Things to Come: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Next edit →
VisualWikitext
→External links: added category
 
imported>Trumpetrep
→Production: Bliss citation.
Line 10: Line 10:
| producer      = [[Alexander Korda]]
| producer      = [[Alexander Korda]]
| writer        = [[H. G. Wells]]
| writer        = [[H. G. Wells]]
| based_on      = {{based on|''[[The Shape of Things to Come]]''<br />1933 novel|H. G. Wells}}
| based_on      = ''[[The Shape of Things to Come]]'' (1933), by H. G. Wells
| starring      = [[Raymond Massey]]<br />[[Edward Chapman (actor)|Edward Chapman]]<br />[[Ralph Richardson]]<br />[[Margaretta Scott]]<br />[[Cedric Hardwicke]]<br />[[Maurice Braddell]]<br />[[Sophie Stewart]]<br />[[Derrick De Marney]]<br />[[Ann Todd]]
| starring      = [[Raymond Massey]]<br />[[Edward Chapman (actor)|Edward Chapman]]<br />[[Ralph Richardson]]<br />[[Margaretta Scott]]<br />[[Cedric Hardwicke]]<br />[[Maurice Braddell]]<br />[[Sophie Stewart]]<br />[[Derrick De Marney]]<br />[[Ann Todd]]
| music          = [[Arthur Bliss]]
| music          = [[Arthur Bliss]]
Line 21: Line 21:
| country        = United Kingdom
| country        = United Kingdom
| language      = English
| language      = English
| budget        = £260,000<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25139388 |title=Film World|newspaper=[[The West Australian]]|location=Perth |date=20 March 1936|access-date=5 August 2012|page=3}}</ref>
| budget        = £300,000
}}
}}
'''''Things to Come''''' (also known as '''''Shape of Things to Come'''''<ref name="BFIsearch">{{Cite web |title=Things to Come |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150307523 |access-date=24 February 2024 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}}</ref> and in promotional material as '''''H. G. Wells' Things to Come''''') is a 1936 British [[science fiction film]] produced by [[Alexander Korda]], directed by [[William Cameron Menzies]], and written by [[H. G. Wells]]. The film stars [[Raymond Massey]], [[Edward Chapman (actor)|Edward Chapman]], [[Ralph Richardson]], [[Margaretta Scott]], [[Cedric Hardwicke]], [[Maurice Braddell]], [[Sophie Stewart]], [[Derrick De Marney]], and [[Ann Todd]].<ref name="BFIsearch" />
'''''Things to Come''''' is a 1936 British [[science fiction film]] produced by [[Alexander Korda]], directed by [[William Cameron Menzies]], and written by [[H. G. Wells]]. It is a loose adaptation of Wells' book ''[[The Shape of Things to Come]]''. The film stars [[Raymond Massey]], [[Edward Chapman (actor)|Edward Chapman]], [[Ralph Richardson]], [[Margaretta Scott]], [[Cedric Hardwicke]], [[Maurice Braddell]], [[Sophie Stewart]], [[Derrick De Marney]], and [[Ann Todd]]. ''Things to Come'' became a landmark in production design.
 
Wells conceived his treatment as "a new story" meant to display the "social and political forces and possibilities" outlined in his 1933 novel ''[[The Shape of Things to Come]]'', a work he considered less a novel than a "discussion" in fictional form that presented itself as the notes of a 22nd-century [[diplomat]].<ref name="H. G. Wells, 1935">Wells (1935), p.9</ref> The film was also influenced by previous works, including his 1897 story "[[A Story of the Days to Come]]" and his 1931 work on society and economics, ''[[The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind]]''. Cultural historian [[Christopher Frayling]] called ''Things to Come'' "a landmark in cinematic design".<ref>Frayling (1995), p.56</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
Line 40: Line 38:
Under Cabal's guidance, Wings Over the World quickly rebuilds civilisation to even greater heights. By 2036, a stable mankind is now living in modern underground cities, including the new Everytown, and civilisation is at last devoted to peace and scientific progress. All is not well, however. The sculptor Theotocopulos incites the populace to demand a "rest" from all the rush of progress, symbolised by the coming first crewed flight around the [[Moon]]. When the mob threatens to destroy the space gun that will launch the ship to the Moon, Oswald Cabal, the grandson of John Cabal and current head of government, is forced to move the launch ahead of schedule.
Under Cabal's guidance, Wings Over the World quickly rebuilds civilisation to even greater heights. By 2036, a stable mankind is now living in modern underground cities, including the new Everytown, and civilisation is at last devoted to peace and scientific progress. All is not well, however. The sculptor Theotocopulos incites the populace to demand a "rest" from all the rush of progress, symbolised by the coming first crewed flight around the [[Moon]]. When the mob threatens to destroy the space gun that will launch the ship to the Moon, Oswald Cabal, the grandson of John Cabal and current head of government, is forced to move the launch ahead of schedule.


Oswald Cabal's daughter Catherine and fellow scientist Maurice Passworthy are the passengers. After the projectile is launched and just a tiny light in the night sky, Cabal debates [[Idea of Progress|the desirability of human progress]] with Passworthy's anxious father. To Passworthy's concern that humanity shall never be able to rest, Cabal retorts that humans have no choice but to conquer the universe and its mysteries: "All the universe or nothingness? Which shall it be, Passworthy? Which shall it be?"
Oswald Cabal's daughter Catherine and fellow scientist Maurice Passworthy are the passengers. After the projectile is launched and just a tiny light in the night sky, Cabal debates [[Idea of Progress|the desirability of human progress]] with Passworthy's anxious father. To Passworthy's concern that humanity shall never be able to rest, Cabal retorts that humans have no choice but to conquer the universe and its mysteries: "All the universe or nothingness...Which shall it be?"


==Cast==
==Cast==
Line 71: Line 69:


===Notes===
===Notes===
* Theotocopulos's scenes were originally shot with [[Ernest Thesiger]]. Wells found his performance unsatisfactory, so he was replaced with Hardwicke and the footage reshot.<ref>Cooper (2012), p.15</ref>
* Theotocopulos's scenes were originally shot with [[Ernest Thesiger]]. Wells found his performance unsatisfactory, so he was replaced with Hardwicke and the footage reshot.<ref name=Cooper>Menzies, William Cameron, and H. G. Wells. ''Things to Come''. "Viewing Notes" by Nick Cooper. Network, 2007. DVD.</ref>{{rp|15}}
* [[Terry-Thomas]], who would become known for his comic acting, has an uncredited appearance as an extra in the film, playing a "man of the future". It was his seventh film appearance.<ref>{{IMDb name|0856103|Terry-Thomas}}</ref>
* [[Terry-Thomas]], who would become known for his comic acting, has an uncredited appearance as an extra in the film, playing a "man of the future".<ref>[[Graham McCann|McCann, Graham]]. ''[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bounder/mT7LAgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA1835&printsec=frontcover Bounder! The Biography of Terry-Thomas]''. Aurum, 2011.</ref>
* In some prints, Margaretta Scott is still credited with the dual role of Roxana Black and Rowena Cabal, but the latter character doesn't appear in the extant footage.
* In some prints, Margaretta Scott is still credited with the dual role of Roxana Black and Rowena Cabal, but the latter character doesn't appear in the extant footage.


