THE TIME MACHINE (1960)

Coming out of the 1960s, Baby Boomers had two unavoidable Pop Culture reckonings: One - recognizing THE FLINTSTONES was just THE HONEYMOONERS in pre-historic times; and Two - owning up to the alarming racist nature of George Pal’s elsewise enchanting version of H.G. Wells’ THE TIME MACHINE.  (And you thought the current state of the world came from Bad Parenting.)  Holding off on Yabba-Dabba Doing for the moment, we’ll stick with Wells.  No doubt you know the basic story, Edwardian Inventor tells his all-male social circle about traveling thousands of years ahead; they pooh-pooh the idea; he disappears back-to-the-future, presumably to help start a new great society.  Loaded with nifty analogue special effects you could imagine doing in the basement with boxed model kit sets; corny acting (Alan Young working up his Scrooge McDuck voice); Olde London Town studio sets in over-lit MetroColor; scored with near lifts from Stravinsky & Benjamin Britten (prominent use of a PETER GRIMES Sea Interlude); the film’s let’s-put-on-a-play vibe still very nostalgic.  Rod Taylor, manly & scientific, is our time traveler, zipping past centuries of destruction to reach a human nirvana that crumbles upon touch, like future man’s ancient books.  (A wonderful effect.)  He does learn of times past thru magic talking rings.  (Best effect in the film, masterfully simple & memorable.)  But by then you’ve noticed this Brave New World is populated only by fit, youthful super-Aryans served by ‘colored’ underground monsters, beasts of burden who do all the work and cull from their blond flock.  Plot and structure two-parts LOST HORIZON/’37 - one-part METROPOLIS/’27.  And Professor Taylor wanting to lead them all with knowledge from the past.  Best not think about it too much.

DOUBLE-BILL:  As director, Pal’s last (and probably best) feature is 7 FACES OF DR. LAO/’64.  But with Tony Randall in YellowFace as Lao (he plays all 7 faces) it’s a dicey watch.  OR: As mentioned: LOST HORIZON and METROPOLIS.  https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2014/07/lost-horizon-1937.html  https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2013/02/metropolis-1927.html