1 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Time Machine
"You Will Orbit into the Fantastic Future!"
1960 1h 43m EN
👍
7.4
SOLID
★7.4TMDB · 956
ThrillerAdventureFantasyScience FictionRomance
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
A Victorian Englishman travels to the far future and finds that humanity has divided into two hostile species.
“You Will Orbit into the Fantastic Future!”
Cast
Rod Taylor
H. George Wells
Alan Young
David Filby / James Filby
Yvette Mimieux
Weena
Sebastian Cabot
Dr. Philip Hilyer
Tom Helmore
Anthony Bridewell
Whit Bissell
Walter Kemp
Doris Lloyd
Mrs. Watchett
Bob Barran
Eloi Man (uncredited)
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- George Pal
- Writers
- David Duncan
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
ERA
Did you know
66 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by George Pal, shot by Paul Vogel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Russell Garcia. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor George Tomasini shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Rod Taylor and Alan Young and Yvette Mimieux carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
George Pal directs. Paul Vogel behind the camera. Russell Garcia scores. George Tomasini cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
- 2Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
- 366 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
- 4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 5Directed by George Pal, shot by Paul Vogel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by Russell Garcia. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor George Tomasini shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8Rod Taylor and Alan Young and Yvette Mimieux carry the top of the cast.
- 9Marketing tagline: "You Will Orbit into the Fantastic Future!".
- 10IMDB entry: tt0054387 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 11Classified under 16 themes, including "new year's eve", "future", "london, england", "based on novel or book".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Paul Vogel
- Original score
- Russell Garcia
- Editing
- George Tomasini
- Makeup / hair
- Sydney Guilaroff
- Runtime
- 103 min · 1h 43m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $750,000
- Box office
- $5,902
- Return
- 1% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- G
Awards
- Academy Award for Best Special Effects
Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.
Also by
George Pal
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
- GA
Galaxy Films Inc.
- GE
George Pal Productions
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
US
Key crew
- Art DirectionGeorge W. Davis
- ProducerGeorge Pal
- Art DirectionWilliam Ferrari
- Set DecorationHenry Grace
- Set DecorationF. Keogh Gleason
- NovelH. G. Wells
- EditorGeorge Tomasini
- HairstylistSydney Guilaroff
- Assistant DirectorWilliam Shanks
- Makeup ArtistJohn Truwe
- Recording SupervisionFranklin Milton
- Special EffectsWah Chang
- Makeup DesignerWilliam Tuttle
- Special EffectsGene Warren
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- new year's eve
- future
- london, england
- based on novel or book
- inventor
- dystopia
- time travel
- time machine
- victorian england
- distant future
- steampunk
- new year
- underground civilization
- morlock
- melodramatic
- metrocolor
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere1960-07-22· Chicago, Illinois
- Theatrical1960-08-17
- Physical1992-01-01G· MGM/UA Home Video #M600152 [VHS] 103 minutes
Also known as
International titles
- H. G. Wells' The Time MachineUS
- A Máquina do TempoPT
- A Máquina do TempoBR
- La machine à explorer le tempsFR
- El tiempo en sus manosES
- Time Machine, The (1960)US