==Production==
==Production==
''Things to Come'' sets out a future history from 1940 to 2036. In the screenplay, or "treatment"<ref>Wells (1935), p.11</ref> that Wells published in 1935, before the film was released, the story ends in "A.D. 2054".<ref>Wells (1935), pp.91–93; Wells mentions the date four times on these pages, but in the "Introductory Remarks", he gives the date as "A.D. 2055" (p. xi)</ref>
H.G. Wells described ''[[The Shape of Things to Come]]'' (1933) as more of a "discussion" than a novel. The book is presented as a series of notes by Dr. Philip Raven, a diplomat in the [[League of Nations]].<ref name=Craggs>Craggs, Stewart R. ''Arthur Bliss: Music and Literature'' Routledge, 2017. 192–207.</ref> [[Alexander Korda]] deeply admired Wells and asked him to adapt the book into a film.<ref name=Tabori/>{{rp|158}} Korda promised Wells complete control over the script.<ref name=Low>Low, Rachael. ''The History of the British Film 1929-1939: Film Making in 1930s Britain''. Routledge, 2011. 171ff.</ref>
 
Wells wrote a screenplay which abridges the book and introduces new elements. It also draws on Wells' "[[A Story of the Days to Come]]" (1897) and his work on society and economics ''[[The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind]]'' (1931).<ref name=Stover/>{{rp|x, 6, 15}} Wells developed his theory of human progress through ''[[The Outline of History]]'' (1919–20) and its [[A Short History of the World (Wells book)|abridgement]]. In his mind, humanity was destined to proceed towards the stability of a world government.<ref>O'Brien, Geoffrey. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20130629225419/https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2812-things-to-come-whither-mankind ''Things to Come'': Whither Mankind?]", Criterion Collection. June 20, 2013. Archived June 29, 2013.</ref>
 
The first draft of Wells' film treatment was titled "Whither Mankind?". By all accounts, it was terrible.<ref>Geduld, Harry M. "[https://doi.org/10.1525/sfs.15.3.376 Review: The Prophetic Soul: A Reading of H.G. Wells’s Things to Come, by Leon Stover]." ''[[Science-Fiction Studies]]'', vol. 15, no. Part 3, 1988. 376–78.</ref> Wells was too wedded to the ideas of his book and could not create sufficient incident to make a compelling screenplay. [[Lajos Bíró]] wrote a detailed memo to Korda about the flaws of Wells' treatment. Korda mused that ''Things to Come'' was his "most difficult film to make".<ref name=Tabori/>{{rp|158f}}
 
Wells' involvement in the film was heavily promoted during production, with photos of him on the set distributed to the media.<ref name=Stover>[[H.G. Wells|Wells, H. G.]] ''[https://archive.org/details/thingstocomecrit0000well/page/n7/mode/2up Things to come: a critical text of the 1935 London first edition, with an introduction and appendices]''. Edited by [[Leon Stover]]. [[McFarland & Company]], 2007.</ref>{{rp|1–3}} The film was billed as "H. G. Wells' Things to Come".<ref name=Cooper/>{{rp|14}} Korda spent lavishly on the film. Its budget was reported between £260–300,000.<ref name=Million>"[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25139388 England's First Million Dollar Film: London Opinion on 'Things to Come.']", ''[[The West Australian]]''. March 20, 1936. 3.</ref><ref name=Tabori/>{{rp|162}}


Wells is sometimes incorrectly assumed to have had a degree of control over the project that was unprecedented for a screenwriter. Posters and the main title bill the film as "H. G. Wells' Things to Come", with "an Alexander Korda production" appearing in smaller type. In fact, Wells ultimately had no control over the finished product, with the result that many scenes, although shot, were either truncated or not included in the finished film.<ref name="Cooper, Nick 2012, page 14">Cooper (2012), p.14</ref> The rough-cut reputedly ran to 130 minutes; the version submitted to the [[British Board of Film Censors]] was 117m 13s; it was released as 108m 40s (later cut to 98m 06s) in the UK, and 96m 24s in the United States (see below for later versions).<ref>Cooper (2012), p.18</ref> Wells's script (or "film treatment") and selected production notes were published in book form in 1935 and reprinted in 1940 and 1975. An academic edition annotated by [[Leon Stover]] was published in 2007. The script contains many scenes that were either never filmed or no longer exist, although the extant footage also includes scenes not in the published script (e.g. the Boss's victory banquet after the capture of the colliery).<ref>Cooper (2012), p.17</ref>
After attending one of [[Arthur Bliss]]' lectures at the [[Royal Institution]], Wells asked the composer to collaborate with him on the film score.<ref name=Craggs/> Wells gave Bliss explicit instructions on the score's structure because he saw music as part of the film's design. ''Things to Come'' was edited to fit the score.<ref name=Stover/>{{rp|17f}} Bliss turned his music into a concert suite which was widely performed and recorded. He also used the music from the film's machine sequence in his ballet ''[[Checkmate (ballet)|Checkmate]]''.<ref>Craggs, Stewart R. ''Arthur Bliss: a Bio-Bibliography''. Greenwood Press, 1988. 7.</ref>


Wells originally wanted the music to be recorded in advance, and have the film constructed around the music, but this would have impeded editing, and so the score, by [[Arthur Bliss]], was fitted to the film afterwards in a more conventional way.{{Disputed inline|Talk:Things to Come#Music timing|date=December 2014}} A concert suite drawn from the film has remained popular; as of 2015, numerous recordings of it were still in print.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}
Wells wrote a memo to the production staff about the costumes. The technocrats of the future bear a striking resemblance to the samurai who benevolently rule the planet in his 1905 novel ''[[A Modern Utopia]]''.<ref>Coren, Michael. ''[https://archive.org/details/invisiblemanlife00core/page/194/mode/1up The Invisible Man: The Life and Liberties of H.G. Wells]''. Atheneum, 1993. 194.</ref> The production memo also singles out [[Fritz Lang]]'s ''[[Metropolis (1927 film)|Metropolis]]'' as completely antithetical to Wells' vision. He previously ridiculed the film in a 1927 ''[[New York Times]]'' review.<ref>Wells, H.G. "[https://nyti.ms/4mZv8yb Mr. Wells Reviews a Current Film]", ''[[The New York Times]]'', Magazine. April 17, 1927. 4.</ref><ref name=Stover/>{{rp|18ff}} Wells' visions of the future are feasible projections from existing technology like the [[Boyce Thompson Institute]]'s plant science and [[Robert H. Goddard]]'s rocketry.<ref>Cooley, Donald G. "[https://archive.org/details/modern-mechanix.1936.05/page/34/mode/1up?view=theater H. G. Wells Photographs the Future in His Motion Picture "Things to Come"]". ''[[Modern Mechanix]]''. May 1936. 35–9, 127, 132.</ref>


