The Night the World Exploded (1957)

46% User Rating

1h 4min

"Super-Quake Tilts Earth!"

With his assistant, Laura Hutchinson, Dr. David Conway develops a device to advance the fledgling science of earthquake prediction. After forecasting a large trembleor that will rock California within twenty-four hours, Conway cannot persuade the Governor to act. When the prediction proves true and further tests indicate that there are more quakes to come, Conway and Laura seek to perfect their device. Subsequent tests deep within Carlsbad Caverns discover an unknown element—E-112—that is responsible for the earthquakes and threatens to destroy the globe if it ever reaches the surface. The team determines that with only four weeks until Armageddon, the race is on to neutralize the killer element before it takes a devastating toll.

Fred F. SearsDirector

Cast

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William Leslie

Dr. David Conway

Kathryn Grant

Laura 'Hutch' Hutchinson

Tris Coffin

Dr. Ellis Morton

Raymond Greenleaf

Gov. Chaney

Paul Savage

Ranger Kirk

Fred Coby

Ranger Brown

Frank J. Scannell

Sheriff Quinn

Charles Evans

Gen. Bortes

Marshall Reed

General's Aide

Terry Frost

Chief Rescue Worker

David Armstrong

Military Policeman (uncredited)

Reviews (1)

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CinemaSerf

Rating 50%

April 16, 2023

This benefits, if that's the right word, from a mediocre cast of C-listers and some truly amazing papier-mâché special effects that can really only make you smile rather than recoil behind the sofa in terror! William Leslie is the scientist "Conway" who has designed a machine that he thinks can predict earthquakes. Now that could be quite useful in California but he can't get the Governor to believe an evacuation is essential when it starts to ring alarm bells. What's strange is that his gizmo seems to be telling him that the whole world is about to suffer a catastrophic sequence of quakes so together with his glamorous assistant "Hutch" (Kathryn Grant) he sets off into some very deep caverns where they discover a molten rock that is heading to the surface - and if it gets there, well it's goodnight Vienna. Can they concoct a plan to stop it in it's tracks? The story isn't so bad, but the execution is "Outer Limits" standard. There is far too much dialogue and but for the last ten minutes when the faux-rocks starts a-tumbling, there is precious little action in this studio bound and rather dry sci-fi drama. It's only an hour, and doubtless filled the drive-ins in 1957, but it's all just a bit too rudimentary on just about every level - including the underpinning science - to be of much interest now.