"Beyond the Time Barrier" is the type of late 50s/early 60s Sci-Fi film of which you know, after approximately five minutes already, that it could have been a fantastic contemporary genre highlight if only the cast and crew didn't have to work with such a minimalist budget! Most of the conceptual ideas are really great and well- elaborated, but the cheap looking set pieces and the pitiable special effects have an immensely restraining impact on the overall plausibility and entertainment value. In case you serve an ambitious plot that is dealing with time-traveling and largely takes place in a futuristic dystopia, you can't afford to use paper made spaceships or drawings of the metropolis and you most certainly cannot speak of horribly deformed mutants the entire time without properly showing their faces! So, in an attempt to cover up for the budgetary weakness, Edgar G. Ulmer does what every experienced veteran director would do: replace the action sequences with endless intellectual speeches and complicated time warp theories as much as you can! In 1960, Major William Ellison has the honor and privilege to test-fly a brand new and hi-tech type of army fighter plane. The speed of the aircraft is even a little too successful, as Ellison breaks through the time barrier and ends up in the year 2024. It takes quite a while before our Major properly realizes that he fast- forwarded 64 years into the future, and the technical details are explained to him by three other scientists that went through the same experience. By the way, I didn't understand one iota about those time-traveling theories, but I also figure that incomprehensible speeches are a mandatory aspect of 50s Sci-Fi
Ellison immediately gets confronted with the terrible state of our planet and civilization in the year 2024. Apparently an all- devastating kind of cosmic plague made the entire world population sterile (the last child was born more 20 years ago) and gradually transforms the remaining survivors into mutants. There's also good news, however, as the last fertile woman on earth is a beautiful princess and she has chosen him to re-populate the planet! She – Trirene – is a deaf-mute with telekinetic powers and she can read Ellison's thoughts, which results in at least one (unintentionally?) hilarious sequence: "I know you can read my mind
. Although right now I probably wished you couldn't" and then he gets slapped in the face! Admittedly "Beyond the Time Barrier" principally got made to cash in on the tremendous success of H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine" and also borrows many elements from Fritz Lang's "Metropolis", but it's an engaging and occasionally suspenseful tale. I even like to think that some nifty ideas from this film were copied years later in massive Hollywood productions (for example the sterility in "Children of Men"), although I'm probably mistaken.
60 Reviews
A Decent Science-Fiction Film for the Most Part
Uriah4321 February 2015
"Major William Allison" (Robert Clarke) is a test pilot for the United States Air Force who has been assigned to fly an experimental jet into space at speeds never before attempted by mankind. Unfortunately, his mission accidentally takes him 64 years into the future to a time when a plague has decimated most of the population and created hostile mobs of mutants who seek to wreck havoc on the few less infected people living underground. Yet while these people don't quite suffer from the full ravages of the plague the disease has rendered all of them deaf, mute and completely sterile. All but one that is and the arrival of Major Allison gives them hope that perhaps he and a beautiful woman named "Trirene" (Darlene Tompkins) can offer them a chance of repopulating the human species. But there is another opportunity presented with Major Allison's arrival which another group has formulated and it conflicts with the plans of the establishment. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a decent science fiction film for the most part. Admittedly, being produced in 1960 it lacks the special effects of movies made during the present time and the film lacked depth and substance to a certain degree as well. But in any case I kind of enjoyed it and so I rate this movie as about average and recommend it to fans of this particular time and genre.
Despite a budget of about $45, it's watchable fun.
planktonrules22 May 2011
Warning: Spoilers
The basic idea behind "Beyond the Time Barrier" isn't bad--it's just painfully obvious it was a super-low budget film. Too many set and script problems lingered that would have been worked out if the film makers had more than $45 to make the entire film. Despite this, the film does have two minor stars in it--Victor Sokoloff (a familiar face but a name you'll not readily recognize) and Robert Clark (who made a few sci-fi films and guest starred on TV shows like "Dragnet").
The film is set in 1960. Clark is a Major in the Air Force and is flying a sub-orbital high altitude experimental flight. However, something odd happens and he's somehow transported 64 years into the future! And, unfortunately, the future completely sucks! It seems some plague killed most of the folks on Earth and left most of the rest as either mutants or total jerks! So, Clark has to somehow get back to his time to alert the folks on Earth. Can he do it? And, is there any way they'll believe him? And, will the complete and total jerks of the future even let him attempt this...after all, they ARE jerks!
Overall, despite the crappy sets, I could recommend this to lovers of cheesy sci-fi. That's because the basic story isn't bad at all and it ended very well. On the other hand, be forewarned--it is cheap--REALLY cheap. The worst are the 'mutants' kept in prison. The ones near the top of the steps and those down inside the pit are OBVIOUSLY from different movies--and look NOTHING like each other!! The stairs ones are guys (no ladies?) wearing the absolute worst skin-head wigs I've ever seen! They are hilariously dumb. But, the folks living down in the pit look almost like extras from "Island of Lost Souls"--all covered in hair and looking a bit primordial!! Duh! So, if you can ignore the dumb parts, it's not bad...but still uneven.
The film is set in 1960. Clark is a Major in the Air Force and is flying a sub-orbital high altitude experimental flight. However, something odd happens and he's somehow transported 64 years into the future! And, unfortunately, the future completely sucks! It seems some plague killed most of the folks on Earth and left most of the rest as either mutants or total jerks! So, Clark has to somehow get back to his time to alert the folks on Earth. Can he do it? And, is there any way they'll believe him? And, will the complete and total jerks of the future even let him attempt this...after all, they ARE jerks!