The film was made at Denham Film Studios, while the site was still under construction.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}
Filming of exteriors began in July 1935 at [[Denham Film Studios]], while the site was still under construction.<ref name=Tabori/>{{rp|148}} The film was shot at [[Elstree Studios]] and [[Isleworth Studios|Worton Hall]].<ref>Chapman, James, and Cull, Nicholas J. ''Projecting Tomorrow: Science Fiction and Popular Cinema''. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013. 32.</ref>


After filming had already begun, the Hungarian abstract artist and experimental filmmaker [[László Moholy-Nagy]] was commissioned to produce some of the effects sequences for the re-building of Everytown. Moholy-Nagy's approach was partly to treat it as an abstract light show, but only some 90 seconds of material was used, e.g. a protective-suited figure behind corrugated glass (which could be Terry-Thomas, as the figure has a moustache and he was billed as 'A Man of the Future). In the autumn of 1975 a researcher found a further four sequences which had been discarded.<ref name="frayling">Frayling (1995), pp.72-73</ref>
After filming had already begun, the Hungarian abstract artist and experimental filmmaker [[László Moholy-Nagy]] was commissioned to produce some of the effects sequences for the re-building of Everytown. Moholy-Nagy's approach was partly to treat it as an abstract light show, but only some 90 seconds of material was used, e.g. a protective-suited figure behind corrugated glass. The footage was displayed independently.<ref>''[https://archive.org/details/moholynagy0000unse_w2b7/page/6/mode/1up Moholy-Nagy: An Anthology]''. Edited by [[Richard Kostelanetz]]. [[Da Capo Press]], 1991. 4–6, Fig. 48.</ref> In the autumn of 1975 a researcher found a further four sequences which had been discarded.<ref name=Frayling/>{{rp|72f}}


The art design in the film is by [[Vincent Korda]], brother of the producer. The futuristic city of Everytown in the film is based on London: a facsimile of [[St Paul's Cathedral]] can be seen in the background.<ref name="Cooper, Nick 2012, page 14"/>
The art design in the film is by [[Vincent Korda]], brother of the producer. The futuristic city of Everytown in the film is based on London: a facsimile of [[St Paul's Cathedral]] can be seen in the background.<ref name=Cooper/>{{rp|14}}


==Reception==
==Reception==
''Things to Come'' was voted the ninth best British film of 1936 by ''[[Film Weekly]]''{{'}}s readers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52148556|author=Staff |title=Best Film Performance Last Year. |newspaper=[[The Examiner (Tasmania)|The Examiner]] |location=Launceston, Tasmania |date=9 July 1937 |access-date=4 March 2013 |page=8}}</ref> It was the 16th most popular film at the British box office in 1935–36.<ref>Sedgwick, John and Pokorny, Michael (February 2005) "The Film Business in the US and Britain during the 1930s" ''The Economic History Review'' New Series, Vol. 58, No. 1,  pp.79-112</ref> In 2005, it was nominated for the [[AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores]], a list of the top 25 film scores unveiled by the [[American Film Institute]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores250.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees |access-date=2016-08-06 |archive-date=2013-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106023410/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100years/scores250.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
''Things to Come'' was voted the ninth best British film of 1936 by ''[[Film Weekly]]''{{'}}s readers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52148556|author=Staff |title=Best Film Performance Last Year. |newspaper=[[The Examiner (Tasmania)|The Examiner]] |location=Launceston, Tasmania |date=9 July 1937 |access-date=4 March 2013 |page=8}}</ref> The film earned £350,000 and was the 16th most popular British film in 1935–36.<ref>Sedgwick, John and Pokorny, Michael. "The Film Business in the US and Britain during the 1930s", ''The Economic History Review'' New Series, Vol. 58, No. 1. February 2005. 79-112.</ref><ref name=Menville>Menville, Douglas Alver and R. Reginald. ''[https://archive.org/details/thingstocomeillu0000menv/page/n8/mode/1up Things to Come: An Illustrated History of the Science Fiction Film]''. Times Books, 1977.</ref>{{rp|66}} Korda's extravagant budget made recouping his costs difficult, but the film's quality was widely seen as worth the investment.<ref>
Baxter, A. Beverley, M.P. "Finances of British Films", ''[[Daily Telegraph]]''. January 12, 1937. 14.</ref><ref name=Tabori/>{{rp|178}} Over time, ''Things to Come'' did eventually turn a profit through reissues.<ref name=Tabori>Tabori, Paul. ''[https://archive.org/details/alexanderkorda0000tabo/page/n283/mode/1up Alexander Korda]''. Living Books, 1966.</ref>{{rp|254}}


[[Review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports an approval rating of 93%, based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 7.46/10. The site's consensus read: "Eerily prescient in its presentation of a dystopian future, ''Things to Come''<nowiki/>'s special effects may be somewhat dated, but its potent ideas haven't aged at all."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/things_to_come|title=Things to Come (1936)|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=2019-08-20 }}</ref>
''[[The Times]]'' remarked, "It is usually not until they have extinguished the present civilization of the world by war, famine...or some such spectacular catastrophe that our Utopian writers can settle down comfortably to planning new fashions in asbestos clothing." They had high praise for the concepts of the film and its production, "Even Mr. Raymond Massey, though always dignified, can hardly distract the attention from the incomparable scenery which is the real triumph of this film."<ref>"Leicester Square Theatre: New H.G. Wells Film", ''[[The Times]]''. February 21, 1936. 12.</ref>


