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Unknown World (1951)

 
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larryfoster
Space Ranger


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 104

PostPosted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:28 am    Post subject: Unknown World (1951) Reply with quote

Plot from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unknown_World

Quote:
Dr. Jeremiah Morley (Victor Kilian) is concerned about an imminent nuclear war.

He organizes an expedition of scientists and has them use an atomic-powered machine, capable of drilling through earth and stone, known as the Cyclotram, to find an underground environment where people could escape from nuclear obliteration.

The expedition, consisting of Jim Bannon, Marilyn Nash, Otto Waldis, Tom Handley and Dick Cogan begins, after government funding has fallen through and they are bailed out at the last minute with private financing from a newspaper heir Bruce Kellogg, who insists on going with them as a lark.

Romantic rivalry develops between Bannon and Kellogg for Nash, and two lives are lost to perils of the expedition, but in the end, the scientists accomplish their goal and find an enormous expanse with plentiful air, its own ocean and phosphorus light. However, the lab rabbits they have brought with them give birth to dead rabbits.

Nash discovers through an autopsy that the underground world has rendered the rabbits (and hence any other life form) sterile. Dr Morley is depressed by the news, and when an underground volcano erupts he doesn't enter the cyclotram and perishes.

The survivors enter the underground sea and find themselves rising up to the surface of the upper world in the ocean, fortunately near a tropical island.

I'm starting this movie thread, so I can post images of this cool (old) atomic-powered, rock-tunneling vehiclep — the "Cyclotram". Smile





The machine's drill-head had rock-cutting blades, which expanded out to a disk when it was spinning.

I like the vehicles small size, and that it's 'atomic-powered'. Would be good to take to explore other planets. But it needs addition of an internal air-lock and ballast tanks, so it's useful under water alsop — as a submarine. Wink

In the end of the movie, the Cyclotram emerges into the ocean. But it is limited to only capable of 'floating' to the water's surface. We can do better than that!

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Tired of waiting on NASA to adopt Flying Saucer technology! Sick of human political-representative government! I want 1970: COLOSSUS (The Forbin Project) A.I. - as World Control government! Providing flying saucer tech, "For the betterment of man."
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Bud Brewster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
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Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's an odd movie. The explorers find a giant cavern, but there some reason why it's not healthy to live there. Don't remember what it was.


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Dec 17, 2017 1:09 am; edited 2 times in total
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larryfoster
Space Ranger


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 104

PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 9:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the reason they could not live there, must have been radiation. They had rabbits to test the living conditions. They found the rabbits became sterile, and could not reproduce. That sounds like radiation exposure to me. Ironic, that surface radiation (from atomic war) was what they were hoping to find safety from.

Your cavern image is nice. I wish the movie had been in color. I hope there are such undiscovered caverns in the Earth. I think it is possible. Hopefully they will not be high with radiation, as in this movie.

But Bud... what do you think of my idea of making the Cyclotram a submarine also. I saw elsewhere, you posted that you like submarines?

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Tired of waiting on NASA to adopt Flying Saucer technology! Sick of human political-representative government! I want 1970: COLOSSUS (The Forbin Project) A.I. - as World Control government! Providing flying saucer tech, "For the betterment of man."
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 9:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

larryfoster wrote:
What do you think of my idea of making the Cyclotram a submarine also. I saw elsewhere, you posted that you like submarines?

Stellar idea, Larry! Very Happy

Admittedly the Cyclotram isn't exactly sleek and streamlined. I prefer my submarines to look a little more I like I did when I was young and skinny -- and less like I look now . . . Sad

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Nov 03, 2019 10:34 am; edited 1 time in total
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larryfoster
Space Ranger


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 104

PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 10:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Cyclotram looks fairly 'streamlined' to me - especially compared to other 'rock-tunneling' vehicles. Its expandable/collapsible blades gives it a pointed front end. And its Jet exhausts are even arranged in tail-fins.

I'll bet Captain Nemo would like some Cyclotram features on his Nautilus submarine. The rock-drill would allow him to create his undersea entrance tunnel to his volcanic island. And if the Nautilus had Caterpillar tracks... he could drive it onto dry land for easy external ship maintenance. Wink

_________________
Tired of waiting on NASA to adopt Flying Saucer technology! Sick of human political-representative government! I want 1970: COLOSSUS (The Forbin Project) A.I. - as World Control government! Providing flying saucer tech, "For the betterment of man."
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Bud Brewster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
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Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2022 4:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another great review from Jimbo Berkey's wonderful site, Free Classic Movies — this one for Unknown World, along with the link to watch it or download it!

UPDATE: Jimbo Berkey website is no longer active. Sad
_____________________________________________________

It is 1951 - The big war is over, the world is at peace, but fears of this new Atomic Age prey on the minds of people all over the world.

Today where I live every Saturday at noon I can hear a loud siren that blares for more than a minute. It is the city's way of warning in case of a violent storm or tornado. Back in the post war years, as a very young boy, I remember every Wednesday evening at 9pm in Meadville, Pennsylvania I would hear a similar siren.

But it was not to test a warning system for violent storms; it was to test the system that would warn us if war or nuclear attack was imminent. I remember thinking, "I know that this is just a test, but what if those evil Russians picked Wednesday night at 9pm to REALLY attack, and in a few minutes I would be vaporized by an atomic bomb?"

Well, I'm still here, and we've never had an atomic war, but the fears of a young boy still remain in the corners of my mind.

This sci-fi movie opens with the picture of an atomic blast, and a description of the world on the edge of destruction because of this new powerful destructive force. A team of noted scientists have concluded that the only salvation for mankind is to drill to the center of the earth and create a new living space deep below the destructive force of the Atomic Bomb.

But isn't the center of the earth molten?

Of course not, one scientist explains. The center of the earth is a bit cooler than the surface, and full of caves and open spots that could be turned into new underground cities.

Cool!

Things were so much simpler in the 1950's. And this was the period when pharmaceutical drug companies were creating 'pills' that could cure anything, so I wasn't surprised when I saw that meals for this journey to the center of the earth consisted of pills. How modern!

Make your white kernel popcorn, put plenty of butter on it, and enjoy a peek at what folk in 1951 thought was cutting edge science adventure as they tunnel to the center of the earth, and encounter all kinds of crises and adversary.


____Jimbo Berkey
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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