Overall, despite the crappy sets, I could recommend this to lovers of cheesy sci-fi. That's because the basic story isn't bad at all and it ended very well. On the other hand, be forewarned--it is cheap--REALLY cheap. The worst are the 'mutants' kept in prison. The ones near the top of the steps and those down inside the pit are OBVIOUSLY from different movies--and look NOTHING like each other!! The stairs ones are guys (no ladies?) wearing the absolute worst skin-head wigs I've ever seen! They are hilariously dumb. But, the folks living down in the pit look almost like extras from "Island of Lost Souls"--all covered in hair and looking a bit primordial!! Duh! So, if you can ignore the dumb parts, it's not bad...but still uneven.
Futuristic cities and short skirts. What a movie!
Bruce_Cook30 October 2001
From Edgar G. Ulmer (director of `The Man from Planet X' and `The Amazing Transparent Man') comes this likable little sc-fi tale. A test pilot (Robert Clark) is catapulted into the future by a freak phenomenon, where a post World War III society lives in futuristic cities that protect them from the lingering radiation. However, the populace is having fertility problems, and the head of the government (Vladimir Sokoloff) hopes that his daughter (gorgeous Darlene Thompkins) and Clark will get together.
The costumes will meet with male approval; the women all wear short dresses and high heels (if you like it, guys, check out `World Without End').
Okay, back to the plot: a group of dissidents conspire to take over the government by releasing a horde of imprisoned mutants. They do, and the first thing the mutants do is attack all the women. Girls, be forewarned: if you dress provocatively, you'll suffer the consequences, especially if imprisoned mutants get loose.
Hats off to Ulmer for efficiency: he filmed this enjoyable effort in a matter of weeks, and he saved money on sets by using an exhibit of futuristic art-and-design at the 1959 Texas State Fair in Dallas. The interior architecture is appealing, despite being relatively simple. The doors, walls, and pillars are all based on triangles and pyramids. Don't' expect any elaborate special effects, but the film does manage to invoke a pleasant Buck Rogers feeling.
Unfortunately, I've never seen this movie shown on local or cable TV, and it doesn't seem to be avail on VHS or DVD. Dedicated sci-fi fans will have to work to get a peek at this lost gem. But it's worth the effort if you're a 1950s sci-fi fan.
The costumes will meet with male approval; the women all wear short dresses and high heels (if you like it, guys, check out `World Without End').
Okay, back to the plot: a group of dissidents conspire to take over the government by releasing a horde of imprisoned mutants. They do, and the first thing the mutants do is attack all the women. Girls, be forewarned: if you dress provocatively, you'll suffer the consequences, especially if imprisoned mutants get loose.
Hats off to Ulmer for efficiency: he filmed this enjoyable effort in a matter of weeks, and he saved money on sets by using an exhibit of futuristic art-and-design at the 1959 Texas State Fair in Dallas. The interior architecture is appealing, despite being relatively simple. The doors, walls, and pillars are all based on triangles and pyramids. Don't' expect any elaborate special effects, but the film does manage to invoke a pleasant Buck Rogers feeling.
Unfortunately, I've never seen this movie shown on local or cable TV, and it doesn't seem to be avail on VHS or DVD. Dedicated sci-fi fans will have to work to get a peek at this lost gem. But it's worth the effort if you're a 1950s sci-fi fan.
Darlene Tompkins leaves one speechless
kevinolzak4 April 2019
"Beyond The Time Barrier" was the first of two features shot back to back by director Edgar G. Ulmer ("The Amazing Transparent Man" followed) in April-May 1959, at the Texas State fairgrounds at Fair Park in Dallas. Pacific International's presence meant that star Robert Clarke doubled as producer (having previously directed "The Hideous Sun Demon," the lead in Ulmer's 1951 "The Man from Planet X"), but collected only an actor's salary when the company went bankrupt after the pictures wrapped (more than a year passed before AIP picked them up for a nice profit). Scripting was Dallas native Arthur C. Pierce, author of "The Cosmic Man," "Invasion of the Animal People," "Women of the Prehistoric Planet," "Cyborg 2087," and "Dimension 5," all low budget wonders that have mostly achieved cult status. This low budget knockoff of "The Time Machine" (shooting title "The Last Barrier") was already in the can before George Pal began principal photography on his adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel, and AIP made no secret of the connection with their final title, since both pictures were essentially released the same month. Clarke's test pilot takes off for a short flight 1000 miles above the earth but lands only a few hours later in a dilapidated area which used to be the air base. It's not long before he ventures near an underground city, whose inhabitants capture and decontaminate him, as the surface of this world is covered with mutants suffering the long term effects of radiation. It takes a long while before the pilot learns that he had unknowingly passed through a bridge in time and now resides in the year 2024, his new mission to return to his own period to try to prevent the fallout from a plague caused by cosmic bombardment that have rendered this earth sterile and doomed. The footage of imprisoned mutants was taken from an earlier Ulmer production, "Journey Beneath the Desert," but the rest was rather uninspired, though the attractive presence of newcomer Darlene Tompkins makes her mute role most welcome (Ulmer's daughter Arianne has a major part as a female scientist from the year 1973). Unlike earlier forays into the future such as "World Without End" we see few members of this society and virtually nothing to indicate its supposedly vast size, and only two have the power of speech, the sympathetic Supreme (Vladimir Sokoloff) and hostile Captain (Red Morgan), who believes the incredulous pilot to be a spy. Clarke had endured a similar encounter in 1952's "Captive Women," and later entries like "The Time Travelers" and "Journey to the Center of Time" also used the same outline.