Writing for ''[[The Spectator]]'' in 1936, [[Graham Greene]] gave the film a mixed review. Although he made it clear that "a third of the film is magnificent", he felt that the second third (as the world of tomorrow reverts to barbarism and anarchy) seemed implausible, and began to lose interest with the introduction of the "Great Conspiracy" (an international force of airmen bent on restoring Earth's former glory) in the last third of the film. The optimism and idealism comes off as naive for him.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Greene|first= Graham|author-link= Graham Greene|date=1935-02-28 |title= Things to Come/Bonne Chance|journal= [[The Spectator]]}} (reprinted in: {{cite book|editor-last= Taylor|editor-first= John Russell|editor-link= John Russell Taylor|date= 1980|title= The Pleasure Dome|url= https://archive.org/details/pleasuredomegrah00gree/page/54|pages= [https://archive.org/details/pleasuredomegrah00gree/page/54 54–55]|publisher= Oxford University Press|isbn= 0192812866|url-access= registration}})</ref>
In his review for ''[[The Spectator]]'', [[Graham Greene]] felt the first third was magnificent but lamented the "smug and sentimental" dialogue. Greene cited Wells' ''[[The War in the Air]]'' while praising the terrifying air raid in ''Things to Come''. <ref>[[Graham Greene|Greene, Graham]]. "[https://archive.org/details/pleasuredomegrah00gree/page/54 Things to Come/Bonne Chance]", ''[[The Spectator]]''. February 28, 1936.</ref> [[Frank Nugent]] reviewed the film for ''[[The New York Times]]'' and felt some passages "read like direct quotations from last week's newspapers". He grimly concluded, "There's nothing we can do now but sit back and wait for the holocaust".<ref>[[Frank Nugent|Nugent, Frank S.]] "[https://www.nytimes.com/1936/04/18/archives/hg-wells-presents-an-outline-of-future-history-in-things-to-come-at.html H.G. Wells Presents an Outline of Future History in 'Things to Come,' at the Rivoli.]", ''[[The New York Times]]''. April 18, 1936. 19.</ref>


Science fiction historian [[Gary Westfahl]] has stated, "''Things to Come'' qualifies as the first true masterpiece of science fiction cinema, and those who complain about its awkward pace and uninvolving characters are not understanding Wells's message, which is that the lives and actions of individuals are unimportant when compared to the progress and destiny of the entire human race". He also considered that "the film's episodic structure and grand ambitions make it the greatest ancestor of [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]''".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sfsite.com/gary/well01.htm |last=Wells |first=H. G. |author-link=H. G. Wells|title=Gary Westfahl's Bio-Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Film |accessdate=21 January 2014}}</ref>
Science fiction historian [[Gary Westfahl]] felt, "''Things to Come'' qualifies as the first true masterpiece of science fiction cinema...the film's episodic structure and grand ambitions make it the greatest ancestor of [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]''".<ref>Westfahl, Gary. "[http://www.sfsite.com/gary/well01.htm Wells, H. G.]", ''Gary Westfahl's Bio-Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Film''. Retrieved 21 January 2014.</ref>


Indeed, during early development of what would become ''2001'', co-writer [[Arthur C. Clarke]] had Kubrick watch ''Things to Come'' as an example of a grounded science fiction film; Kubrick, however, disliked it.<ref>[[Arthur C. Clarke|Clarke, Arthur C.]] (1972) ''[[The Lost Worlds of 2001]]'' London: Sidgwick and Jackson. p.35</ref> After seeing ''2001'', [[Frederik Pohl]] complained in a 1968 ''[[Galaxy Science Fiction|Galaxy]]'' editorial: {{blockquote|The science-fiction movie we've all been waiting for still hasn't come along.
[[Arthur C. Clarke]] was perplexed that Wells' would be aware of rocket technology yet choose to depict [[Jules Verne]]'s [[space gun]] in the movie.<ref name=Stover/>{{rp|173}} Nevertheless, he had Kubrick watch ''Things to Come'' early in the development phase of ''2001''. Clarke cited it as an example of grounded science fiction, but Kubrick disliked it.<ref>[[Arthur C. Clarke|Clarke, Arthur C.]] ''[[The Lost Worlds of 2001]]'' London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1972. 35.</ref> After seeing ''2001'', [[Frederik Pohl]] quipped, "...it's a disgrace that the most recent science-fiction movie made with a big budget, good actors and an actual sf writer preparing the script, not aimed at a juvenile market and uncontaminated by camp, is ''Things to Come''...produced in 1936".<ref name="pohl196807">[[Frederik Pohl|Pohl, Frederik]]. "[https://archive.org/details/Galaxy_v26n06_1968-07/page/n3/mode/2up?view=theater The Week That Was]", ''[[Galaxy Science Fiction]]''. July 1968. 4.</ref>
We think it's a disgrace that the most recent science-fiction movie made with a big budget, good actors and an actual sf writer preparing the script, not aimed at a juvenile market and uncontaminated by camp, is ''Things to Come''... produced in 1936.<ref name="pohl196807">{{Cite magazine
|last=Pohl
|first=Frederik
|author-link=Frederick Pohl
|date=July 1968
|title=The Week That Was
|url=https://archive.org/stream/Galaxy_v26n06_1968-07#page/n3/mode/2up
|magazine=Galaxy Science Fiction
|pages=4
}}</ref>}}


==Duration, releases, and surviving versions==
Cultural historian [[Christopher Frayling]] called ''Things to Come'' "a landmark in cinematic design".<ref name=Frayling>[[Christopher Frayling|Frayling, Christopher]]. ''Things to Come''. British Film Institute, 1995.</ref>{{rp|56}} ''Things to Come'' scores 93% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/things_to_come|title=Things to Come (1936)|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=2019-08-20 }}</ref> In 2005, it was nominated for the [[AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores]], a list of the top 25 film scores unveiled by the [[American Film Institute]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores250.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees |access-date=2016-08-06 |archive-date=2013-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106023410/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100years/scores250.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The [[rough cut]] of the film was 130 minutes in length, while the version submitted for classification by the [[British Board of Film Censors]] (BBFC) was 117m 13s.<ref>''[https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/things-to-come-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0ymzk5nzu Things to Come]'' at [[BBFC]]</ref> By the time of the 21 February 1936 UK premiere and initial release, this had been reduced to 108m 41s,<ref name=Low>{{cite book |last=Low |first=Rachel |title=The History of the British Film 1929–1939 |publisher=George [[Allen & Unwin]] |location=London |year=1985 |isbn=0047910429 }}</ref> while the American print premiered on 18 April 1936 was further cut to 96m 31s. By late 1936, a 98m 07s print was in circulation in the UK,<ref name=Low/> and a 76m 07s print was resubmitted for classification by the BBFC and was passed – after further cuts – at 72m 13s for a reissue  in 1943 by Exclusive Films,<ref>Cooper (2012), pp.21</ref> a film distribution company co-founded by [[William Hinds]].


