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IMDbPro

The Story of Mankind

  • 19571957
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
4.8/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
The Story of Mankind (1957)
  • Drama
  • Fantasy
  • Sci-Fi
The Devil and the Spirit of Man argue as to whether or not humanity is ultimately good or evil.The Devil and the Spirit of Man argue as to whether or not humanity is ultimately good or evil.The Devil and the Spirit of Man argue as to whether or not humanity is ultimately good or evil.
IMDb RATING
4.8/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Irwin Allen
  • Writers
    • Irwin Allen(screenplay)
    • Charles Bennett(screenplay)
    • Henrik Van Loon(book "The Story of Mankind")
  • Stars
    • Ronald Colman
    • Hedy Lamarr
    • Groucho Marx
Top credits
  • Director
    • Irwin Allen
  • Writers
    • Irwin Allen(screenplay)
    • Charles Bennett(screenplay)
    • Henrik Van Loon(book "The Story of Mankind")
  • Stars
    • Ronald Colman
    • Hedy Lamarr
    • Groucho Marx
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 43User reviews
    • 25Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos25

    "The Story Of Mankind," Vincent Price and Ronald Colman. 1957 Warner Bros.
    "The Story Of Mankind," Vincent Price and Ronald Colman. 1957 Warner Bros.
    "The Story Of Mankind," Ronald Colman and Vincent Price. 1957 Warner Bros.
    Francis X. Bushman in The Story of Mankind (1957)
    Vincent Price in The Story of Mankind (1957)
    Vincent Price and Ronald Colman in The Story of Mankind (1957)
    Vincent Price in The Story of Mankind (1957)
    Vincent Price and Nick Cravat in The Story of Mankind (1957)
    Reginald Gardiner in The Story of Mankind (1957)
    Agnes Moorehead in The Story of Mankind (1957)
    Henry Daniell in The Story of Mankind (1957)
    Hedy Lamarr in The Story of Mankind (1957)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ronald Colman
    Ronald Colman
    • The Spirit of Manas The Spirit of Man
    Hedy Lamarr
    Hedy Lamarr
    • Joan of Arcas Joan of Arc
    Groucho Marx
    Groucho Marx
    • Peter Minuitas Peter Minuit
    Harpo Marx
    Harpo Marx
    • Sir Isaac Newtonas Sir Isaac Newton
    Chico Marx
    Chico Marx
    • Monkas Monk
    Virginia Mayo
    Virginia Mayo
    • Cleopatraas Cleopatra
    Agnes Moorehead
    Agnes Moorehead
    • Queen Elizabeth Ias Queen Elizabeth I
    Vincent Price
    Vincent Price
    • Mr. Scratch - The Devilas Mr. Scratch - The Devil
    Peter Lorre
    Peter Lorre
    • Neroas Nero
    Charles Coburn
    Charles Coburn
    • Hippocratesas Hippocrates
    Cedric Hardwicke
    Cedric Hardwicke
    • High Judgeas High Judge
    Cesar Romero
    Cesar Romero
    • Spanish Envoyas Spanish Envoy
    John Carradine
    John Carradine
    • Pharaoh Khufuas Pharaoh Khufu
    Dennis Hopper
    Dennis Hopper
    • Napoleon Bonaparteas Napoleon Bonaparte
    Marie Wilson
    Marie Wilson
    • Marie Antoinetteas Marie Antoinette
    Helmut Dantine
    Helmut Dantine
    • Marc Antonyas Marc Antony
    Edward Everett Horton
    Edward Everett Horton
    • Sir Walter Raleighas Sir Walter Raleigh
    Reginald Gardiner
    Reginald Gardiner
    • William Shakespeareas William Shakespeare
    • Director
      • Irwin Allen
    • Writers
      • Irwin Allen(screenplay)
      • Charles Bennett(screenplay)
      • Henrik Van Loon(book "The Story of Mankind")
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Irwin Allen managed to assemble his all-star cast by promising them they would only be filming for one day and that they would get paid $25,000 for doing so.
    • Goofs
      The cheap production values of this film produced anachronisms left and right. Some of the most obvious include: In ancient Greece, the hand of "Plato" is shown writing in cursive with a stylus, but he has no inkwell, and his shirtsleeve (on a toga?) looks more medieval or renaissance. In the next shot, "Aristotle" is surrounded by bubbling glass beakers filled with colored liquids, a la Frankenstein's laboratory. The "Indian" who sells Manhattan sits in front of a Plains tribe tepee and wears a full Western war bonnet.
    • Quotes

