The World, the Flesh and the Devil is a 1959 American science fiction doomsday film written and directed by Ranald MacDougall. The film stars Harry Belafonte, who was then at the peak of his film career. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic world with very few human survivors. It is based on two sources: the 1901 novel The Purple Cloud by M. P. Shiel and the story "End of the World" by Ferdinand Reyher.
Plot
Black mine inspector Ralph Burton becomes trapped in a cave-in at a Pennsylvania coal mine. He can hear rescuers digging towards him, but after five days they slow down and then stop completely, along with the drainage pumps keeping the shaft from flooding. Ralph frantically digs his own way out, but upon emerging from the mine, he finds a world devoid of any people, living or dead. Discarded newspapers provide an explanation: one proclaims "UN Retaliates For Use Of Atomic Poison", another that "Millions Flee From Cities! End Of The World". Ralph later plays tapes at a radio station and learns that an unknown country had dispersed large quantities of radioactive sodium isotopes into the atmosphere. The resulting lethal dust cloud spread around the world, killing every human who came into contact with it over a five-day period before the isotopes decayed into a harmless state.
Ralph travels to New York City in search of survivors, but in vain. He busies himself restoring power to a building where he takes up residence, and to stave off loneliness he takes in a pair of mannequins. Just as the solitude starts to become intolerable, he finally encounters a second survivor: Sarah Crandall, a white woman in her early twenties. Sarah had been living in the city and surreptitiously observing Ralph for some time, but lacked the courage to reveal herself earlier. The two become fast friends, but Ralph grows distant when it becomes clear that Sarah is developing stronger feelings for him. Despite living in a post-apocalyptic world, he cannot overcome the inhibitions instilled in him in a racially-segregated American society.
Ralph regularly broadcasts on the radio in the hope of contacting other survivors, and eventually receives a transmission in French, confirming there are other living people beyond New York. One day, ill white man Benson Thacker arrives by boat. Ralph and Sarah nurse him back to health, but once he recovers, Ben sets his sights on Sarah and sees Ralph as a rival. Ralph is torn by conflicting emotions. He avoids Sarah as much as possible, to give Ben every opportunity to win her affections, but cannot quite bring himself to leave the city.
Ben finally grows tired of the whole situation, realizing he stands little chance with Sarah as long as Ralph remains nearby. He warns Ralph that the next time he sees him, he will try to kill him. The two armed men hunt each other through the empty streets. Finally, Ralph passes by the United Nations headquarters, climbs the steps in Ralph Bunche Park, and reads the inscription "They shall beat their swords into plowshares. And their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Neither shall they learn war any more", from the Book of Isaiah. He throws down his rifle and goes unarmed to confront Ben, who in turn finds himself unable to shoot his foe. Defeated, he starts walking away. Sarah appears. When Ralph starts to turn away from her, she makes him take her hand; then she calls to Ben and gives him her other hand. Together, the three walk down the street to build a new future together. The film ends not with "The End", but with "The Beginning".
Cast
Harry Belafonte as Ralph Burton
Inger Stevens as Sarah Crandall
Mel Ferrer as Benson Thacker
Production
Paramount wanted to produce this film under a different title in 1940 but it was delayed. Paramount revisited the project in 1945, however by this time many studios were making films that dealt with nuclear warfare after the atomic bombings on Japan, so with the market saturated, production once again was put on hold. It wasn't until 1956 that Sol. C Siegel purchased the rights to The Purple Cloud and The World, The Flesh and The Devil would finally be produced. With this film, Siegel held a strong ideal and hope that blending the issues of race and nuclear war would catalyze audiences to find some kind of resolution.
Harry Belafonte's production company, Harbel Productions, helped to co-produce the film. With his company, Belafonte hoped to create films that would accurately depict African-American lives and experiences as well as promote an African-American presence in Hollywood filmmaking. The World, The Flesh and The Devil was the first film that Harbel helped to produce.