The 96m 31s American print was cut down to 93m 19s by the removal of three sections of footage for a reissue by [[British Lion Films]] in 1948, and subsequently to 92m 44s by the removal of one more segment. A continuity script exists for a version of approximately 106m 04s, which contains all the material in the 96m 31s and 92m 44s versions, plus a number of other sequences. It is not known if a version of this duration was actually in circulation at any time, or if it was simply an intermediate stage between the premiere and release versions.<ref>Cooper (2012), pp.24–26</ref>
==Forecasts==
In 1935, H.G. Wells adapted his screenplay into the book ''Things to Come'', which includes production details and photos.<ref>[[H. G. Wells|Wells. H. G.]] ''[https://archive.org/details/thingstocome0000hgwe/page/n5/mode/2up Things to Come – A Film Story]''. London: Cresset, 1935.</ref> It was reprinted in 1940 and 1975.<ref>Wells, H. G. ''[https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.135/page/n5/mode/2up Two Film Stories: Things to Come, Man Who Could Work Miracles]''. Cresset Press, 1940.</ref><ref>Wells, H. G. ''[https://archive.org/details/thingstocome00well/page/n7/mode/2up Things to Come]''. Gregg Press, 1975.
</ref> In 2007, ''Things to Come'' was edited by [[Leon Stover]] and published as volume 9 in ''The Annotated H.G. Wells''.<ref name=Stover/>{{rp|16f}} The book spells out things that are left vague in the movie. The conflict in the first act is explicitly called "The Second World War" in the book.<ref name=Stover/>{{rp|44}} 


For many years, the principal surviving version of the film was the 92m 44s print (in countries using [[PAL]] or [[SECAM]] video systems, it runs to 89m exactly). From at least the late-1970s until 2007, this was the only version "officially" available from the rights holders in the UK.<ref>Cooper (2012), pp.24</ref> In the United States, although the 92m 44s version was most prevalent, a version was also in circulation that included the four pieces of footage that were in the 96m 31s print, but not the 92m 44s version, although due to other cuts, actually ran shorter than the latter.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nickcooper.org.uk/ttc/gutlohn.htm | title=Things to Come - the Gutlohn Print }}</ref>
The aerial bombardment of Everytown directly forecasted [[The Blitz]] of [[London]] from 1940–1. [[Michael Korda]] reports that when [[Adolf Hitler]] saw ''Things to Come'', he instructed [[Hermann Göring]] to use it as inspiration for the ''[[Luftwaffe]]''. Contrarily, it inspired [[Neville Chamberlain]]'s appetite for peace.<ref>[[Michael Korda|Korda, Michael]]. ''[https://archive.org/details/charmedlivesfami00mich/page/122/mode/1up Charmed Lives: A Family Romance]''. [[Random House]], 1979. 122.</ref> Wells' work was sometimes blamed as the inspiration for the [[appeasement]] policy that led to the [[Munich Agreement]].<ref>[[Anthony West (author)|West, Anthony]]. ''[https://archive.org/details/hgwellsaspectsof0000west_q1y8/page/130/mode/1up H.G. Wells: Aspects of a Life]''. Hutchinson, 1984. 130.</ref>
 
Wells' describes the "walking sickness" of ''Things to Come'' as analogous to [[sheep]] afflicted with [[Coenurosis|gid]]. Though [[zombie film]]s had already been established, Wells clearly anticipates the [[Zombie apocalypse|post-apocalyptic]] scenario that would dominate the genre.<ref>Starr, Michael. ''Wells Meets Deleuze: The Scientific Romances Reconsidered''. [[McFarland & Company]], 2017. 175.</ref>
 
A helicopter is also shown in the film before the design had been stabilized. The one seen onscreen lacks a [[tail rotor]].<ref name=Stover/>{{rp|190ff}}
 
==Versions==
The [[rough cut]] of the film was 130 minutes. The version submitted for classification by the [[British Board of Film Censors]] (BBFC) was over 117 minutes.<ref>''[https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/things-to-come-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0ymzk5nzu Things to Come]'' at [[BBFC]]</ref><ref name=Cooper/>{{rp|18}} At its trade show, ''Things to Come'' stretched to 10,000 feet of film.<ref name=Low/> A 76-minute print was resubmitted for classification by the BBFC. In 1943, [[William Hinds]]' Exclusive Films reissued a 72-minute version.<ref name=Cooper/>{{rp|21}}
 
A 96-minute print for American distribution was cut just below 93 minutes. A continuity script exists for a version of approximately 106 minutes. It is not known if a version of this duration was actually in circulation at any time.<ref name=Cooper/>{{rp|24–6}}
 
For many years, the principal surviving version of the film was the 93-minute print. From at least the late-1970s until 2007, this was the only version available from the UK rights holders.<ref name=Cooper/>{{rp|24}} There was a slightly longer version circulating in North America on VHS, but it was extremely rare.<ref>Cooper, Nick. "[http://www.nickcooper.org.uk/ttc/gutlohn.htm ''Things to Come'' - the Gutlohn Print]", Nickcooper.org.uk. May 11, 2005.</ref>


==Home media==
==Home media==
A cut version of the 92m 44s print was digitally restored and [[film colorization|colourised]] by [[Legend Films]], under the supervision of [[Ray Harryhausen]] (who had no connection with the making of the film) and released on DVD in the United States in early 2007.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}
A cut version of the 93-minute print was digitally restored and [[film colorization|colourised]] by [[Legend Films]], under the supervision of [[Ray Harryhausen]] and released on DVD in the United States in early 2007.<ref>Menzies, William Cameron, et al. ''Things to Come''. Legend Films, 2006.</ref>


In May 2007, Network DVD in the UK released a digitally restored copy of the 96m 31s version, the longest version remaining of the film. The two-disc set also contains a "Virtual Extended Version" with most of the missing and unfilmed parts represented by production photographs and script extracts. In 2011 Network released an updated and expanded version of this edition on Blu-ray in HD.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://networkonair.com/all-products/1580-things-to-come | title=Things to Come [Blu-ray]}}</ref>
In May 2007, Network DVD in the UK released a digitally restored 96-minute version, the longest version remaining of the film. The two-disc set also contains a "Virtual Extended Version" with most of the missing and unfilmed parts represented by production photographs and script extracts. In 2011 Network released an updated and expanded version of this edition on Blu-ray in HD.