A Good 'Time" Was Had
BaronBl00d31 July 2001
Beyond the Time Barrier is an old-fashioned science fiction film made in 1960 that has the look and feel of a science fiction serial. It has some obvious flaws, most of which spring from its low budget. The special effects are woefully un-special. The sets are cheap-looking as are the costumes and any make-up used. Acting is mediocre at best with a few actors doing reasonable work. Darlene Tompkins is a lovely actress and does a pretty good job in her role as a deaf princess. Robert Clarke should be nicknamed Robert "Stonewall" Clarke for his stone-like performance. His performance isn't wooden, it's petrified. Nonetheless he is fun to watch. Boyd "Red" Morgan is, on the other hand, painfully bad a a captain(earlier referred to as a major?). The film tells a very complex story about Clarke leaving the year 1960 and crossing a time barrier and reaching the year 2024 where plague and pestilence are common. The human race has divided into factions of mutants and non-mutants(really people in the very first stages of being mutants). I found the story quite interesting despite not really believing the scientific aspects behind it. Sure the film is talky, but that was okay with me as I liked the story. The film was directed by Edgar Ulmer and it has some wonderful Ulmer moments. I particularly liked the way the mutants were locked up...a well-shot scene. Also, the climatic fight scenes were very good too. Ulmer uses a triangle of another scene interspersing into the already existing shot quite often as well for a neat little effect. An interesting science fiction film with a message.
Chuck Yeager Goes Into the future and it's a bleak one
bkoganbing6 November 2011
It's always interesting to watch futuristic films made in the past and see how they turn out. The plague of cosmic rays foretold in Beyond The Time Barrier has not occurred and it's already 2011 and it started in 1971 according to the film and Robert Clarke returns in 2024.
Still though the cause of the plague is destruction of the atmospheric barrier which is the ozone layer though not called that in the film and in that sense the film is curiously relevant though they got the immediate cause wrong.
Robert Clarke plays a Chuck Yeager like test pilot who breaks the time barrier and arrives in a world where some folks are living in a hermetically sealed dome near what used to be White Sands Air Force base. The rest are mutants who are sterile, mute or both. The head of the group inside the dome, Vladimir Sokoloff decides to use Clarke with his healthy sperm as the savior of civilization if he'll only mate with his daughter Darlene Tompkins.
The film spared every expense in the making it looks like it was shot with an old Bell&Howell home movie camera. Still it's an interesting bit of work and you can't expect all that much from American-International Pictures unless Roger Corman is involved somewhat and even that's a dubious proposition.
Still though the cause of the plague is destruction of the atmospheric barrier which is the ozone layer though not called that in the film and in that sense the film is curiously relevant though they got the immediate cause wrong.
Robert Clarke plays a Chuck Yeager like test pilot who breaks the time barrier and arrives in a world where some folks are living in a hermetically sealed dome near what used to be White Sands Air Force base. The rest are mutants who are sterile, mute or both. The head of the group inside the dome, Vladimir Sokoloff decides to use Clarke with his healthy sperm as the savior of civilization if he'll only mate with his daughter Darlene Tompkins.
The film spared every expense in the making it looks like it was shot with an old Bell&Howell home movie camera. Still it's an interesting bit of work and you can't expect all that much from American-International Pictures unless Roger Corman is involved somewhat and even that's a dubious proposition.
Addicts of low budget sci-fi might dig it.
Hey_Sweden2 November 2013
The legendary cult director Edgar G. Ulmer certainly had made better movies than this but that doesn't mean that this isn't fun to some degree. The main problem is that the (lack of a) budget shows: there's a lot more exposition here than action. But the actors are sincere, the visuals and atmosphere are decent, and there's a nifty twist ending that one might not see coming. The result is a minor but amusing effort that kills time easily enough.
Robert Clarke (also the producer of the movie), who'd previously starred for Ulmer in "The Man from Planet X", plays William Allison, an Air Force pilot who goes on an experimental flight. Somehow, he breaks the time barrier and ends up 64 years in the future, where a plague has decimated most of mankind and where various people hole up in an underground building dubbed The Citadel. The plague has caused various stages of mutation in people; some folk have become deaf-mutes, such as Princess Trirene (Darlene Tompkins); others are more sickly. The people of this future don't trust Allison, which just makes things more difficult for him as he seeks to find out how to get back to his own time.
The supporting cast consists of performers such as Vladimir Sokoloff, Boyd 'Red' Morgan, Stephen Bekassy, John Van Dreelen, and director Ulmers' pretty daughter Arianne in a major supporting role as the dubious Captain Markova. Co-star Tompkins is positively gorgeous and may serve as a distraction for any viewers who are otherwise bored with the movie. (One can't completely knock any movie where female outfits of the future include miniskirts.)
This may be no classic of the genre but it does entertain, and only runs an hour and 15 minutes anyway.
The makeup effects are by the great Jack Pierce.
Six out of 10.
Robert Clarke (also the producer of the movie), who'd previously starred for Ulmer in "The Man from Planet X", plays William Allison, an Air Force pilot who goes on an experimental flight. Somehow, he breaks the time barrier and ends up 64 years in the future, where a plague has decimated most of mankind and where various people hole up in an underground building dubbed The Citadel. The plague has caused various stages of mutation in people; some folk have become deaf-mutes, such as Princess Trirene (Darlene Tompkins); others are more sickly. The people of this future don't trust Allison, which just makes things more difficult for him as he seeks to find out how to get back to his own time.
The supporting cast consists of performers such as Vladimir Sokoloff, Boyd 'Red' Morgan, Stephen Bekassy, John Van Dreelen, and director Ulmers' pretty daughter Arianne in a major supporting role as the dubious Captain Markova. Co-star Tompkins is positively gorgeous and may serve as a distraction for any viewers who are otherwise bored with the movie. (One can't completely knock any movie where female outfits of the future include miniskirts.)
