World Without End

Director: Edward Bernds 

Screenplay: Edward Bernds

Minutes: 80

Year: 1956

Score: 5.73

Release: Warner Archive

So much about this movie triggers all of the bits and pieces of cinema which should have completely transported me into a great bad science fiction film. Time-travel. Civilization versus barbarians. Bad acting. I could go on but I don’t want to. This film is a miss for me.

From WBShop.com:

“CinemaScope’s first science-fiction thriller” sees four intrepid astronauts (Hugh Marlowe, Nelson Leigh, Rod Taylor and Christopher Dark) successfully complete mankind’s first Mars mission, only to run afoul of a warp in space. Tossed centuries into the future, they discover an Earth devastated by nuclear war, where mutant beast-men rule the surface. Underground is a society marked by listless males and lustful ladies (future- wear designed by Vargas!). Trapped in a tomorrow they never made, the four astronauts take on the mutant and the malicious while fighting to bring humanity back to the surface.

Luckily this is a time travel film so this comparison will work. World Without End feels like a child between Planet of the Apes and the original Star Trek. Yeah, I know, it came first and I accept that, but time travel so I am also right.

I badly wanted to like this film and I have every intention of giving another shot at a later date but it was so rough and slow going that I started cleaning my house while watching. When the lead astronaut agrees to a fistfight with a beast-man I completely checked out. It was on, I was not.

If anything can save this, it is the presentation. The film looks amazing. The various sets and costumes are delightful and visually appealing. Overall this is a miss that I hope will click in the future, but your results may vary if you give it a go.

One last idea, I love the original poster for this movie and I badly wish the Warner Archive used it as the cover image in the case.

You can stream this and many more film from the Warner Archive here!

Director: 7 – Cinematography: 7 –  Edit: 5 – Parity: 2 – Main performance: 6 – Else performance: 2 – Score: 6 – Sound: 5 – Story: 7 – Script: 6 – Effects: 7 – Design: 7 – Costumes: 8 – Keeps interest: 6 – Lasting: 5