[[The Criterion Collection]] released the 96m 31s print on DVD and Blu-ray in North America on 18 June 2013. This includes the unused Moholy-Nagy footage as an extra.<ref>[http://www.criterion.com/films/27552 The Criterion Collection: ''Things to Come'']</ref>
[[The Criterion Collection]] released the 96-minute print on DVD and Blu-ray in North America in 2013. Moholy-Nagy's footage was included as an extra.<ref>''[http://www.criterion.com/films/27552 Things to Come]''. Directed by William Cameron Menzies. Blu-ray special ed, Criterion Collection, 2013.</ref>


==Copyright status==
==Copyright status==
Although the film lapsed into the [[public domain]] in the US in 1964 due to non-renewal,<ref>see [[Copyright Act of 1909]]</ref> [[copyright]] remained in force in the UK, the [[European Union]], and elsewhere. In the UK, copyright for films as "dramatic works" remains for seventy years after the end of the year of release, or the death of either the director, the writer (or author of original story), or the composer of original music, whichever is the latest. Since the film's composer, [[Arthur Bliss]], died in 1975, copyright will expire after 31 December 2045. The current copyright holder is [[ITV Studios|ITV Global Entertainment Ltd.]], and while the longest surviving original nitrate print is held by the [[BFI National Archive]], a copy of the 96m 31s print was donated by London Films to the newly formed National Film Library in March 1936.<ref>Cooper (2012), p.20</ref>
The current copyright holder is [[ITV Studios|ITV Global Entertainment Ltd.]], and while the longest surviving original nitrate print is held by the [[BFI National Archive]], a copy of the 96-minute print was donated by London Films to the newly formed National Film Library in March 1936.<ref name=Cooper/>{{rp|20}}
 
The film came back into copyright in the US in 1996 under the [[Uruguay Round Agreements Act#Copyright restorations|Uruguay Round Agreements Act]] (URAA),<ref>[http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/training/Hirtle_Public_Domain.htm Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the US]</ref> which, among other measures, amended [[Copyright law of the United States|US copyright law]] to reinstate copyright on films of non-US origin if they were still in copyright in their country of origin. The URAA was subsequently challenged in ''[[Golan v. Holder|Golan v. Gonzales]]'', initially unsuccessfully, later with partial success, but the challenge was ultimately defeated in ''[[Golan v. Holder#Golan v. Holder|Golan v. Holder]]'' and a new principle established that international agreements could indeed restore copyright to works which had previously come into the public domain.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}


==See also==
==See also==
Line 137: Line 142:
===Notes===
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
===Bibliography===
* {{cite web |author=Cooley, Donald G.|url=http://blog.modernmechanix.com/h-g-wells-things-to-come/ |title=H. G. Wells Photographs the Future in His Motion Picture "Things to Come" |date=May 1936 |work=[[Mechanix Illustrated|Modern Mechanix]] |access-date=8 August 2017 |archive-date=7 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007145630/http://blog.modernmechanix.com/h-g-wells-things-to-come/ |url-status=dead }}
* Cooper, Nick (2012) "Things to Come Viewing Notes", Network Blu-Ray
* {{cite book| last = Frayling| first = Christopher| author-link = Christopher Frayling| title = Things to Come| publisher = [[British Film Institute]]| year = 1995| isbn = 0-85170-480-8}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2812-things-to-come-whither-mankind |title=Things to Come: Whither Mankind?|year=2013 |author=[[Geoffrey O'Brien|O'Brien, Geoffrey]] |work=[[Criterion Collection]] }}
* [[H. G. Wells|Wells. H. G.]] (1935) ''Things to Come – A Film Story''. London: Cresset.


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 03:25, 16 June 2025

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "other uses". Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Main otherScript error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Main other Things to Come is a 1936 British science fiction film produced by Alexander Korda, directed by William Cameron Menzies, and written by H. G. Wells. It is a loose adaptation of Wells' book The Shape of Things to Come. The film stars Raymond Massey, Edward Chapman, Ralph Richardson, Margaretta Scott, Cedric Hardwicke, Maurice Braddell, Sophie Stewart, Derrick De Marney, and Ann Todd. Things to Come became a landmark in production design.

Plot

In 1940, businessman John Cabal, living in the city of Everytown in Southern England, cannot enjoy Christmas Day as the news speaks of possible war. His guest, Harding, shares his worries, while another friend, the over-optimistic Pippa Passworthy, believes that it will not come to pass, and if it does, it will accelerate technological progress. An aerial bombing raid on the city that night results in general mobilisation and then global war with the unnamed enemy. Cabal becomes a Royal Air Force pilot and serves bravely, even attempting to rescue an enemy pilot he has shot down.

The war continues into the 1960s, long enough for the people of the world to have forgotten why they are fighting. Humanity enters a new dark age. Every city in the world is in ruins, the economy has been devastated by hyperinflation, and there is little technology left other than greatly depleted air forces. A pestilence known as "wandering sickness" is inflicted by aerial bombing and causes its victims to walk around aimlessly in a zombie-like state before dying. The plague kills half of humanity and extinguishes the last vestiges of government.

By 1970, the warlord Rudolf, known as the "Boss", has become the chieftain of what is left of Everytown and eradicated the pestilence by shooting the infected. He has started yet another war, this time against the "hill people" of the Floss Valley to obtain coal and shale to render into oil for his ragtag collection of prewar biplanes.

On May Day that year, a sleek new monoplane lands in Everytown, startling the residents, who have not seen a new aircraft in many years. The pilot, a now elderly John Cabal, emerges and proclaims that the last surviving band of engineers and mechanics have formed an organisation called "Wings Over the World". They are based in Basra, Iraq, and have outlawed war and are rebuilding civilisation throughout the Near East and the Mediterranean. Cabal offers the Boss the opportunity to join Wings, but he immediately rejects the offer and takes Cabal prisoner, forcing him to repair the obsolete biplanes.

With the assistance of Cabal, the Boss's disillusioned mechanic Gordon contacts Wings Over the World. Gigantic flying wing aircraft arrive over Everytown and saturate its population with a "Gas of Peace" that temporarily renders them unconscious. The people awaken to find themselves under the control of Wings Over the World and the Boss dead from a fatal allergic reaction to the gas. Cabal promises them that Wings Over the World will usher in a new age of progress and peace.

Under Cabal's guidance, Wings Over the World quickly rebuilds civilisation to even greater heights. By 2036, a stable mankind is now living in modern underground cities, including the new Everytown, and civilisation is at last devoted to peace and scientific progress. All is not well, however. The sculptor Theotocopulos incites the populace to demand a "rest" from all the rush of progress, symbolised by the coming first crewed flight around the Moon. When the mob threatens to destroy the space gun that will launch the ship to the Moon, Oswald Cabal, the grandson of John Cabal and current head of government, is forced to move the launch ahead of schedule.

Oswald Cabal's daughter Catherine and fellow scientist Maurice Passworthy are the passengers. After the projectile is launched and just a tiny light in the night sky, Cabal debates the desirability of human progress with Passworthy's anxious father. To Passworthy's concern that humanity shall never be able to rest, Cabal retorts that humans have no choice but to conquer the universe and its mysteries: "All the universe or nothingness...Which shall it be?"