This may be no classic of the genre but it does entertain, and only runs an hour and 15 minutes anyway.
The makeup effects are by the great Jack Pierce.
Six out of 10.
Disappointing, confusing, excessively talky time travel yarn which fails mainly because of a weak, overly complicated and insufficiently developed screenplay.
Morbius-1314 September 1999
Time travel is a subject which has been addressed occasionally in films with varying degrees of success. For the most part these adventures usually entail journeying into Earth's imminent future and can provide an interesting basis for speculation of what might be in store for humanity. Probably the best cinematic examples of this brand of storytelling are George Pal's THE TIME MACHINE (1960) and Franklin J. Schaffner's PLANET OF THE APES (1968).
With such an engaging title as BEYOND THE TIME BARRIER and the promising premise of an intrepid jet pilot traversing through the stratosphere with his supersonic aircraft into the far-flung future (2024) one would expect to be in store for quite an experience. However this film offers very little that is new from previous efforts like Edward Bernds's WORLD WITHOUT END (1956) and fails to be particularly memorable or provide any genuine excitement.
This film's main weakness is its thin story line (the pilot soars into the future, is briefly taken prisoner by the existing society there and eventually escapes back to the present circa 1960) coupled with some ideas which have potential that is never successfully realized. Considering how dialogue heavy this movie is it has a strange inarticulate quality. Vague characters are introduced (a trio of captive scientists designated as "escapes" from Earth colonies on neighbouring planets who also accidentally travelled through time and miraculously ended up in the precise same era as the jet pilot) but the amount of exposition required to explain exactly who they are, where they came from and their role in this society of tomorrow renders them virtually incoherent to the viewer.
When the jet pilot resolves to return to the present (to warn the authorities about the cosmic radiation plague which will ravage the Earth of 1971 due to a depletion of the planet's protective atmospheric layers eroded by constant atomic weaponry testing) in traversing the time warp a second time he physically accelerates into an aged infirm yet he is still able to safely land his craft and recount his experience. While the sight of our now withered and wrinkled hero has some shock value it really serves no purpose since the pilot's mind remains unimpaired and he is able to alert his superiors at the air base hospital of the impending calamity that awaits mankind. Had he been unable to do so it would have effectively given some tragic irony to the story.
The film's one bright moment occurs when the pilot (after penetrating the barrier of time) touches down his craft at the site of his former air base and explores the now bleak and desolate landscape only to find everything in ruins and in a state of total disuse. Some effort is made to show the exterior of the futuristic city complex encountered by the pilot in a series of interesting drawings (coupled with a superimposed animated glow effect) and the surrealistic styling of the city complex's geometrically designed interiors have the proper out-of-this-world look to them. The sequences of the jet aircraft time travelling through the star-filled heavens are passable and Darrell Calker's competent orchestrations easily transcend this movie's shaky dramatics and ponderous events the music was designed to underscore.
If seen as a curio of 1950's sci-fi cinema BEYOND THE TIME BARRIER might hold some interest for the inquisitive or have some special appeal for hard core devotees of director Edgar G. Ulmer's work but this misfire effort will doubtlessly leave the more objective and discerning viewer with complete indifference and boredom. Had the script been more capably handled the result might have been some minor masterpiece and a more fitting epitaph to an underrated and much neglected talent.
With such an engaging title as BEYOND THE TIME BARRIER and the promising premise of an intrepid jet pilot traversing through the stratosphere with his supersonic aircraft into the far-flung future (2024) one would expect to be in store for quite an experience. However this film offers very little that is new from previous efforts like Edward Bernds's WORLD WITHOUT END (1956) and fails to be particularly memorable or provide any genuine excitement.
This film's main weakness is its thin story line (the pilot soars into the future, is briefly taken prisoner by the existing society there and eventually escapes back to the present circa 1960) coupled with some ideas which have potential that is never successfully realized. Considering how dialogue heavy this movie is it has a strange inarticulate quality. Vague characters are introduced (a trio of captive scientists designated as "escapes" from Earth colonies on neighbouring planets who also accidentally travelled through time and miraculously ended up in the precise same era as the jet pilot) but the amount of exposition required to explain exactly who they are, where they came from and their role in this society of tomorrow renders them virtually incoherent to the viewer.
When the jet pilot resolves to return to the present (to warn the authorities about the cosmic radiation plague which will ravage the Earth of 1971 due to a depletion of the planet's protective atmospheric layers eroded by constant atomic weaponry testing) in traversing the time warp a second time he physically accelerates into an aged infirm yet he is still able to safely land his craft and recount his experience. While the sight of our now withered and wrinkled hero has some shock value it really serves no purpose since the pilot's mind remains unimpaired and he is able to alert his superiors at the air base hospital of the impending calamity that awaits mankind. Had he been unable to do so it would have effectively given some tragic irony to the story.
The film's one bright moment occurs when the pilot (after penetrating the barrier of time) touches down his craft at the site of his former air base and explores the now bleak and desolate landscape only to find everything in ruins and in a state of total disuse. Some effort is made to show the exterior of the futuristic city complex encountered by the pilot in a series of interesting drawings (coupled with a superimposed animated glow effect) and the surrealistic styling of the city complex's geometrically designed interiors have the proper out-of-this-world look to them. The sequences of the jet aircraft time travelling through the star-filled heavens are passable and Darrell Calker's competent orchestrations easily transcend this movie's shaky dramatics and ponderous events the music was designed to underscore.
