On this post, I would like to talk to you about the H G Wells time machine film and other all-time classic time travel movies. Have you seen this one?
Where, when, and who?
The Time Machine is a film inspired by the H G Wells novel first published in 1895. One of the greatest adventure, fiction and romance movies – The Time Machine was released on the 17th August 1960 in the USA and was directed by George Pal.
The movie was filmed in Culver City in California and the budget was estimated at $750,000 dollars.
Rod Taylor played the role of Dr. George Wells and carried a great performance. Alan Young played the character and loyal friend David Filby and Yvette Mimieux was cast as Weena, the beautiful love attraction for George set in the future.
Sebastian Cabot, Tom Helmore, Whit Bissell also had small roles as well as Doris Lloyd as the wonderful and caring Mrs. Watchett.
This film was, and still is one the most touching time travel movies. Written by David Duncan and HG Wells, it was a wonderful success.Young and old to romantics and scientists, everybody could and can still find a small piece of themselves in this story.
The Time Machine movie was adapted to the modern days in 2002. Starring Guy Pearce as Dr. Alexander Hartdegen, with a few changes of course. The action takes place in New York and not in London and also a few new things added to the original story line. Alan Young plays also a came role in the new adaption of the film. it is an amazing story that stand the challenge of time. The new version was a real success and the new generation could enjoy it 😉 Not that you don’t enjoy a 60’s classical but in this way you cover all preferences:)
The Story
This is a beautiful story which awakes a lot of feelings if you watch it. The action takes place in a house in the old Victorian England.
On a cold winters day, four friends are invited for dinner by George, a young intelligent inventor. He is not there when his friends arrive and they start dinner without him. Mrs. Watchett, the housekeeper asks them to proceed with their meal as agreed previously with George should he not be there on time.
Tired, wounded and dirty, George appears and tells them what has happened since the New Years Eve night, one week ago when the met the last time
One week previous he showed them a small machine which could travel in time and went on to mention the concept of time and described the fourth dimension. He actually carries out an experiment on a small model before their eyes and the vehicle disappears but they still don’t believe him.
When all of them leave, Filby his best friend advises him to destroy the machine and to let it go. They are supposed to see each other again in a week’s time at George’s house for dinner.
George decides to use the machine and travels into the future. His first stop is in September 1917 where he meets his best friend’s son James Filby. He finds out that his friend Filby has died in the war. The United Kingdom is at war with Germany for 3 years already at this point in George’s journey.
George is very touched learning that Davis Filby believed in him after all and had asked to not sell the inventor ‘s house (now old and sealed off) because he will come back one day. He was really a good friend.
George continues his journey going forward in the future to June 1940. Another war is taking place but he stops only for a few seconds and continues his journey to 1966.
A nuclear explosion has destroyed everything and a volcano has erupted. Saving himself in the last second the young inventor starts the machine forward again but is covered by lava which cools down and traps him inside. George travels into the very distant future encased in rock as the years pass by.
The time machine stops on October 802 701, where he discovers a strange civilization formed only of young people – The Eloi. George is surprised when a girl is drowning and nobody tries to save her. This civilization does not show any feelings and they continue to dance and play while the girl struggles for survival in the river. George finally takes it upon himself to save the girl.
George goes on to find information about the Eloi but without any success. All the books are so old that everything turns to dust when touched. The people in this civilization do not have any interests or knowledge – they are like small children.
‘Actually, in the original novel of H.G Wells, the civilizations are in fact all small children’.
Angry, George decides to go back to his own time as he is hurt by the idea that hundreds of years of work and knowledge became dust. He returns to the location where the time machine stands but it is not there. Somebody dragged it into a sphinx building behind doors and he is unable to gain access.
Weena – the young woman who George saved from drowning had followed him and tells him to hide because the night was approaching along with the Morlocks. When a hideous creature tries to take Weena, George scares it with fire and he discovers later that this creature is a Morlock.
The night passes without any more incidents.
The next day Weena shows George the talking rings which describe the human evolution over the past centuries. He learns of a long nuclear war and about how the population has been divided between Elois and Morlocks.
Later, a siren begins to wail and Weena and her people walk like hypnotized towards the sphinx building, going inside one by one until the siren stops. Then the doors close and Weena is trapped inside.
George wants to save her and the others and he discovers that the Morlocks are cannibals and the Elois just their food; they are raised only to be a source of food for the Morlocks.
Finally, George gains entry to the caves and with the help of the Elois he destroys the Morlocks with fire. The entire area where the Morlocks lived is destroyed.
The following day George wants to come back to his time with Weena. While trying to take his machine, George is attacked by one of the survivors of the Morlocks and he uses the machine to come back to his own time leaving Weena behind.
After this adventure, George is just in time for dinner with his friends on the 5th January 1900 and tells them of his time travel adventure. Of course, they don’t believe him and his good friend Filby tells him again to destroy the machine.
After everybody leaves George uses his machine again and disappears into the future.
Filby and Mrs. Watchett noticed that the young inventor took with him three books and the viewer is left to think which books could be missing.
