The World, Flesh, and the Devil (1959)

[Mr. Arkadin]

Great film coming on this morning! Anyone recording this one?

[Ollie]

Yes, I am. It's on my Region-2 list to purchase, but even there, it's gone out of print apparently.

[vallo]

I made sure I taped it. I haven't seen this film in 30 yrs. or so. I always liked the premise, end of the world and it's soul survivor's. Love those shot's in 1950's New York. Shame about Inger Stevens though.

Bill (vallo)

[Ollie]

I've been digging a bit and obviously was confused about it's Region-2 release and current OOP status. Apparently, it's never been released on DVD, but this gorgeous ultra-widescreen release that TCM showed us hopefully indicates that will soon be released.

[wmcclain]

The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959), directed by Ranald MacDougall.

First review

Trapped in a mine for several days, Harry Belafonte digs himself out to discover the world has ended. He seems to be the last man on Earth. Everyone else has been killed by "atomic poison", radioactive dust with a short half-life. There are no bodies, but maybe that's just a movie convention.

He goes to deserted New York City. In a great scene he rings church bells and we get quick cut reactions from assorted stone lions. Then, in a reverse Crusoe moment, we have a shot of a woman's feet following him.

This is Inger Stevens, another survivor who spies on him for a while as he sets up house, electrifies a city block and starts cracking up. He throws a mannequin from a window and she thinks he's jumped and runs forward, screaming. Boy meets girl: what could go wrong?

The color line between them is strong. She warms up but he's not having it. He still has his pride and being an acceptable mate only because he's the last man on Earth is not very flattering. She has him cut her hair, which is awkward and intimate for both of them.

Third survivor Mel Ferrer, a man with attitude, appears and things get complicated. The men go for their guns.

The deserted city is well done and you can tell the makers of later films like The Omega Man (1971) and I Am Legend have watched this one. Stories about "relationships" tend to become soap opera and there is some of that here, but the plot keeps moving.

Miklós Rózsa score. I've been waiting for decades to see this again and it's a keeper. Yet another B&W scope film -- they're everywhere!

Warner Archive title, available for rent from ClassicFlix.

Second review

Some additional notes and new thumbnails from the Blu-ray.

• I've never seen city canyons shown so well as in the deserted NYC of this film.
• When the "last man on earth" rings the cathedral bells we have a clever sequence of stone lions seeming to respond:

• Miklós Rózsa's score has a film noir feel; is that right for the empty city? The alienation seems of a different kind.
• The set-up is good, but when we have more than one character the dialogue tends towards theater-speak and slows the story.
• The race relations plot is awkward, but that's true in reality as well as in film. Harry Belafonte produced the movie and I suppose it came out something like he wanted.
• His other producing work from that year was the fine heist film Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) directed by Robert Wise.
• I hadn't noticed before, but it is not just people who were raptured away by the atomic poison, but all life is dead. Toward the end hope returns with tree blossoms and we see pigeons.
• One the apartments has a little Robby the Robot.
• I know it must be an effect of some sort, but the sight of Mel Ferrer walking along the roof edges of tall buildings gives me vertiginous heebie-jeebies.
• A groaner: it ends with "The Beginning". And that beginning would have been illegal several different ways in 1959 if anyone were left to enforce such laws.
• "From all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil: Good lord deliver us" -- The Book of Common Prayer.

Available on Blu-ray with a rather good image.

[EP Millstone]

The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959), directed by Ranald MacDougall.

Welcome to the SSO, wmcclain, and thank you for enriching The Oasis with your reviews!

I took a look at your website Strange Picture Scroll -- very impressive!

I noticed that you own an OPPO Blu-ray Disc player. I considered buying one when I was interested in getting a region-free BD player. But, I abandoned my intention when I read that OPPO stopped making BD players. Despite that tragedy, OPPO seems to have a devout and loyal fan base.

[TikiSoo]

I noticed that you own an OPPO Blu-ray Disc player. I considered buying one when I was interested in getting a region-free BD player.

Whenever buying a DVD formatted for a different region, I rip a new disk formatted for "ALL" regions to get around that.
That used to be the easier route, but recently have noticed blank DVDs are increasingly difficult to find!

Speaking of old technology, I'm just about to package up my VHS to DVD recorder, haven't used it in years. (my original Sony VCR is still going strong after 30+ years!)