If seen as a curio of 1950's sci-fi cinema BEYOND THE TIME BARRIER might hold some interest for the inquisitive or have some special appeal for hard core devotees of director Edgar G. Ulmer's work but this misfire effort will doubtlessly leave the more objective and discerning viewer with complete indifference and boredom. Had the script been more capably handled the result might have been some minor masterpiece and a more fitting epitaph to an underrated and much neglected talent.
Better-than-average
ebeckstr-130 January 2019
Better-than-average low-budget science-fiction from that era. Edgar Ulmer makes the most of inventive sets, some interesting low camera angles, some moments in which mid-ground objects such as pillars intercede between foreground and background during tracking shots...not the kind of effort one usually sees in movies of this kind. The whole film comes off as sincere - maybe more like 6.5 stars, but I'm rounding it up for the effort.
The acting is mixed, with some of the cast turning in competent performances, and two or three others about on par with some of Bela lugosi's most stilted performances. The story, if not original, is well-paced. What really sets this film apart from similar low-budget affairs are the aforementioned sets and camera work, and especially the unexpectedly ambiguous, perhaps even somewhat dark, conclusion of the film, which seems surprisingly in keeping with some of Ulmer's other work.
Fans of 1950s and 60s science-fiction, or of time travel flicks, should take a look.
The acting is mixed, with some of the cast turning in competent performances, and two or three others about on par with some of Bela lugosi's most stilted performances. The story, if not original, is well-paced. What really sets this film apart from similar low-budget affairs are the aforementioned sets and camera work, and especially the unexpectedly ambiguous, perhaps even somewhat dark, conclusion of the film, which seems surprisingly in keeping with some of Ulmer's other work.
Fans of 1950s and 60s science-fiction, or of time travel flicks, should take a look.
A tarnished gem of 1960 Hollywood sci-fi
Kev11sky31 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
There's a lot to hate about this movie -- the cheap FX (e.g. the Flash Gordon models once the "X-80" reaches space); the scientific flaws; the inexplicable plot holes at some points...
Also the futuristic sets seem to borrow heavily from preceding sci-fi hits -- "Forbidden Planet" especially, with all the triangular doors and passageways.
Still, I like this movie because it touches on so many themes or tropes that still exist in most science fiction movies (and books too, for that matter). It mixes and matches some of the best ideas from the Twilight Zone series... in fact, it's like watching an extended episode of TZ!
Examples of ideas:
Destruction of atmosphere (ozone?) -- in this case by nuclear tests
Discovery of hyperluminal/"faster than light" technology, leading to:
Colonization of Mars and Venus (briefly mentioned)
Future history (after 1960) which includes Russian and German scientists
Mutation from radiation (in this movie, cosmic rays)... leading to loss of hearing (the "deaf-mutes") and sterility... deformities are suggested but not seen
Surveillance by a Supreme authority (cameras watching everything)
Telepathy (apparently only the girl "Trirene" has it?)
Time travel (obviously!) -- but no mention of the Grandfather Paradox if the protagonist goes backwards in time in order to change the future
Underground "citadel" for protection from "cosmic plague" as well as from the:
Zombie-like savage mutants on the surface, or kept below in a dungeon
And probably many other concepts as well... many of these ideas are part of every modern Hollywood sci-fi movie.
P.S. The scene where Trirene swims (naked?) in a pool is obviously borrowed from "Forbidden Planet"...
Also the futuristic sets seem to borrow heavily from preceding sci-fi hits -- "Forbidden Planet" especially, with all the triangular doors and passageways.
Still, I like this movie because it touches on so many themes or tropes that still exist in most science fiction movies (and books too, for that matter). It mixes and matches some of the best ideas from the Twilight Zone series... in fact, it's like watching an extended episode of TZ!
Examples of ideas:
Destruction of atmosphere (ozone?) -- in this case by nuclear tests
Discovery of hyperluminal/"faster than light" technology, leading to:
Colonization of Mars and Venus (briefly mentioned)
Future history (after 1960) which includes Russian and German scientists
Mutation from radiation (in this movie, cosmic rays)... leading to loss of hearing (the "deaf-mutes") and sterility... deformities are suggested but not seen
Surveillance by a Supreme authority (cameras watching everything)
Telepathy (apparently only the girl "Trirene" has it?)
Time travel (obviously!) -- but no mention of the Grandfather Paradox if the protagonist goes backwards in time in order to change the future
Underground "citadel" for protection from "cosmic plague" as well as from the:
Zombie-like savage mutants on the surface, or kept below in a dungeon
And probably many other concepts as well... many of these ideas are part of every modern Hollywood sci-fi movie.
P.S. The scene where Trirene swims (naked?) in a pool is obviously borrowed from "Forbidden Planet"...
The Citadel of Progress.
copper19637 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Here we go again! Major William Allison (Robert Clarke), our reluctant hero (Is there any other kind in this type of cinema?), has reached the speed of light in his sonic-busting jet, shattered it, and has found himself on the other side of the time barrier. No small feat. But when he returns to his home base of operations, he finds it lifeless and ravaged by time. Little would he know how ravaged and by how much time. Also, as he will later find out, a victim of a nuclear conflict. Whew! That's a lot to swallow in one afternoon. Major Allison has definitely seen better days. He is then zapped by a paralyzing ray (a lavish matte shot) emanating from a futuristic metropolis and nestled next to a city in smithereens. Major Allison now finds himself hauled off--against his will--to an underground lodging facility. The Citadel, as the locals refer to it, is inhabited by a race of humans cowering in fear from the radiation scarred mutants living above. The city has a triangle motif everywhere: doorways, hallways, video screens, etc. Labeled a "'scape," an outsider, by both the mutants and tunnel dwellers, Allison finds solace and comfort in the arms of the super lovely Darlene Thomkins. She plays a deaf mute who remains the only fertile female within screaming distance. Or so says her father, "The Supreme." We know where this is going--don't we? Allison meets several other "'scapes," scientists from his future, who have other ideas on how he should spend his time: less time with the horny chick and more time seeking a return to his own time. Scientists are never any fun. In the end, the film is a cautionary tale against the arms race. I think it works well enough to be called a minor classic. If not--the mute female in the short skirt should suffice. For now.
