UNKNOWN WORLD (1951)
Label: Severin Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 74 Minutes 46 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Director: Terry O. Morse
Cast: Otto Waldis, Marilyn Nash, Victor Kilian
Unknown World (1951) is a slice of Cold War-era hard science fiction, directed by Terry O. Morse (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) and produced by Jack Rabin and Irving Block (Rocketship X-M), who also did the film's impressive low-budget special effects. It's an earnest sci-fi- that is notable for being an early, if not first, film to tackle the idea of a Hollow Earth, with a script by Oscar nominee Millard Kaufman (Bad Day at Black Rock), and if rumors are true. also the multi-Academy Award winning blacklisted Academy Award winner Dalton Trumbo (Spartacus).
In it scientist Dr. Jeremiah Morley (Victor Kilian, The Ox-Bow Incident) is worried that the Cold War will inevitably lead to a nuclear apocalypse, and as such is looking for a viable subterranean solution to escape the nuclear fallout and to save humanity, believing that there are large subterranean caverns capable of supporting life many hundred of miles below the surface of the earth. To that end he designs an atomic-powered tunneling vehicle that looks like a bit like a smooth-edged submarine with a large drill mounted at the front of it, which he dubs the Cyclotram
When funding falls through for the project it is saved at the last minute by newspaper heir Wright Thompson (Bruce Kellogg, The Eternal Sea) who agrees to fund the expedition under the condition that he can come along, with the scientist begrudgingly agreeing for the sake of the survival of humanity. The expedition is rounded out by geologist Dr. Max A. Bauer (Otto Waldis, Attack of the 50 Foot. Woman), Andy Ostergaard (Jim Bannon, The Shaggy Dog), Dr. James Paxton (Tom Handley, Command Decision), Dr. George Coleman (Dick Cogan), and the lovely biologist/medic Dr. Joan Lindsey (Marilyn Nash, Monsiuer Verdoux). It's a large group in a small space and as the expeditions gets underway tunneling to the center of the earth tempers flare, egos swell, and there are disagreements, plus the lonely malaise of being trapped underground, often inside cramped quarters. It was filmed in Carlsbad Caverns and looks pretty great for a low-budget sci-fi flick, aided by the impeccable use of stock footage by director Terry O. Morse to flesh out the anemic budget, and it works pretty aces. It's still low-budget and looks it, and while it freely borrows elements from Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Boroughs I would suggest not coming into this expecting the usual Hollow Earth creatures and privatives to appear, no sir, this is hard sci-fi, and sort of reality based. Instead of giant creatures and dinosaurs they face rugged terrain, poison gas, and the threat of sterility! That's not to say there are not some terrific set pieces, there are subterranean seas and caverns galore, a volcano, heck, it even snows down there somehow! This might not be the most zesty subterranean exploration flick ever made but I love how earnest it is, it's quite charming, even if the science of it is absurd, and the effects are chintzy. The focus on Cold War era atomic bomb fears didn;t quite make up for the lack of fantastical elements, but there's a warm retro vibe her that appeals to by inner-kid, the one who would literally watch very monster and sci-fi matinee that aired on WPIX NY in the '70s and early '80s, eating them (and a bowl of sugary cereal, 'natch) up with a spoon no matter how terrible or cheap they were.
Audio/Video: Unknown World (1951) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from Severin Films in 1080p HD framed in the original 1.33:1 fullscreen, sourced from a 4K scan of the projection internegative. The B&W flick looks solid, there are some source blemishes like vertical scratches and small nicks that show up, but generally the source has solid contrast and grayscale. Grain is a tad course and uneven at times, but textures and fine detail in the close-ups impressed me nonetheless. A few spots are softer than others, looking like a mix of source limitations and mismatched stock footage, but again, overall I was pleased. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dial-mono with optional English subtitles. The track has some slight age related wear, but largely sounds solid and accurate to what this probably sounded like at the cinema upon release. the depth of field is pretty shallow and the mono mix won't blow you away but it does the job just fine.
Onto the extras, we start off with a terrific Audio Commentary with Film Writer Stephen R. Bissette, which i appreciated quite a bit, it was fact-filled and fun, lots of cast and crew information, and as I was not overly familiar with this film nor the cast it filled in a lot of the holes for me. Then onto the 22-min Victor Kilian: A Blacklist Legacy – Interview With Crawford Kilian, Actor Victor Kilian's Grandson, who speaks about his grandfather's early years, getting into entertainment, coming from a verbose family, moving to the West Coast in '34 and starting his film career,. How he was accidentally slugged by John Wayne while filming Reap the Wind, his socialist affiliation and being blacklisted, moving to Mexico, working under the table and his rare lead role in Unknown World. h also touches on how the film reflected anxiety about the atom bomb, how groups of Hollywood exiles lived in Mexico, his later Broadway and TV career, and death later in life, having been killed during a robbery.
In the 18-min The Unknown World Of Terrell O. Morse – Interview With Film Historian C. Courtney
Joyner, the noted film scholar gets into Morse's early career, how he bounced between A and B-pictures, as both an editor and/or director, his notable directing credits including the film British Intelligence with Boris Karloff, his skill as an editor and incorporating stock footage, and how he is probably best remembered as the director of the Americanized Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
The 22-min Special Effects Maestros Of The 1950s – Video Essay By Comic Book Artist Stephen R. Bissette, s an appreciation of the vintage effects of the era from Jack Rabin and Irving Block, dissecting the effects work found in the film, We also get a Trailer for the film.
The single-disc release arrives in a black keepcase with a single-sided wrap featuring the original movie poster artwork.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary With Film Writer Stephen R. Bissette
- Victor Kilian: A Blacklist Legacy – Interview With Crawford Kilian, Actor Victor Kilian's Grandson (21:40)
- The Unknown World Of Terrell O. Morse – Interview With Film Historian C. Courtney
Joyner (17:32)
- Special Effects Maestros Of The 1950s – Video Essay By Comic Book Artist Stephen R.
Bissette (22:11)
- Trailer
Screenshots from the Severin Films Blu-ray:
Extras:
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