Did he take certain books to help the civilization in the future?
Cinema, DVD and Rewards
HG WELLS
The film was released to the cinema in 1960 and earned $1,610,000 in the USA and Canada, and $1, 000,000 in other countries. Its profit is estimated at $245,000 dollars.
The Time Machine was first released on DVD in 2000.
The H.G. Wells story was an inspiration for this very successful movie, rewarded with the Oscar prize in 1961 for best effects, special effects and was nominated for the Hugo Award for best dramatic presentation in the same year.
It was such a successful film that the director George Pal decides to make a sequel but unfortunately, he died before this became reality.
I wonder what he had in mind!
Funny Facts.Trivia
I am sure not everybody notices few details, I would not call them mistakes anyway…Are part of the film so, I will just say ..the funny part. For example, when George was traveling and he stops his time machine in 1966, we can see Filby’s Department Store and in its front window is a display showing ” The latest tubeless TV “. This TV Looks a lot like new modern flat panel televisions or computer monitors. How this?
If we take a closer look at the time machine, on the plaque on the control panel reads ” Manufactured By H. George Wells “, the writer’s name.
During the air rice scene, we can see a little girl crossing the street, when everybody is rushing to the shelter, and she stops to pick up something that she dropped. Again, if you look carefully you can see is a small woody woodpecker toy.
Did you know?
The remake of the film, in 2002, was directed by Simon Wells, H.G Wells great-grandson.H.G.Wells was the first to use the name “time machine”, and since then any vehicle which travels in time is called like this.
After Wells witnesses how the atomic bomb developed, how it can destroy the humanity, he wanted on his own epitaph should read “God damn you all, I told you so ” 🙂
When President Roosevelt read “The Time Machine” he was impressed by the class distinction and invited Wells in the Rose Garden to discuss the situation with him.
I hope you enjoyed this post for The Time Machine and of course, I will be covering a lot more films in the future but if you have any questions or there is something you would like to add just leave me a comment below.
Until next time.
Here you can find the links to DVD and books for Time Machine if you are interested 🙂
Thanks
Cristina
Click Below For Further Reading and Viewing
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- Time Travel Novels
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- Time Travel Movies
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- More Books And Stories
I would love to hear from all of you who are also interested in this subject. Movies? Science? Book? Literature?
Whatever your interest is, I would love to meet you.
Hi Cristina,
Thank you for this very informative article. You have a really engaging writing style and I honestly learned some things I never knew about HG Wells and his Time Machine Film.
I studied literature at University and I have actually never read his book (I know shame on me), but I am really into sci-fi and fantasy so I definitely will give it a go now, and watch the film.
Can’t wait to read some more of your articles around this topic.
Thanks again,
Jade.
thank you and i am sure you will enjoy it 🙂 is worth to be watch 🙂 very nice film. tell me your impresion after :))))
Hi Cristina,
I think I watched the 2002 remake – if I could say so. I just accidentally stumbled upon it on TV and really enjoyed it. Reading your article I now want to watch the original film – I like how actors used to play back then, there’s always something special in those films.
thank you and is a good choice 🙂 watch it :))) tell me your impresion :))
Hi Cristina,
Lovely site. I adored Rod Taylor – which is why I watched The Time Machine in the first place! It’s been awhile since I’ve seen it, but I do remember the story. I think they designed a fantastic time machine for the movie. Very old style. What did you think of the remake? I can’t say I was very fond of it, but I’m afraid that is my usual reaction to remakes.
Misti
hi there , if you are talk about the one with Guy Pierce( 2002) i think is good . i have just watched it 2 days ago and i love it ..is different from the original of HG wells . ok me i love everything about time travel so is my opinion :)))) but a lot of people think loke you, they prefer the first films :)) thank you
I too enjoy reading books and watching the films made based on those novels. It’s great that you created this review of the various versions and the historic awards won through the various means of telling this particular story.
Reading your review makes me want to set-up a movie night with the kids to watch this one.
Great Job and thanks!
ha ha 🙂 do it and you will have fun for sure . you will see more reviews soon and thank you
One of my all-time favorites. The remake may have been superior as far as special fx go, but I prefer the the HG Wells/George Pal/Rod Taylor version – hands down. I love the spinning rings in the library archives that recount the history of civilization after the end of the world. It’s been forever since I last saw the movie, but I still remember the line, “My name is of no consequence…”
I’m kinda glad George Pal never made a sequel to this. That’s what makes this such a powerful tome. It stands alone as one of the greatest classic sci-fi flicks of all time.
To be honest, me too I prefer the original > If it would be a sequel it looses its unique fragrance:)))I can see you really know the film and I am Glad. Here you will find more movies if you are interested about 🙂
I’ve seen this movie before and I loved it.