Not half bad
Woodyanders8 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
U.S. Air Force test pilot Major William Allison (a solid and convincing performance by Robert Clarke) crashes through the time barrier into the grim future of 2024, which is inhabited by the last remnants of the human race in the wake of a lethal plague that decimated most of the earth's population in 1971. Director Edgar G. Ulmer, working from an overly talky, yet still interesting script by Arthur C. Pierce, relates the compelling premise at a reasonably steady pace, offers several haunting images of the desolate empty landscape at the start, and maintains a serious brooding tone throughout. Alas, this movie does get bogged down in too much dull dialogue, but fortunately kicks back to life at the exciting climax and concludes on an intriguing ambivalent note. The sound acting by an able cast keeps the picture on track: The fetching Darlene Tompkins projects a disarmingly sweet charm as the lovely Princess Trirene, Vladimir Sokoloff registers well as wise and kindly leader The Supreme, John Van Dreelen likewise excels as the shrewd Dr. Bourman, and Ulmer's daughter Arianne has a deliciously wicked ball with her juicy role as the snippy and shifty Captain Markova. Meredith M. Nicholson's crisp black and white cinematography boasts plenty of snazzy cutaways. Darrell Calker's robust score does the rousing trick. The hokey (not so) special effects possess a certain lovably rinky-dink appeal. Recommended viewing for sci-fi aficionados.
There Were So Many Cute Girls
Hitchcoc12 June 2015
The Earth has a fertility problem. Due to some sort of plague, most of the inhabitants are about to die off. Apparently among all those slinky young women in their short skirts, there is only one who needs to mate and continue the race. Most of the people in the future are deaf mutes but they are able to use telepathy. There are a group of scientists who are trying to figure out how to return to an earlier time and stop the plague. Robert Clarke is an astronaut who has somehow gone through a time warp and finds himself in the enviable position of stud muffin. The rest are slowly mutating into bald people who are very dangerous. Also, poor Robert wants to return and change things in the past, but there are leaders who see him as the only hope here and now. Anyway, the whole thing is dull and silly. The ending does have a bit of creativity.
For Sci-Fi Buffs Only
Michael_Elliott11 August 2012
Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)
** (out of 4)
Sci-fi has a military test pilot (Robert Clarke) goes into flight during 1960 and moments later he lands his spaceship in a strange land. After walking around for a bit he's finally taken captive by a group of people who don't make much sense to him but before long he realizes that his little trip actually sent him through a time barrier and he landed sixty-four years after taking off. The world has been destroyed due to a plague so he tries to get back in time to prevent it. This is an ultra low-budget movie that has a few ideas going for it but unfortunately there's not too much that can be done in regards to the science fiction because the budget didn't allow for it. The "future" city looks just like any abandoned city of 1960 and there special effects just aren't all that convincing. Fans of Edgar G. Ulmer will probably say that his keen eye manages to take the low budget and do more with it than most would. I'll buy that to a certain level but there's still no question that the majority of the film is dialogue scenes that really just talk about stuff instead of us ever actually getting to see it. I thought Clarke was good in his leading role as the pilot turned hero. Clarke is always fun to see in these low-budget movies and he does a nice job with the part. Darlene Tompkins plays the love interest, a princess in the future and she too is good. Vladimir Sokoloff plays "The Supreme" and isn't too bad. Universal horror fans will be happy to see Jack Pearce's name pop up in the credits for the special effects. There's talk of mutants in the film but sadly those hoping to see the make-up legends work on them will be disappointed because they're just normal people in bald caps. Pearce does get to do a little make-up at the end but I won't reveal with what as it will give away a major plot twist. This twist is actually pretty good and I think the final five-minutes are actually quite effective.
** (out of 4)
Sci-fi has a military test pilot (Robert Clarke) goes into flight during 1960 and moments later he lands his spaceship in a strange land. After walking around for a bit he's finally taken captive by a group of people who don't make much sense to him but before long he realizes that his little trip actually sent him through a time barrier and he landed sixty-four years after taking off. The world has been destroyed due to a plague so he tries to get back in time to prevent it. This is an ultra low-budget movie that has a few ideas going for it but unfortunately there's not too much that can be done in regards to the science fiction because the budget didn't allow for it. The "future" city looks just like any abandoned city of 1960 and there special effects just aren't all that convincing. Fans of Edgar G. Ulmer will probably say that his keen eye manages to take the low budget and do more with it than most would. I'll buy that to a certain level but there's still no question that the majority of the film is dialogue scenes that really just talk about stuff instead of us ever actually getting to see it. I thought Clarke was good in his leading role as the pilot turned hero. Clarke is always fun to see in these low-budget movies and he does a nice job with the part. Darlene Tompkins plays the love interest, a princess in the future and she too is good. Vladimir Sokoloff plays "The Supreme" and isn't too bad. Universal horror fans will be happy to see Jack Pearce's name pop up in the credits for the special effects. There's talk of mutants in the film but sadly those hoping to see the make-up legends work on them will be disappointed because they're just normal people in bald caps. Pearce does get to do a little make-up at the end but I won't reveal with what as it will give away a major plot twist. This twist is actually pretty good and I think the final five-minutes are actually quite effective.
