I grew up a fan of all things surrounding Jules Verne. The author was brought to my attention by two films based on his novels, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA and it’s follow up MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. The second film grabbed my attention with the special effects work of Ray Harryhausen. I think the first time I saw it was on a Thanksgiving night as my family was altogether at my grandparent’s house. Unfortunately we had to leave before it was over so I didn’t see the whole thing until years later.
But these two movies make me want to know more about Verne. He was a visionary who predicted the invention of so many things including flying to the moon. When I learned about the movie MASTER OF THE WORLD I knew it would be a movie I had to see. Sadly this was before video existed and it never played where I had a chance until years later. I’d seen bits and pieces but now I had the chance to watch it in its entirety since Kino Lorber has just released it on blu-ray.
At the turn of the century a small town in Pennsylvania is stunned when a nearby mountain appears to erupt, shaking the earth. This is followed by a booming voice quoting scripture. Frightened of what might happen the citizens call upon the government to investigate.
Government agent John Strock (Charles Bronson) is sent to a congregation of balloon enthusiast to see if he can use their newest airship to investigate the cause of the issue. Along with the balloon’s owner/creator and arms builder and dealer Mr. Prudent (Henry Hull), his daughter Dorothy (Mary Webster) and her fiancé Phillip Evans (David Frankham) they fly near the apparent volcano only to be shot down. Landing inside the dormant volcano they are taken prisoner.
When they awake the find themselves captive aboard the airship Albatross commanded by Captain Robur (Vincent Price). It was the airship that caused the stir in the small town below, an unintentional moment as the ship was going through repairs. Robur informs the group that they are his guests until such time as he decides to release them. He escorts them through the airship showing off the comfort and capabilities it possesses.
Robur is an idealist as are his men. His goal is to end war in all of its forms around the world. To do so he has invented this ship, a mechanical marvel filled with massive munitions that will be used to force countries to abandon their own machines of destruction. To do so he informs the various countries he flies over to dismantle their weapons or face the consequences. Of course none of them take him seriously and then suffer.
The prisoners find themselves in a position to stop Robur. But they face other issues as well. Evans feels that Strock is a coward, unwilling to go up against Robur. He also has a strong case of jealousy against him. Strock is playing it safe, looking for the right moment to strike. Prudent is the arrogant upper crust who expects his words alone to carry power even when Robur ignores them. And Mary is caught in the middle unsure of how they should handle the situation. If they are going to stop Robur they must unite. The question is will they.
Made in 1961 for AIP (American International Pictures) this had to have been one of their more expensive productions but that’s not saying much. The effects sequences of the Albatross flying are slightly out of focus and slightly weak by today’s standards but my guess is in 1961 they were amazing to see. The design of the ship is fun to see and looks like it would definitely have fit well into the Jules Verne stable of vehicles.
The story might seem simplistic but at the same time you have to find it surprising to find a movie of anti-war sentiment at a time before it was in vogue to protest the then beginning war in Vietnam. I don’t think it was intending to do such but more looking at Verne’s take on previous wars around the world.
The performances here are well done by all involved. Bronson had yet to portray the hero that often and this film shows he was quite capable of doing so. Price is as eloquent in his speech as he ever was, a commanding presence among his staff as well as his prisoners, an idealist who is so filled with his goal that he will not allow anything to stop him. Perhaps the weakest of the performances here comes from Frankham but that could be because his character is so one trick only.
The end result here is a wonderful film that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Those seem to be rare these days. It might seem a tad slow for a generation raised on videogames and music videos but if given the chance they might just enjoy it.
In addition to the film the disc also contains a nice documentary, a discussion of his career with author Richard Matheson. Matheson wrote the screenplay for this film as well as many others. His novel I AM LEGEND was made into film three time with THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (also starring Price and being released by Kino Lorber on blu-ray), THE OMEGA MAN and I AM LEGEND with Wil Smith. It’s an interesting look at his long and wonderful career.
Fans of Verne, Price, Bronson, AIP films and more will want
to make sure this one is included in their collection. Families should pick
this one up just to have a good night of entertainment together. This is a
movie worthy of repeat viewing and should become a part of your collection.
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