Crack in the World

Dir: Andrew Marton

1965

****

Andrew Marton’s Crack in the World remains something of an overlooked and forgotten disaster movie, which is a shame as it is one of the most believable ones ever made. The 1970s is when the disaster movie really took off but the 1960s had some notable inclusions that they wouldn’t have found success without. Sensationalist disasters were also rife in the 1950s but generally revolved around Aliens or giant insects. The 70s saw danger in everyday situations and only delved into sensationalism here and there with subjects such as meteors and killer bees. Crack in the World kept it unfashionably feasible and relied on reliable science to establish its hook. It features a small group of scientists who launch a rocket in the Earth's core to research its geothermal energy. This consortium of scientists, operating as Project Inner Space, is led by Dr. Stephen Sorenson (played by Dana Andrews) and is based in Tanganyika, Africa. Dr. Sorenson believes that an atomic device will burn its way through the barrier, bring the magma to the surface and thus provide the Earth with all the geothermal energy it will ever need. However, the project's chief geologist, Dr. Ted Rampion (played by Kieron Moore), is convinced that the lower layers of the crust have been weakened by decades of underground nuclear tests, and that the detonation could produce a massive crack that would threaten the very existence of Earth. No prizes for guessing which of them ends up right. Dr. Sorenson’s determination is pushed by the fact that he is secretly dying of cancer and wants to leave the world a legacy to be remembered for. It is refreshing that neither he or Dr Rampion are enemies, they just disagree on the science. It is rare that such a film is without heroes or villains, but unfortunately, the film still has an unnecessary romantic sub-plot to distract from all the interesting science. Sorenson is a little bit older than his wife Dr. Maggie Sorensen (played by Janette Scott) and back story has it that she was once attached to young Dr Rampion, so once we learn of his cancer and the fact that his actions are about to end the world, rules dictate she move on to the next guy, even though the love triangle thing really doesn’t work during the apocalypse (in my personal opinion). The film begins with the legality of such an undertaking and suggests in simple terms how nations can be duped. It shows how easily things can go wrong through simple human error and shows the scientific repercussions behind such an event. It’s a progressive thriller with a pleasing conclusion. I generally like my disaster films to be over the top and as sensationalist as they possibly can be but I really admire the control and intelligence of this film. The performances are great, especially from Alexander Knox who really could be Sir Charles Eggerston if Sir Charles Eggerston were a real person (His performance was so convincing I somehow feel that he is). The budget seems somewhat tight until the final sequences whereby special effects fans are rewarded. The switch in visuals is quite striking and very effective, as well as realistic or so said experts at the time. It’s an overlooked science-fiction gem for sure.