OK, bargain-basement time-travel yarn
jamesrupert20146 January 2020
Major Allison, a test-pilot (Robert Clarke) in an experimental jet lands only to find himself far in the future (2024) on a ruined Earth inhabited by mutants and a handful of other time travellers. The film is an earnest attempt at presenting thoughtful, 'hard' science fiction on a limited budget and succeeds in a modest way. The triangle-themed sets (and complementary optical wipes) are reasonably effective and the detailed story is spelled out in numerous exposition scenes (unfortunately at the expense of action). The plot doesn't make much sense and the 'science' explaining Allison's time travel is ridiculous and not even internally consistent (flying the in opposite direction would only reverse the tiny contribution the jet made to the velocity that propelled him 'beyond the time barrier'). Other than the sets, the special effects are pretty dire, with a simple double exposure depicting the time travel event (an image that doesn't really match the explanation Allison is later given) and a destroyed cityscape greeting the time-travelling Major when he first arrives that is an obvious drawing (and in which no attempt was made to match the image to the live action setting). The cast is sufficient for the material and Darlene Tompkins makes for a cute deaf-mute 'hope for the future'. The 'surprise' ending doesn't make any sense but the make-up (by Jack Pierce) is quite good. One of a number of time-travel films from the period, 'Beyond the Time Barrier' is far from a great film but worth watching for fans of the 50's science fiction films and is a welcome diversion from the big bugs, monsters, and nasty aliens that dominated the genre at the time.
Low Budget but a Good Watch
peterfmodel9 March 2019
The acting is suspect, the special effects very average and the general feel of the movie is very low budget, but its a surprisingly entertaining watch. The end is a bit muddled, but effective nonetheless. I think it was trying to copy the invasion of the body snatchers end and it did a good job.
Beyond the Time Barrier
CinemaSerf4 November 2022
Robert Clarke is test pilot "Maj. Allison" who finds himself propelled through time to the year 2024. His airbase is somewhat different though. It turns out that the world has been hit by an epidemic that has sterilised mankind. Needless to say, those that have survived see him as a bit of a commodity - not least the "Princess Trirene" (Darlene Tompkins) who is the daughter of the suspicious "Supreme" (a sort of "Ming" character, without the costume, played by Vladimir Sokoloff). Anyway, becoming aware of his predicament, our young airman has to figure out a way of returning to the 1960s before he finds himself used in a way that would make his (and the censors') eyes water. Can he make it back - and, of course, what of the space-time continuum? The story is actually quite fun, and it passes 1¼ hours easily enough but aim low here. The acting is stilted and delivers an equally pedestrian dialogue in as staccato fashion as you will ever see. The scenarios - cardboard and papier-mâché for the most part are just a bit too obvious to offer any semblance of being outdoor, let alone realistic but that is what happened with these low/no budget afternoon features. Watchable and entertaining, - well yes, but not perhaps in the way envisaged by Ed Ulmer!
Only seven years into our future, but 46 years past zero hour.
mark.waltz17 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The earth is covered with mutants, at least all those outdoors a special compound. It's 2024, and a routine flight for air force officer Robert Clarke has him traveling 64 years in a matter of less than an hour. Now, he must find a way to live in this scary new world, not the last man on earth, not the Omega man, and not "I am Survivor". This is a very clever science fiction tale of how man's exploration into space destroyed the world he knew. Gee, seems like man can't have anything nice without intentionally turning it into something destructive.
An interesting use of "What if" has Clarke trying to head back to his time, a la what happened to Kim hunter and Roddy McDowall when they "Escaped the Planet of the Apes". While this obvious drive-in movie makes some very good points, who really was analyzing that back in 1960? It's in retrospective that this has more of an impact as we look past the space exploration of the period after this and the two shuttle tragedies.
There's also political irony with obvious Russians living in the complex, located smack in the middle of what used to be the good old U.S.A. Do we learn from movies like this as warnings, or do we poo-poo their ideals and continue on destructive patterns? The post nuclear age brought out many message films like this, but one thing is obvious: we can't continue to exploit the earth as we have done and expect it to survive.
An interesting use of "What if" has Clarke trying to head back to his time, a la what happened to Kim hunter and Roddy McDowall when they "Escaped the Planet of the Apes". While this obvious drive-in movie makes some very good points, who really was analyzing that back in 1960? It's in retrospective that this has more of an impact as we look past the space exploration of the period after this and the two shuttle tragedies.
There's also political irony with obvious Russians living in the complex, located smack in the middle of what used to be the good old U.S.A. Do we learn from movies like this as warnings, or do we poo-poo their ideals and continue on destructive patterns? The post nuclear age brought out many message films like this, but one thing is obvious: we can't continue to exploit the earth as we have done and expect it to survive.
"You're the last hope for this society!"
classicsoncall7 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
If only I had waited about six more months, I could have watched this film in real time in 2024! Had I seen it back in 1960 when it was first released, I might have suffered irreparable brain damage from the goofy story and minimalist special effects. However, I do enjoy the quasi-scientific gobbledygook screen writers used to come up with in these old-time sci-fi flicks. This one had the future Earth's atmosphere poisoned by cosmic radiation emanating from outer space causing a plague that wiped out most of humanity in 1971. That would have been two years after the first moon landing, the Mets winning the World Series, and Woodstock, so all was not lost. Some sort of relativity paradox forced Major William Allison's (Robert Clarke) experimental X-80 rocket ship sixty-five years into the future, landing him right back where he started from at the Sands Control Air Force Base. From there though, it's hard to determine who the good guys and bad guys were, although the presence of pretty, mind reading Princess Trirene (Darlene Tompkins) tipped the scales to the Master Supreme's (Vladimir Sokoloff) side. After that, it boiled down to a ridiculous barrage of events that freed a bunch of bald-headed mutants from captivity and Trirene accidentally getting shot by a loopy scientist. As expected though, Major Allison was able to return to 1960 using the same space trajectory in reverse with the old X-80. So, let's see, if he originally went into space at the tender age of twenty-five (actor Clarke was forty), he would have returned at the ripe old age of ninety. And he didn't look a day over eighty-nine!