      The Devil: Then, came the red man, fighting for his very survival and the white man determined to take away this so-called god-given heritage, used the foulest of methods. Rather confusing, don't you think?

    • Connections
      Edited from The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

    User reviews43

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    "I direct your attention...to the Great Clock of Outer Space."
    Mankind is on the verge of discovering the secret of the Super H-bomb so a special tribunal meets in outer space to discuss what to do. Arguing on behalf of mankind is the Spirit of Man (Ronald Colman). Arguing that humanity must be destroyed is Mr. Scratch (Vincent Price). They both use examples from history to make their cases.

    Here are some of the historical reenactments. Cavemen discover fire in the middle of an attempted murder and rape. Cleopatra (Virginia Mayo) kills her brother and seduces Caesar and Marc Anthony (Helmut Dantine). Peter Lorre plays a drunken Nero laughing while Rome burns. The most embarrassing episode belongs to Hedy Lamarr as Joan of Arc. Her Joan wears bright red lipstick and a terrible wig. Her trial is presided over by Henry Daniell dressed as Santa Claus. Agnes Moorehead hams it up as Queen Elizabeth I, who receives military counsel from William Shakespeare! Groucho Marx plays Peter Minuit in a painfully unfunny comedy segment where he rips off Indians for Manhattan island. Marie Wilson is a bimbofied Marie Antoinette. 21 year-old Dennis Hopper is a soft-spoken Napoleon with 37 year-old Marie Windsor as his Josephine. Among the other stars we see in this are Cedric Hardwicke as the celestial tribunal's judge, John Carradine as Pharaoh Khufu, Charles Coburn as Hippocrates, Chico Marx as a monk offering advice to Columbus, Edward Everett Horton as Sir Walter Raleigh, Harpo Marx as Isaac Newton, and Don Ameche's younger brother Jim as Alexander Graham Bell.

    Today Irwin Allen is best remembered for his contributions to television like Lost in Space or his '70s disaster flicks like The Poseidon Adventure. The Story of Mankind wasn't Allen's first film but it was his first notable one. This movie came about during the heyday of Atomic Scare movies. The decade was full of them, usually in a sci-fi setting. There were some great classics like The Day the Earth Stood Still made during this era rife with paranoia. This film has the reputation of being one of classic Hollywood's biggest stinkers. Personally, I like it! But part of why I like it is because it's so flawed. It's got an all-star cast, most of whom are laughably misused. The script is terrible with some of the corniest dialogue you'll ever hear and some truly cringeworthy speeches. The history is inaccurate and blends myth with fact. It's all filmed in lush Technicolor but on cheap sets with tons of stock footage. Still, I can't help but enjoy it. It's a movie that falls squarely into the "so bad it's good" camp for me. Taken seriously, it's ridiculous and offensive to your intelligence. Taken lightly it's quite a bit of cheesy fun.

    It has the distinction of being both Ronald Colman's final film and the final film to feature the main three Marx Bros. together (although they bafflingly share no scenes). By the way, listening to the Devil's point of view, it struck me how that is the more likely view we'd see advocated today, not only in films but in real-life discourse as well. Kind of depressing. Worth seeing for a variety of film fans but especially for fans of Price and Colman, who have two of the most pleasant voices the movies ever knew.
    helpful•8
    0
    • utgard14
    • Nov 26, 2014

    FAQ1

    • Is this film available on DVD or Video?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 8, 1957 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • La historia de la humanidad
    • Filming locations
      • Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Cambridge Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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