End of the World (1931 film)
Encyclopedia
End of the World is a 1931
science fiction film
directed by Abel Gance
based on the novel Omega: The Last Days of the World
by Camille Flammarion
. The film stars Victor Francen as Martial Novalic, Colette Darfeuil as Genevieve de Murcie, Abel Gance as Jean Novalic, and Jeanne Brindau as Madame Novalic. The plot concerns a comet
hurling toward Earth on a collision course and the different reactions to people on the impending disaster. Scientist Martial Novalic who discovers the comet, seeks a solution to the problem and becomes a fugitive after skeptical authorities blame him for starting a mass panic.
End of the World was director Abel Gance's first sound film
. The original film was to be over three hours long, but the backing production took the film from Gance, and cut it to be 105 minutes. It was again cut on its release in the United States under the title of Paris after Dark. Both abridged versions of the film were not well received by audiences or critics.
) playing Jesus Christ in a passion play
. Isabelle Bolin (Sylvie Grenade) attends with her boyfriend stock promoter Schomburg (Samson Fainsilber) who is entranced by the blonde actress playing Mary Magdalene, Genevieve de Murcie (Colette Darfeuil). Genevieve defies her scientist father Monsieur de Murcie (Jean d'Yd
) to propose to Jean, who tells her that they cannot marry. Back home, Genevieve's father, jealous of the wealthy Martial Novalic (Victor Francen
)'s fame, accepts money from Schomburg to build an observatory better than Novalic's. Schomburg then announces his intention to court de Murcie's daughter.
As Jean aids a young woman being abused, he is accused of rape and is critically wounded by a blow to the head. Schomburg accompanies Genevieve to a fancy party, but takes her back to her apartment and rapes her. In his observatory, Martial detects the Lexell's Comet
is on a collision course with Earth. Jean himself begins to predict a coming apocalypse, and claims that the cataclysm has arrived to "save the hearts of man". Martial confides to his colleagues that the comet will strike in 114 days. After Jean is taken to an asylum, Martial and Genevieve listen to his phonographs which instruct Genevieve to abandon her worldly life and help Martial inaugurate a new World Government. Jean's voice tells them they must marry and become the shepherd and shepherdess of humanity. Genevieve sees a vision of Jean as Christ.
With 92 days left, Schomburg invests heavily in armaments while Martial goes to the rich Werster and tells him that the world will end. Motivated to help, Werster deals with Schomburg and gives Martial money to buy a newspaper and a broadcast station. Genevieve has remained single but helps to organize Radio Martial Novalic's broadcasts of peace bulletins. Martial's confederates jam official radio news, blocking warnings that war mobilization is imminent. Martial announces the coming end of the world. Stock markets plunge around the globe but Schomburg continues to buy. De Murcie and Schomburg accuse Novalic of kidnapping Genevieve and using the Comet as a hoax to destroy the economy. A government minister orders the exchanges closed and the arrest of Martial and Werster. But Martial's agents learn of the arrest warrant with a hidden microphone. The newspaper is confiscated and the radio station destroyed, and Martial and Werster escape.
The government hides the truth which allows the stock market to recover. Schomberg holds a party the very night Martial claims that the Comet will become visible. Schomnberg tells gangsters he'll pay a million Francs if Martial and Werster are found dead before morning. Genevieve returns to her father and joins Schomburg in the garden; the jealous Isabelle runs to warn Martial Novalic. At the party, the comet comes into sight. Isabelle helps Martial escape and learns that war mobilization will soon be announced. He and Werster rush to destroy the government's radio antenna in the Eiffel Tower. Genvieve tips off Martial by telephone that Schomburg and his killers are ascending in an elevator. Werster warns Genevieve to stay on the ground and uses a cutting torch to sever the elevator cable, but Genevieve had taken the elevator as well and is killed with the rest.
The world can now see the Lexell's Comet
with their own eyes, and Radio Novalic resumes broadcasting. Martial calls for the first convention of the "General States of the Universe" on August 5, the night before the collision. People around the world begin to pray as the comet looms larger in the sky and extreme weather ensues including blizzards, storms, tidal waves. Riots break out and a thousand elite revelers bring musicians into a great hall for a feast and orgy. Monks carrying candles interrupt the orgy and lead the group in prayer. As the orbits of the Comet and the earth converge, Martial Novalic addresses the One World Congress, which unanimously agrees to unite all governments into a single harmonious entity. The Lexell's Comet
narrowly misses the earth. Much of the world has been reduced to rubble, but life will go on.
had mediated on the idea of End of the World since 1913 and after creating the film Napoleon in 1927, he convinced himself and backers to go forward with the project. Gance originally was going to title film The End of the World, as Seen, Heard and Rendered, by Abel Gance. Filming began in mid-1929 and was finished roughly a year later. The film had been edited to a running time of just over three hours. When the backers felt that the film was becoming far too long, they took production control away from Gance and cut the film to a shorter length.
in January 1931 under the title La Fin du monde at a rough length of 105 minutes and was never shown in the United States in this form. Although American
director Cecil B. DeMille
showed interest in purchasing the rights to the film, it was released in 1934 by American film distributor Harold Auten who trimmed the running time to 54 minutes in the fashion of various exploitation films of the time. Auten's version was re-titled Paris After Dark and included a new opening by Dr. Clyde Fisher discussing the scientific nature of the film. Auten version of the film removed most of the film's dialogue filling it with title cards and made the leading character Jean Novalic into a minor character who only has a few scenes in the background.
described it as "portentously naive" and "blatantly unrealistic". Director Abel Gance himself referred to the film as "an abortive work" ruined by the producer taking the film away from him so he could edit it himself.