Cast

Template:Col div

Main cast

Uncredited

Template:Col div end

Notes

  • Theotocopulos's scenes were originally shot with Ernest Thesiger. Wells found his performance unsatisfactory, so he was replaced with Hardwicke and the footage reshot.[1]Template:Rp
  • Terry-Thomas, who would become known for his comic acting, has an uncredited appearance as an extra in the film, playing a "man of the future".[2]
  • In some prints, Margaretta Scott is still credited with the dual role of Roxana Black and Rowena Cabal, but the latter character doesn't appear in the extant footage.

Production

H.G. Wells described The Shape of Things to Come (1933) as more of a "discussion" than a novel. The book is presented as a series of notes by Dr. Philip Raven, a diplomat in the League of Nations.[3] Alexander Korda deeply admired Wells and asked him to adapt the book into a film.[4]Template:Rp Korda promised Wells complete control over the script.[5]

Wells wrote a screenplay which abridges the book and introduces new elements. It also draws on Wells' "A Story of the Days to Come" (1897) and his work on society and economics The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1931).[6]Template:Rp Wells developed his theory of human progress through The Outline of History (1919–20) and its abridgement. In his mind, humanity was destined to proceed towards the stability of a world government.[7]

The first draft of Wells' film treatment was titled "Whither Mankind?". By all accounts, it was terrible.[8] Wells was too wedded to the ideas of his book and could not create sufficient incident to make a compelling screenplay. Lajos Bíró wrote a detailed memo to Korda about the flaws of Wells' treatment. Korda mused that Things to Come was his "most difficult film to make".[4]Template:Rp

Wells' involvement in the film was heavily promoted during production, with photos of him on the set distributed to the media.[6]Template:Rp The film was billed as "H. G. Wells' Things to Come".[1]Template:Rp Korda spent lavishly on the film. Its budget was reported between £260–300,000.[9][4]Template:Rp

After attending one of Arthur Bliss' lectures at the Royal Institution, Wells asked the composer to collaborate with him on the film score.[3] Wells gave Bliss explicit instructions on the score's structure because he saw music as part of the film's design. Things to Come was edited to fit the score.[6]Template:Rp Bliss turned his music into a concert suite which was widely performed and recorded. He also used the music from the film's machine sequence in his ballet Checkmate.[10]

Wells wrote a memo to the production staff about the costumes. The technocrats of the future bear a striking resemblance to the samurai who benevolently rule the planet in his 1905 novel A Modern Utopia.[11] The production memo also singles out Fritz Lang's Metropolis as completely antithetical to Wells' vision. He previously ridiculed the film in a 1927 New York Times review.[12][6]Template:Rp Wells' visions of the future are feasible projections from existing technology like the Boyce Thompson Institute's plant science and Robert H. Goddard's rocketry.[13]

Filming of exteriors began in July 1935 at Denham Film Studios, while the site was still under construction.[4]Template:Rp The film was shot at Elstree Studios and Worton Hall.[14]

After filming had already begun, the Hungarian abstract artist and experimental filmmaker László Moholy-Nagy was commissioned to produce some of the effects sequences for the re-building of Everytown. Moholy-Nagy's approach was partly to treat it as an abstract light show, but only some 90 seconds of material was used, e.g. a protective-suited figure behind corrugated glass. The footage was displayed independently.[15] In the autumn of 1975 a researcher found a further four sequences which had been discarded.[16]Template:Rp

The art design in the film is by Vincent Korda, brother of the producer. The futuristic city of Everytown in the film is based on London: a facsimile of St Paul's Cathedral can be seen in the background.[1]Template:Rp

Reception

Things to Come was voted the ninth best British film of 1936 by Film WeeklyTemplate:'s readers.[17] The film earned £350,000 and was the 16th most popular British film in 1935–36.[18][19]Template:Rp Korda's extravagant budget made recouping his costs difficult, but the film's quality was widely seen as worth the investment.[20][4]Template:Rp Over time, Things to Come did eventually turn a profit through reissues.[4]Template:Rp

The Times remarked, "It is usually not until they have extinguished the present civilization of the world by war, famine...or some such spectacular catastrophe that our Utopian writers can settle down comfortably to planning new fashions in asbestos clothing." They had high praise for the concepts of the film and its production, "Even Mr. Raymond Massey, though always dignified, can hardly distract the attention from the incomparable scenery which is the real triumph of this film."[21]

In his review for The Spectator, Graham Greene felt the first third was magnificent but lamented the "smug and sentimental" dialogue. Greene cited Wells' The War in the Air while praising the terrifying air raid in Things to Come. [22] Frank Nugent reviewed the film for The New York Times and felt some passages "read like direct quotations from last week's newspapers". He grimly concluded, "There's nothing we can do now but sit back and wait for the holocaust".[23]

Science fiction historian Gary Westfahl felt, "Things to Come qualifies as the first true masterpiece of science fiction cinema...the film's episodic structure and grand ambitions make it the greatest ancestor of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey".[24]

Arthur C. Clarke was perplexed that Wells' would be aware of rocket technology yet choose to depict Jules Verne's space gun in the movie.[6]Template:Rp Nevertheless, he had Kubrick watch Things to Come early in the development phase of 2001. Clarke cited it as an example of grounded science fiction, but Kubrick disliked it.[25] After seeing 2001, Frederik Pohl quipped, "...it's a disgrace that the most recent science-fiction movie made with a big budget, good actors and an actual sf writer preparing the script, not aimed at a juvenile market and uncontaminated by camp, is Things to Come...produced in 1936".[26]

Cultural historian Christopher Frayling called Things to Come "a landmark in cinematic design".[16]Template:Rp Things to Come scores 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.[27] In 2005, it was nominated for the AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores, a list of the top 25 film scores unveiled by the American Film Institute.[28]

Forecasts

In 1935, H.G. Wells adapted his screenplay into the book Things to Come, which includes production details and photos.[29] It was reprinted in 1940 and 1975.[30][31] In 2007, Things to Come was edited by Leon Stover and published as volume 9 in The Annotated H.G. Wells.[6]Template:Rp The book spells out things that are left vague in the movie. The conflict in the first act is explicitly called "The Second World War" in the book.[6]Template:Rp

The aerial bombardment of Everytown directly forecasted The Blitz of London from 1940–1. Michael Korda reports that when Adolf Hitler saw Things to Come, he instructed Hermann Göring to use it as inspiration for the Luftwaffe. Contrarily, it inspired Neville Chamberlain's appetite for peace.[32] Wells' work was sometimes blamed as the inspiration for the appeasement policy that led to the Munich Agreement.[33]