I don’t remember many parts of the story so I think I’ll have to see the movie again. I think that this time travel story, like many other stories involving time travel, it shows us where we’re going as a civilization. The part where the books are so old that they fall apart is definitely a reality we are heading towards.
yes you are definitely right:) from now the children are reading books less and less:)
Wow this brings back memories – I remember watching this on BBC 2 with my dad as about a 7 year year old ( early eighties I believe! ). Love the film and loved the book as well. Great review – it;s nice to see someone paying attention to the geek classics like this, love it ( bookmarked you! )
thank you :))) and because you will like classic:) as I do 🙂 I will make more reviews and show you some very beautiful, interesting movies:))) hope you will enjoy it:) Time travel movies was my favourite genre sice I was a child:))
I love this film.
I have seen it many times and the last time was just a couple of weeks ago.
I know it is somewhat outdated now when it comes to the special effects by today’s standards but this film really will stand the test of time.
I heard that there was going to be a second film released but unfortunately the director had passed away before it became a reality, a big shame!
Thanks for this trip into the past..
Great website!
Chris
welcome 🙂 I am glad that you enjoyed it 🙂
When we talk about classic… I like them and even now i found this movie exelent:) thank you
H G Wells is a great author and I have not seen the movie, yet. Sounds interesting though….time travel. You really did describe the movie well, making me want to see it. I suppose Netflix or Hulu would have it? I suppose I could buy the DVD on Amazon. Would love a link for the purchase of the movie 🙂 Your post was very informative and you did a great job of recapturing what the movie is about. Sounds very interesting!
you can find in u tube or to buy it on amazon :)) thanks for reading
I really have no idea how I have ever missed this story the book or the movies. I have read the war of the worlds and as far as I know that was really his most well known work.
But my mind is blown that somehow I missed this story. It sounds absolutely fascinating and it is quite mind boggling sometimes how close to some future events that people can predict….turns out people really are just violent little creatures arent we lol.
I am really curious if he would have even been able to bring her back with him. I mean I could only imagine how well she would have reacted in a place where she wasn’t being planned out as someones breakfast.
Honestly I wonder if he goes back to try and change the future or just to see if he can change the very end result. For example, does he ever try to keep his friend from dying in war? It makes you wonder what becomes important in the grand scheme of things when you can jump so forward into the future that your present and even your past really mean nothing.
My one complaint of course with most time machine concepts and this is no exception is that for some reason the time machine is always available for the person to make it back. I would have to imagine at some point they would be completely trapped and would need to then figure out how to adapt to a brand new civilization.
And just a random personal belief. If the technology existed to go forward in time I feel like you would need different technology to go back in time…unless of course you never go back past the original point you started at before going forward!
So keep up the work, I am very interested in more time traveling media.
Jean
I think he doesn’t do anything to change the future 🙂 not to create a paradox:) Thanks for reading and soon… more 🙂
Cristina,
I haven’t seen The Time Machine but according to you, it’s quite revolutionary, and a classic, at that.
I found it quite funny that their future is 1966, when it’s now our past. I’ll try to find and give this movie a try. 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Anh
i am sure you will really like it :)))) thanks for reading and wait your opinion for the movie
I read the novel but did not see the movie. Its a great classic by now. Do you know where I can find it?
After this there are not many movies with the character of H.G Wells in it. They have recently started a show about him in his younger years. The show is called”Time after Time” but it got cancelled after just 6 episodes. In the series he is friends with Jack the Ripper. They had so much material they could use. And of course his explanation about time-travel is quite believable unlike other shows. Don’t get me wrong I do like the time-travel shows for several reasons but not all of them explains the concept of time-travel well. I don’t know if you understand what I mean? Anyways H.G Wells Rocks!!!
wow I didn’t know about this show:) I should see it.Friend with jack the ripper?:))) why did they cancel it?Yes..H.G Wells always rocks:))) You can find the movie if you want to buy it on Amazon. Go to my shop and you can find many films:))You like the movies with scientific details, explanations? I think you have many choices:)
cristina
Hi Christina,
I’m a huge fan of old movies, especially sci-fi and comedies. The Time Machine still stands as one of favorites. Your description is a perfect summation of the details and I would like to see more behind-the-scenes facts and fun trivia about the cast, the making of the movie and H.G. Wells himself. I think it would add some intriguing content and attract more comments on your site. Keep up the good work!
Josh
Thanks for your advice and i will sure write a few things right now 🙂 i am glad that you enjoyed it and come back soon for more details:) have a nice day
Cristina
This movie had a very big impact on me. It is something I always use to dream of as a child. When something bad happened or I did something I regret, I always imagined travelling back in time to change or stop what had happened. I would think of what exactly i would change or what exactly i would do differently. Reading this article made me realise how much I have grown. It made me realise that learning from a mistake is a form of time travel 🙂
Such a nice point of view….I never see it this way…but yes ,learning from a mistake,it is a way of time travel. Would be nice if you could go back to change and to correct what we did wrong but unfortunately even if we could time travel id not allowed to change history because you will change the time line.
Yes, indeed is a very good film, i love it also. it is old but still new every time. It is a classic. Do you think you grown so much? If you thought again that would be nice to go back in time to correct your past…you are still the same and this is good . dreams and hopes should never die, should never be gone. Keep us young ,alive,
Thanks for visiting my site and see you soon.
Cristina