The lack of success of End of the World forced Gance to turn to more conventional projects in order to continue work as a filmmaker.
1931 in film
-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
directed by Abel Gance
Abel Gance
Abel Gance was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. He is best known for three major silent films: J'accuse , La Roue , and the monumental Napoléon .-Early life:...
based on the novel Omega: The Last Days of the World
Omega: The Last Days of the World
Omega: The Last Days of the World is a science fiction novel published in 1894 by Camille Flammarion. ISBN 0-8032-6898-X.On 25th century Earth, a comet made mostly of Carbonic-Oxide could possibly collide with the Earth...
by Camille Flammarion
Camille Flammarion
Nicolas Camille Flammarion was a French astronomer and author. He was a prolific author of more than fifty titles, including popular science works about astronomy, several notable early science fiction novels, and several works about Spiritism and related topics. He also published the magazine...
. The film stars Victor Francen as Martial Novalic, Colette Darfeuil as Genevieve de Murcie, Abel Gance as Jean Novalic, and Jeanne Brindau as Madame Novalic. The plot concerns a comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
hurling toward Earth on a collision course and the different reactions to people on the impending disaster. Scientist Martial Novalic who discovers the comet, seeks a solution to the problem and becomes a fugitive after skeptical authorities blame him for starting a mass panic.
End of the World was director Abel Gance's first sound film
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
. The original film was to be over three hours long, but the backing production took the film from Gance, and cut it to be 105 minutes. It was again cut on its release in the United States under the title of Paris after Dark. Both abridged versions of the film were not well received by audiences or critics.
Plot
The film opens with Jean Novalic (Abel GanceAbel Gance
Abel Gance was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. He is best known for three major silent films: J'accuse , La Roue , and the monumental Napoléon .-Early life:...
) playing Jesus Christ in a passion play
Passion play
A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition....
. Isabelle Bolin (Sylvie Grenade) attends with her boyfriend stock promoter Schomburg (Samson Fainsilber) who is entranced by the blonde actress playing Mary Magdalene, Genevieve de Murcie (Colette Darfeuil). Genevieve defies her scientist father Monsieur de Murcie (Jean d'Yd
Jean d'Yd
Jean d'Yd was the stage name of Jean Paul Felix Didier Perret. He was a French actor and comedian, and was born in Paris in the on 17 May 1880...
) to propose to Jean, who tells her that they cannot marry. Back home, Genevieve's father, jealous of the wealthy Martial Novalic (Victor Francen
Victor Francen
Victor Francen , born Victor Franssens, was a Belgian-born actor with a long career in French cinema and in Hollywood....
)'s fame, accepts money from Schomburg to build an observatory better than Novalic's. Schomburg then announces his intention to court de Murcie's daughter.
As Jean aids a young woman being abused, he is accused of rape and is critically wounded by a blow to the head. Schomburg accompanies Genevieve to a fancy party, but takes her back to her apartment and rapes her. In his observatory, Martial detects the Lexell's Comet
Lexell's Comet
D/1770 L1, popularly known as Lexell's Comet after its orbit computer Anders Johan Lexell, was a comet discovered by astronomer Charles Messier in June 1770. It is notable for having passed closer to the Earth than any other comet in recorded history, approaching to a distance of only...
is on a collision course with Earth. Jean himself begins to predict a coming apocalypse, and claims that the cataclysm has arrived to "save the hearts of man". Martial confides to his colleagues that the comet will strike in 114 days. After Jean is taken to an asylum, Martial and Genevieve listen to his phonographs which instruct Genevieve to abandon her worldly life and help Martial inaugurate a new World Government. Jean's voice tells them they must marry and become the shepherd and shepherdess of humanity. Genevieve sees a vision of Jean as Christ.
With 92 days left, Schomburg invests heavily in armaments while Martial goes to the rich Werster and tells him that the world will end. Motivated to help, Werster deals with Schomburg and gives Martial money to buy a newspaper and a broadcast station. Genevieve has remained single but helps to organize Radio Martial Novalic's broadcasts of peace bulletins. Martial's confederates jam official radio news, blocking warnings that war mobilization is imminent. Martial announces the coming end of the world. Stock markets plunge around the globe but Schomburg continues to buy. De Murcie and Schomburg accuse Novalic of kidnapping Genevieve and using the Comet as a hoax to destroy the economy. A government minister orders the exchanges closed and the arrest of Martial and Werster. But Martial's agents learn of the arrest warrant with a hidden microphone. The newspaper is confiscated and the radio station destroyed, and Martial and Werster escape.
