ith the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki fresh in his memory, famed
geologist Jeremiah Morley (Kilian) has formed the Society to Save
Civilization. Through this organization he hopes to develop a vehicle that
can tunnel deep into the Earth, where a team of top scientists will create an
environment capable of sustaining life should humanity ever be engulfed in a
nuclear war.
Unfortunately, Morley doesn't have the money to finance the exorbitantly
expensive scheme, and it's only through the largesse of playboy Wright
Thompson (Kellogg) that the project can proceed. These funds, which come with
the stipulation that Thompson be permitted to join the expedition, allow the
idealistic explorer to build his ship, a combination mole/submarine/tractor
dubbed the Cyclotram.
However, as the vessel steadily burrows below the surface, the
seven-person crew grows increasingly uneasy. Tensions mount between Thompson
and ex-Marine Andrew Ostengaard (Bannon), and numerous mishaps occur,
including a particularly damaging incident that leads to the asphyxiation of
two fellow adventurers.
The group perseveres, and after digging down more than 1,600 miles they
finally discover their subterranean Shangri-La, a colossal cavern with a huge
sea, a phosphorescent ceiling and clouds created by volcanic vapors. But just
as everyone begins to feel comfortable, Joan Lindsey (Nash), the team's
physician, realizes that their newfound home holds a dark and potentially
deadly secret.
The ultimate bomb shelter
When Unknown World was released in 1951, the newly developed
H-bomb, combined with the increasingly pervasive influence of Communism, had
made the Earth a tremendously scary place. So it's not terribly surprising
that, with the ever-present threat of atomic annihilation, screenwriter
Millard Kaufman and director Terrell O. Morse created a film that essentially
sought to envision the ultimate bomb shelter.
Inspired by both Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth
and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar tales, this moralistic motion
picture is actually quite engaging. As the leader of the group, Kilian
exhibits an appropriately upstanding air, with Kellogg, Bannon and the other
male actors offering a moderately believable mix of macho and intellectual
traits.
Nash's character is also reasonably credible. The doctor doesn't drive the
Cyclotram or rappel down underground cliffs, nor is she immune from those
inexplicable fainting spells common to women in low-budget SF flicks of the
era. But she's fairly self-sufficient and clearly a valuable member of the
team.
Nevertheless, Unknown World does have some significant
shortcomings. There are a few sequences that simply dead end, and the
black-and-white photography is often murky, making it difficult to see much
of the action. The movie isn't perfect, but fans looking for a campy and
comparatively compelling cinematic experience should find it amusing and
appealing.
