Things to Come (1936)

The story of a century: a decades-long second World War leaves plague and anarchy, then a rational state rebuilds civilization and attempts space travel.

Director:

William Cameron Menzies

Writers:

H.G. Wells (novel), H.G. Wells (screenplay)

Stars:

Raymond Massey, Edward Chapman, Ralph Richardson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Raymond Massey	...	John Cabal / Oswald Cabal
Edward Chapman	...	Pippa Passworthy / Raymond Passworthy
Ralph Richardson	...	The Boss
Margaretta Scott	...	Roxana / Rowena (as Margueretta Scott)
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Theotocopulos
Maurice Braddell	...	Dr. Harding
Sophie Stewart	...	Mrs. Cabal
Derrick De Marney	...	Richard Gordon (as Derrick de Marney)
Ann Todd	...	Mary Gordon
Pearl Argyle	...	Catherine Cabal
Kenneth Villiers	...	Maurice Passworthy
Ivan Brandt	...	Morden Mitani
Anne McLaren	...	The Child
Patricia Hilliard	...	Janet Gordon
Charles Carson	...	Great Grandfather

Storyline

A global war begins in 1940. This war drags out over many decades until most of the people still alive (mostly those born after the war started) do not even know who started it or why. Nothing is being manufactured at all any more and society has broken down into primitive localized communities. In 1966 a great plague wipes out most of what people are left but small numbers still survive. One day a strange aircraft lands at one of these communities and its pilot tells of an organization which is rebuilding civilization and slowly moving across the world re-civilizing these groups of survivors. Great reconstruction takes place over the next few decades and society is once again great and strong. The world's population is now living in underground cities. In the year 2035, on the eve of man's first flight to the moon, a popular uprising against progress (which some people claim has caused the wars of the past) gains support and becomes violent.

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Plot Keywords:

progress | sleeping gas | rocket to the moon | utopia quest | outer space | 

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Taglines:

H.G.Wells' "Things To Come" will astound the entire world!

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 1936 (UK)

Also Known As:

A Vida Futura

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

London Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 91 min (video) 108 min (premiere cut) 113 min (original) 92 min (cut) 89 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several movie critics in the U.S. criticized H.G. Wells's screen adaptation of his book for its failure to adequately address class struggle. The complaint rang with a tone of irony for Wells, whose book had been criticized by literary critics for containing too much of the author's analysis of class struggle and his socialist-leaning political beliefs.

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Goofs

In Everytown in 1970 industrial production has ceased, but the Boss's men are still able to go into battle against the Hill People with firearms, including machine guns, which couldn't be used without an industrial infrastructure to produce ammunition for them.

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Quotes

The Boss: This is an independent sovereign state.
John Cabal: Yes, we must talk about that.
The Boss: We don't discuss it.
John Cabal: We don't approve of independent sovereign states.
The Boss: You don't approve...?
John Cabal: We mean to stop them.
The Boss: That's war!
John Cabal: If you will.
The Boss: All right, I think we know how we stand. Burton, take this man. If he gives you any trouble, club him. You hear that, Mr. Wings Over Your Wits?
John Cabal: My friends know my whereabouts. If I don't come back, they'll send a force to find me.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

There is no 'THE END' title or any credits at the end of the film.

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Alternate Versions

Available in a colorized version on DVD and Blu-ray.

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Connections

Referenced in Smiley Face (2007)

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Soundtracks

The First Noel
(uncredited)
Traditional 18th Century Cornish Christmas Carol
Arranged by Arthur Bliss
Heard during opening montage.

User Reviews

Visually stunning but a flawed masterpiece

This sci-fi masterpiece has too many flaws after the editors had butchered it after its opening in 1936. Visually it is a wonder to behold, but the script allows too many intellectual speeches about war and progress.This gets very corny when the actors are given to recite a lot of high minded messages at all times.Raymond Massey and Cedric Hardwicke,both great actors,come off as quite a pair of fanatics. Ralph Richardson is very good as the "The Boss" a megalomaniac warlord. The prediction of World War II was very eerie considering that the world was on the brink of the most devastating conflict in human history at the time. I'm sure glad that war didn't turn out as it did in the movie. There are some visually stunning montage sequences bridging the leaps of time between the movie's different episodes. Although its not as entertaining as I hoped it would be,this movie sticks in your mind long after you've seen it.