Wells' describes the "walking sickness" of Things to Come as analogous to sheep afflicted with gid. Though zombie films had already been established, Wells clearly anticipates the post-apocalyptic scenario that would dominate the genre.[34]

A helicopter is also shown in the film before the design had been stabilized. The one seen onscreen lacks a tail rotor.[6]Template:Rp

Versions

The rough cut of the film was 130 minutes. The version submitted for classification by the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) was over 117 minutes.[35][1]Template:Rp At its trade show, Things to Come stretched to 10,000 feet of film.[5] A 76-minute print was resubmitted for classification by the BBFC. In 1943, William Hinds' Exclusive Films reissued a 72-minute version.[1]Template:Rp

A 96-minute print for American distribution was cut just below 93 minutes. A continuity script exists for a version of approximately 106 minutes. It is not known if a version of this duration was actually in circulation at any time.[1]Template:Rp

For many years, the principal surviving version of the film was the 93-minute print. From at least the late-1970s until 2007, this was the only version available from the UK rights holders.[1]Template:Rp There was a slightly longer version circulating in North America on VHS, but it was extremely rare.[36]

Home media

A cut version of the 93-minute print was digitally restored and colourised by Legend Films, under the supervision of Ray Harryhausen and released on DVD in the United States in early 2007.[37]

In May 2007, Network DVD in the UK released a digitally restored 96-minute version, the longest version remaining of the film. The two-disc set also contains a "Virtual Extended Version" with most of the missing and unfilmed parts represented by production photographs and script extracts. In 2011 Network released an updated and expanded version of this edition on Blu-ray in HD.

The Criterion Collection released the 96-minute print on DVD and Blu-ray in North America in 2013. Moholy-Nagy's footage was included as an extra.[38]

Copyright status

The current copyright holder is ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., and while the longest surviving original nitrate print is held by the BFI National Archive, a copy of the 96-minute print was donated by London Films to the newly formed National Film Library in March 1936.[1]Template:Rp

See also

References

Notes

Template:Reflist

External links


Template:William Cameron Menzies Template:Alexander Korda Template:H. G. Wells

Template:Authority control

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Menzies, William Cameron, and H. G. Wells. Things to Come. "Viewing Notes" by Nick Cooper. Network, 2007. DVD.
  2. ↑ McCann, Graham. Bounder! The Biography of Terry-Thomas. Aurum, 2011.
  3. ↑ a b Craggs, Stewart R. Arthur Bliss: Music and Literature Routledge, 2017. 192–207.
  4. ↑ a b c d e f Tabori, Paul. Alexander Korda. Living Books, 1966.
  5. ↑ a b Low, Rachael. The History of the British Film 1929-1939: Film Making in 1930s Britain. Routledge, 2011. 171ff.
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h Wells, H. G. Things to come: a critical text of the 1935 London first edition, with an introduction and appendices. Edited by Leon Stover. McFarland & Company, 2007.
  7. ↑ O'Brien, Geoffrey. "Things to Come: Whither Mankind?", Criterion Collection. June 20, 2013. Archived June 29, 2013.
  8. ↑ Geduld, Harry M. "Review: The Prophetic Soul: A Reading of H.G. Wells’s Things to Come, by Leon Stover." Science-Fiction Studies, vol. 15, no. Part 3, 1988. 376–78.
  9. ↑ "England's First Million Dollar Film: London Opinion on 'Things to Come.'", The West Australian. March 20, 1936. 3.
  10. ↑ Craggs, Stewart R. Arthur Bliss: a Bio-Bibliography. Greenwood Press, 1988. 7.
  11. ↑ Coren, Michael. The Invisible Man: The Life and Liberties of H.G. Wells. Atheneum, 1993. 194.
  12. ↑ Wells, H.G. "Mr. Wells Reviews a Current Film", The New York Times, Magazine. April 17, 1927. 4.
  13. ↑ Cooley, Donald G. "H. G. Wells Photographs the Future in His Motion Picture "Things to Come"". Modern Mechanix. May 1936. 35–9, 127, 132.
  14. ↑ Chapman, James, and Cull, Nicholas J. Projecting Tomorrow: Science Fiction and Popular Cinema. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013. 32.
  15. ↑ Moholy-Nagy: An Anthology. Edited by Richard Kostelanetz. Da Capo Press, 1991. 4–6, Fig. 48.
  16. ↑ a b Frayling, Christopher. Things to Come. British Film Institute, 1995.
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Sedgwick, John and Pokorny, Michael. "The Film Business in the US and Britain during the 1930s", The Economic History Review New Series, Vol. 58, No. 1. February 2005. 79-112.
  19. ↑ Menville, Douglas Alver and R. Reginald. Things to Come: An Illustrated History of the Science Fiction Film. Times Books, 1977.
  20. ↑ Baxter, A. Beverley, M.P. "Finances of British Films", Daily Telegraph. January 12, 1937. 14.
  21. ↑ "Leicester Square Theatre: New H.G. Wells Film", The Times. February 21, 1936. 12.
  22. ↑ Greene, Graham. "Things to Come/Bonne Chance", The Spectator. February 28, 1936.
  23. ↑ Nugent, Frank S. "H.G. Wells Presents an Outline of Future History in 'Things to Come,' at the Rivoli.", The New York Times. April 18, 1936. 19.
  24. ↑ Westfahl, Gary. "Wells, H. G.", Gary Westfahl's Bio-Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Film. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  25. ↑ Clarke, Arthur C. The Lost Worlds of 2001 London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1972. 35.
  26. ↑ Pohl, Frederik. "The Week That Was", Galaxy Science Fiction. July 1968. 4.
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Wells. H. G. Things to Come – A Film Story. London: Cresset, 1935.
  30. ↑ Wells, H. G. Two Film Stories: Things to Come, Man Who Could Work Miracles. Cresset Press, 1940.
  31. ↑ Wells, H. G. Things to Come. Gregg Press, 1975.
  32. ↑ Korda, Michael. Charmed Lives: A Family Romance. Random House, 1979. 122.
  33. ↑ West, Anthony. H.G. Wells: Aspects of a Life. Hutchinson, 1984. 130.
  34. ↑ Starr, Michael. Wells Meets Deleuze: The Scientific Romances Reconsidered. McFarland & Company, 2017. 175.
  35. ↑ Things to Come at BBFC
  36. ↑ Cooper, Nick. "Things to Come - the Gutlohn Print", Nickcooper.org.uk. May 11, 2005.
  37. ↑ Menzies, William Cameron, et al. Things to Come. Legend Films, 2006.
  38. ↑ Things to Come. Directed by William Cameron Menzies. Blu-ray special ed, Criterion Collection, 2013.
Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Things_to_Come&oldid=650617"