Directed by Edward Bernds
Starring Hugh Marlowe, Nancy Gates, Rod Taylor
Allied Artists bragged that with World Without End (1956), they’d given the world the first sci-fi movie in CinemaScope. And Warner Archive is about to give it to us on Blu-Ray.
So, these astronauts return to Earth from a trip to Mars. Somehow they end up in the 26th century, to find a post-Apocalyptic world (actually, the Iverson Ranch) of mutants, monsters and girls in mini skirts. I love this kinda stuff.
Director Edward Bernds had a most interesting career, going from The Three Stooges to The Bowery Boys to Westerns like The Storm Rider (1957) to a string of sci-fi movies — World Without End, Queen Of Outer Space (1958), Return Of The Fly (1959) and Valley Of The Dragons (1961). He wrote or co-wrote all of these. Oh, and Sam Peckinpah was the dialogue director. So far, there is no specific release date.
Is this the first Allied Artists CinemaScope/color film to get a Blu Ray
release.Many Allied Artists films provided a life line to struggling
independent cinemas in the UK in the Fifties.
The major circuits were getting very snooty about what they would
and wouldn’t show.
WORLD WITHOUT END was rejected by the majors as was
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS now considered an all time classic.
Other AA flicks not considered worthy of the majors included CANYON
RIVER,SABU & THE MAGIC RING,SNOWFIRE,,NAKED IN THE SUN and
THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN.
Often these films were supported by an ever popular Bowery Boys comedy.
The four AA Joel McCrea Westerns (WICHITA,THE FIRST TEXAN,
THE OKLAHOMAN and THE TALL STRANGER) all played as main features at the major circuits.
I’d love to see Tourneur’s WICHITA get the Blu Ray treatment.
There are also several AA Westerns now owned by Paramount/Republic
that I’d love to see get the Blu Ray treatment possibly by Kino Lorber:
LAST OF THE BADMEN,AT GUNPOINT,THE TALL STRANGER
and DRAGOON WELLS MASSACRE….Kino Lorber have given far less
worthy films the high def treatment!
At least WORLD WITHOUT END is a step in the right direction and surely
“cult classic” QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE cannot be far behind.
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This MIGHT be the first AA Scope picture on Blu-Ray. Olive did Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, but that was Superscope. I thought of Fort Massacre, but that was UA not AA.
Wichita would be a great one, and I’d sorta assume it would come from Warner Archive.
All those AA things you mentioned would be great. I’m really wanting At Gunpoint and Dragoon Wells Massacre.
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Ha! I did say Color/ Scope………..:)
I was aware of “Invasion” in Superscope.
Let’s hope more great AA color/Scope films follow.
BTW I think WORLD WITHOUT END played in the UK with SPY CHASERS,
was that not another Bernds title-still a great way to spend a wet
afternoon.
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