The government hides the truth which allows the stock market to recover. Schomberg holds a party the very night Martial claims that the Comet will become visible. Schomnberg tells gangsters he'll pay a million Francs if Martial and Werster are found dead before morning. Genevieve returns to her father and joins Schomburg in the garden; the jealous Isabelle runs to warn Martial Novalic. At the party, the comet comes into sight. Isabelle helps Martial escape and learns that war mobilization will soon be announced. He and Werster rush to destroy the government's radio antenna in the Eiffel Tower. Genvieve tips off Martial by telephone that Schomburg and his killers are ascending in an elevator. Werster warns Genevieve to stay on the ground and uses a cutting torch to sever the elevator cable, but Genevieve had taken the elevator as well and is killed with the rest.
The world can now see the Lexell's Comet
Lexell's Comet
D/1770 L1, popularly known as Lexell's Comet after its orbit computer Anders Johan Lexell, was a comet discovered by astronomer Charles Messier in June 1770. It is notable for having passed closer to the Earth than any other comet in recorded history, approaching to a distance of only...
with their own eyes, and Radio Novalic resumes broadcasting. Martial calls for the first convention of the "General States of the Universe" on August 5, the night before the collision. People around the world begin to pray as the comet looms larger in the sky and extreme weather ensues including blizzards, storms, tidal waves. Riots break out and a thousand elite revelers bring musicians into a great hall for a feast and orgy. Monks carrying candles interrupt the orgy and lead the group in prayer. As the orbits of the Comet and the earth converge, Martial Novalic addresses the One World Congress, which unanimously agrees to unite all governments into a single harmonious entity. The Lexell's Comet
Lexell's Comet
D/1770 L1, popularly known as Lexell's Comet after its orbit computer Anders Johan Lexell, was a comet discovered by astronomer Charles Messier in June 1770. It is notable for having passed closer to the Earth than any other comet in recorded history, approaching to a distance of only...
narrowly misses the earth. Much of the world has been reduced to rubble, but life will go on.
Production
Director Abel GanceAbel Gance
Abel Gance was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. He is best known for three major silent films: J'accuse , La Roue , and the monumental Napoléon .-Early life:...
had mediated on the idea of End of the World since 1913 and after creating the film Napoleon in 1927, he convinced himself and backers to go forward with the project. Gance originally was going to title film The End of the World, as Seen, Heard and Rendered, by Abel Gance. Filming began in mid-1929 and was finished roughly a year later. The film had been edited to a running time of just over three hours. When the backers felt that the film was becoming far too long, they took production control away from Gance and cut the film to a shorter length.
Cast
- Abel GanceAbel GanceAbel Gance was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. He is best known for three major silent films: J'accuse , La Roue , and the monumental Napoléon .-Early life:...
- Jean Novalic - Colette Darfeuil - Genevieve de Murcie
- Sylvie Gance - Isabelle Bolin (as Sylvie Grenade)
- Jeanne Brindeau - Mme. Novalic
- Samson Fainsilber - Schomburg
- Georges ColinGeorges Colin-Selected filmography:* The Kiddies in the Ruins * End of the World * Street of Shadows * The Count of Monte Cristo...
- Werster - Jean d'YdJean d'YdJean d'Yd was the stage name of Jean Paul Felix Didier Perret. He was a French actor and comedian, and was born in Paris in the on 17 May 1880...
- M. de Murcie - Victor FrancenVictor FrancenVictor Francen , born Victor Franssens, was a Belgian-born actor with a long career in French cinema and in Hollywood....
- Martial Novalic
Release
The film was released in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in January 1931 under the title La Fin du monde at a rough length of 105 minutes and was never shown in the United States in this form. Although American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
director Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
showed interest in purchasing the rights to the film, it was released in 1934 by American film distributor Harold Auten who trimmed the running time to 54 minutes in the fashion of various exploitation films of the time. Auten's version was re-titled Paris After Dark and included a new opening by Dr. Clyde Fisher discussing the scientific nature of the film. Auten version of the film removed most of the film's dialogue filling it with title cards and made the leading character Jean Novalic into a minor character who only has a few scenes in the background.
Reception
The film received a disastrous reception from audiences and critics alike. Contemporary critic Philippe SoupaultPhilippe Soupault
Philippe Soupault was a French writer and poet, novelist, critic, and political activist. He was active in Dadaism and later founded the Surrealist movement with André Breton...
described it as "portentously naive" and "blatantly unrealistic". Director Abel Gance himself referred to the film as "an abortive work" ruined by the producer taking the film away from him so he could edit it himself.
The lack of success of End of the World forced Gance to turn to more conventional projects in order to continue work as a filmmaker.