Better Than Average Sci-Fi
arthur_tafero9 August 2018
This film had a small budget; but it produced a fine atmosphere of futuristic gloom; especially with the black and white photography. The B actors all did a fine job, but the real star is the script and storyline; which I would classify as an A effort. A test pilot goes into the future by accident and arrives in the year 2024 (not too far from now lol), but in 1960, people were far more optimistic about space travel. They thought we would have colonies on the moon and Mars. Nope. We have chosen to wisely spend our money on national defense, instead. I really liked the twist ending which I will not reveal. Well worth watching.
Cheese
gavin694229 January 2015
In 1960, a military test pilot (Robert Clarke) is caught in a time warp that propels him to year 2024 where he finds a plague has sterilized the world's population.
A budding star, Darlene Tompkins, appears as the future's princess. The following year she appeared in "Blue Hawaii" with Elvis Presley. Unfortunately, her pursuit of acting was interrupted by the start of a family.
Much of the film is cheesy, and many of the sets are very simple, but it is worth noting that the makeup was created by Jack Pierce. Tompkins recalled that Pierce on set was "very, very serious, and so glad that he was working... He really loved it, he gave me the impression that this was the most important thing that there was, that this was so phenomenally important to him." Tompkins also recalled that, at least with her, Robert Clarke acted as director and Edgar Ulmer kept very much to himself. With many of her scenes involving a romance with Clarke, perhaps this direction should not be surprising.
What makes the plot interesting is that there is a Cold War theme, but oddly the plot specifies that the (upcoming) moon landing would end it. This is one of the few films that actually seems optimistic. Of course, this optimism is somewhat negated by the impending plague.
Sadly, the Netflix version is really choppy, as though they only had every other frame. Can we get a crisp, new version, perhaps with a Tom Weaver commentary?
A budding star, Darlene Tompkins, appears as the future's princess. The following year she appeared in "Blue Hawaii" with Elvis Presley. Unfortunately, her pursuit of acting was interrupted by the start of a family.
Much of the film is cheesy, and many of the sets are very simple, but it is worth noting that the makeup was created by Jack Pierce. Tompkins recalled that Pierce on set was "very, very serious, and so glad that he was working... He really loved it, he gave me the impression that this was the most important thing that there was, that this was so phenomenally important to him." Tompkins also recalled that, at least with her, Robert Clarke acted as director and Edgar Ulmer kept very much to himself. With many of her scenes involving a romance with Clarke, perhaps this direction should not be surprising.
What makes the plot interesting is that there is a Cold War theme, but oddly the plot specifies that the (upcoming) moon landing would end it. This is one of the few films that actually seems optimistic. Of course, this optimism is somewhat negated by the impending plague.
Sadly, the Netflix version is really choppy, as though they only had every other frame. Can we get a crisp, new version, perhaps with a Tom Weaver commentary?
Way above average in this time period's genre
otankgirl27 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
As someone who once watched this kind of movie on TV in the late 60's and early 70's, believe me, this example of old Sci-Fi is the cream of the crop. It moves along at a brisk pace, the sets are original and futuristic, it has sex appeal, and a number of interesting subplots. In fact, as an example of its class. I would rate this 10 out of 10. I read another review here that criticized the view of the city of the future, because it looked like a "postcard". This person must have been born in 1990. In movies of this kind, it is RARE to get a glimpse of the city of the future! It also gave us a view of the destroyed city next door. Wow, what a treat! The budget for this film must have been ABOVE average. Where did I see this movie? On YouTube, where the title caught my eye.
Dated, Low-Budget, Flawed, But Fascinating and Compelling Nonetheless
tabuno18 January 2019
25 November 2010. A prelude to a couple of television's original Outer Limit episodes, BEYOND THE TIME BARRIER for all its low-budget, fake looking special effects, subpar acting performances, comes across as an attempt at serious sci fi with elevated concepts and a flare for an fascinating effort of futuristic set design. The consistency of plot and the elements of both substantive sci fi drama, emotive relational interactions make this movie an above average depiction of a future world that would be replicated and copied by future sci fi movies, PLANET OF THE APES (1968), eight years later, and eerily BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES (1970). The same year that BEYOND THE TIME BARRIER was released THE TIME MACHINE came out that also had a similar theme and has since become a classic. Unfortunately for BEYOND THE TIME BARRIER, it is apparent that lack of serious support, directorial, budget, or time prohibited this movie from having a real chance at a much more compelling and credible depiction of the future. The storyline, the scientific rationalization, and even the more rounded and developed characters held out hope that this movie might have be a solid and memorable sci fi classic. Nevertheless, it failed to realize its potential.
Cool ol' scifi
schlagzeugplayer29 June 2020
Short and sweet...here ya go
Premise pretty cool.
Some cool sets and design.
The future is short skirts never a bad thing. Interesting scene: Trirene can read minds, reads his - " slap ", then she turns around w a big Cheshire cat smile.
Kind of cool twist for our hero.
Then a twist again for him.
So not bad at all. A cool unknown film from the past. Enjoy. Would love to see a remake.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
