The World, the Flesh and the Devil

"The Most Unusual Story Ever Told!"

1959 1h 35m EN

😐

6.4

MID

⭐

6.8

IMDB

★6.4TMDB · 84★6.8IMDB · 3,788

DramaScience FictionRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Ralph Burton is a miner who is trapped for several days as a result of a cave-in. When he finally manages to dig himself out, he realizes that all of mankind seems to have been destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. He travels to New York City only to find it deserted. Making a life for himself there, he is flabbergasted to eventually find Sarah Crandall, who also managed to survive. Together, they form a close friendship until the arrival of Benson Thacker who has managed to pilot his small boat into the city's harbor. At this point, tensions rise between the three, particularly between Thacker, who is white, and Burton, who is black.

“The Most Unusual Story Ever Told!”

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Cast

Harry Belafonte
Ralph Burton
Inger Stevens
Sarah Crandall
Mel Ferrer
Benson Thacker

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ranald MacDougall
Writers: Ferdinand Reyher, M.P. Shiel, Ranald MacDougall
Languages: French, 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 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Ranald MacDougall, shot by Harold J. Marzorati. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Miklós Rózsa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Editor Harold F. Kress shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Harry Belafonte and Inger Stevens and Mel Ferrer carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Most Unusual Story Ever Told!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ranald MacDougall directs. Harold J. Marzorati behind the camera. Miklós Rózsa scores. Harold F. Kress cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

167 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Ranald MacDougall, shot by Harold J. Marzorati. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Miklós Rózsa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Harold F. Kress shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Harry Belafonte and Inger Stevens and Mel Ferrer carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The Most Unusual Story Ever Told!".
9IMDB entry: tt0053454 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 84 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
11Classified under 11 themes, including "new york city", "jealousy", "nuclear war", "love triangle".