Today Crack in the World. Beginning his career in the 1920’s as a film editor, Andrew Marton made his directorial debut in 1929 with the film Two O’Clock in the Morning. Arriving in Hollywood following the outbreak of WWII, Marton notably co-directed King Solomon’s Mines (1950) and The Longest Day (1962) while also serving as a second unit director on several pictures; his most notable film in that role was Ben-Hur (1959), where he directed the film’s famed chariot race sequence. One of his most interesting films as a solo director was the science fiction thriller Crack in the World. Previously released on DVD and Blu-ray by Olive Films, Kino has licensed the movie from Paramount Pictures for its return to Blu-ray in time for its 60th anniversary.
The Production: 4/5
Dr. Stephen Sorenson (Dana Andrews) is the head of Project Inner Earth, a scientific consortium of international scientists trying to harness geothermal energy on a global scale by drilling deep into the Earth’s core. Despite warnings from colleague Dr. Ted Rampion (Kieron Moore), Sorenson – who is terminally ill from cancer – presses on with the project, succeeding in reaching the magma core at the bottom of the very deep hole with an atomic bomb to pierce through a seemingly impenetrable section of the Earth’s crust. However, the explosion – as Dr. Rampion warned – manages to shatter the Earth’s crust due to an unforeseen circumstance not noticed prior to the fateful test and now, a large crack has formed and is rapidly widening, unleashing a wave of destruction in the form of tsunamis and earthquakes. And if it’s not stopped in time, Earth might literally split in two and bring an end to life on the planet as we know it!
One of the more underrated science fiction thrillers of the 1960’s, Crack in the World balances elements of melodrama and intelligence with a hint of the disaster film that would soon become a staple of 1970’s cinema. Working from a script by Jon Manchip White and Julian Zimet (originally credited under his blacklist nom de plume “Julian Halevy”, this Blu-ray release restores Zimet’s credit for the first time on home video), director Andrew Marton fashions a speculative – for the era – look at what could happen if the Atomic Age pushed too far in pursuing progress for the benefit of mankind; the scientific progress over the years in relation to understanding the Earth’s crust has by and large negated the central premise of the film, but that’s entirely another story. The film – shot in Spain, which doubles for the Eastern African locations of the story here – also makes great and effective use of special effects, especially the way matte paintings and miniatures are utilized for key parts of the film without ever feeling cheap; major kudos should go to both Alex Weldon and Eugène Lourié (who also serves as the film’s art director) for their work here. However, a big reason why the film works is the high-quality performances of its cast, anchored by Dana Andrews, Janette Scott, Kieron Moore and Alexander Knox in the leads. By making the unthinkable plausible, Crack in the World set the template for many disaster films of the 1970’s and apocalyptic science fiction thrillers to follow in the years following the movie’s release; while time and scientific progress has largely debunked the film’s main idea, it’s still a chilling premise that will hopefully never happen in our lifetime.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
For this Blu-ray release, this film is presented in its original 1:85:1 aspect ratio, taken from a brand new HD transfer created for this release from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. Film grain, fine details and color palette – including skin tones, which credibly look like our cast is indeed sweltering beneath the Earth’s surface in Project Inner Earth’s central command – all appear to be faithfully presented with minimal cases of scratches, tear and dirt present (largely confined to some of the stock footage utilized to emphasize the scale of the destruction wrought by the crack); as mentioned earlier in the review, Julian Zimet’s screenwriting credit is restored for this release (all previous home video releases had Zimet’s blacklist credit of “Julian Halevy”). In short, the new Special Edition Blu-ray release is by far the best the film will ever look on home video.
Audio: 5/5
For this Blu-ray release, the original mono soundtrack is presented on a 2.0 dual mono DTS-HD Master Audio track. Dialogue, sound mix and Johnny Douglas’ tense music score are all faithfully presented with clarity and minimal cases of distortion present, like crackling, clicking, popping and hissing present on the track. When compared to the previous DVD and Blu-ray releases from Olive Films, this Special Edition Blu-ray release is now likely the best the film will ever sound on home video.
Special Features: 4/5
Commentary by film historian/screenwriter Gary Gerani – Newly recorded for this release, Gerani goes over the production details of the film, including key differences between earlier drafts of the film’s screenplay and what ultimately ended up on the screen.
Sidebar with film historians Tim Lucas and Stephen R. Bissette (1:09:23) – Presented in two parts, Lucas and Bissette engage in a highly spirited discussion about the film and its place in the science fiction and disaster film genres over 60 years later.
Bonus KLSC Trailers – The Day the Earth Caught Fire & The Last Man on Earth
Overall: 4/5
Having largely faded into obscurity until its rediscovery on home video in the previous decade, Crack in the World is a tense – if somewhat scientifically flawed plot wise – little science fiction thriller that belies its B-movie origins and plays like an “A” picture. Kino has likely delivered the best home video presentation of the film to date, with a solid HD transfer and a couple of new special features to sweeten the pot. Very highly recommended and absolutely worth upgrading from the previous Olive Films DVD and Blu-ray releases.
Mychal has been on the Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2018, with reviews numbering close to 300. During this time, he has also been working as an assistant manager at The Cotton Patch – his family’s fabric and quilting supplies business in Keizer, Oregon. When not working at reviewing movies or working at the family business, he enjoys exploring the Oregon Coast, playing video games and watching baseball in addition to his expansive collection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD, totalling over 3,000 movies.
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