:

Trapped | Cave In | Miner | New York City | Harbor

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Harry Belafonte	...	Ralph Burton
Inger Stevens	...	Sarah Crandall
Mel Ferrer	...	Benson Thacker

Directed by
Ranald MacDougall

Writing credits
M.P. Shiel		(novel "The Purple Cloud")
Ferdinand Reyher		(story "End of the World")
Ranald MacDougall		(writer)

Produced by
George Englund	....	producer
Sol C. Siegel	....	executive producer
Harry Belafonte	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa

Cinematography by
Harold J. Marzorati

Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress

Art Direction by
Paul Groesse
William A. Horning

Set Decoration by
F. Keogh Gleason
Henry Grace

Costume Design by
Kitty Mager

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Jennings	....	assistant director
Robert H. Justman	....	assistant director: New York

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
Lee LeBlanc	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Matthew Yuricich	....	visual effects artist (uncredited)

Music Department
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• HarBel Productions

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Cinefear (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

French | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo

Certification:

UK:A (1959) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

HarBel Productions

Trivia:

To film the striking images of a deserted New York City, the cast and crew had to start filming at dawn in order to capture the city before the early morning rush. This gave them no more than an hour or two per day in which to film the sequence.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: While Ralph is being pursued by Ben near the end of the film, he comes to the United Nations complex. Although there is no electric power in the city (except where Ralph has installed a generator), lights can be seen through the windows of the Secretariat tower.

Quotes:

Benson Thacker:I have nothing against negroes, Ralph.
Ralph Burton:That's white of you.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Out of this World Super Shock Show (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

GOTTA TRAVEL ON

For Thinkers that Care

This movie will grab your interest and exercise your moral fiber. Race, prejudice and pride are but minor subplots in this excellent film. A fair minded humanitarian man discovers the true nature of life and friendship. A sheltered woman finds the friendship of a man that is everything she loves in a person, but nothing at all like her indoctrination would suggest. Suddenly her psychological paradise is shattered, when a third person comes along that threatens to bring back all the old ways of thinking that separated people and cultures throughout generations. Black and white has never been so colorful.