Things to Come

4/17/19361h 40m

Theatrical (limited) Release (US)

~ The future is here! ~

Overview:

The story of a century: a decades-long second World War leaves plague and anarchy, then a rational state rebuilds civilization and attempts space travel.

Director:

William Cameron Menzies

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

future
progress
black and white
scientist
h.g. wells

Cast

Raymond Massey

~ as ~

John Cabal / Oswald Cabal

Edward Chapman

~ as ~

Pippa Passworthy / Raymond Passworthy

Ralph Richardson

~ as ~

The Boss

Margaretta Scott

~ as ~

Roxana / Rowena

Cedric Hardwicke

~ as ~

Theotocopulos

Maurice Braddell

~ as ~

Dr. Harding

Sophie Stewart

~ as ~

Mrs. Cabal

Derrick De Marney

~ as ~

Richard Gordon

Ann Todd

~ as ~

Mary Gordon

Pearl Argyle

~ as ~

Catherine Cabal

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
6
This is a rather fanciful adaptation of the HG Wells tale. Mankind is all but obliterated by war; reduced to tribal existences - under the overly theatrical leadership of Ralph Richardson and Margaretta Scott - fighting plague, tyranny and the elements. Then they encounter Daniel Massey ("John Cabal") who helps reconcile and rebuild society to an almost Utopian level. It manages to intertwine megalomania with human aspiration; an overpoweringly rousing score and some truly Shakesperian style soliloquy. It comes to force a future upon us that is eerily portentous of an Orwellian style dictatorship; of interstellar exploration to spread our plague of self-destructive ambition to other worlds - and all, broadly speaking with the consent of the masses. Sadly, i saw a colourised version which robbed this film of almost every element of potency; indeed it rendered it little better than a very poor cartoon. It's still just about worth watching; but Massey is no Olivier and I found it all rather preposterous.