The Time Machine: HG Wells’ Legacy in 1960s Sci-Fi
As always there are spoilers ahead!
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HG Wells shadow is a long one and his seminal work on time travel was published in 1895. But well over a half a century later Hollywood was still hooked on Herbert (George Wells). The Time Machine was directed by George Pal and released 1960. From the turn of the century to the beginning of a new decade my amazing guests break down the themes and influences on this mid-century steampunk precursor.
Keith Williams is a Reader in English Literature at the University of Dundee where he runs the science fiction programme. He has a special interest in the pre 1945 period and is the author of the book H.G. Wells, Modernity and the Movies.
Ian Scott is a Professor of American Film and History at The University of Manchester. He has written extensively about politics and film in Hollywood.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:39 HG Wells in 1985: the book and the birth of cinema
05:37 1960s USA: the cusp of a new age
10:02 The influences on Wells: Thomas Henry Huxley and William Morris
17:21 James Bond: Rod Taylor’s missed opportunity
19:08 Time travel: the time machine, mannequins and the BBC
27:57 The far-flung future: evolution, class and nuclear war
35:32 Fritz Lang, Metropolis, and the death of flower power
39:24 The Legacy
47:09 Recommendations for the listener
NEXT EPISODE!
Next week I will be discussing the Eastern Block with brainy experts and discussing one of the first sci-fi films from the region Der schweigende Stern, AKA The Silent Star from 1960.
It was also re-edited and released as The First Spaceship on Venus. You may like to watch the MST3K version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVmgb3jEimQ
If you are in the USA and have a public library card you should be able to find the film on Kanopy: https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/116646
The film is available to rent online depending on your region. Just Watch should be able to help.
If you felt very committed you could also buy this DVD collection of DEFA sci-fi which includes writing and interviews with the amazing Sonja Fritzsche, Evan Torner and Mark Bould: https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/strange-new-worlds-science-fiction-at-defa/
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*
The Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* podcast looks back at more than a century of films, beginning in 1902 and working towards the future. Each episode focuses on a film, director or theme and brings in experts to discuss the history, politics, and influences. Join sci-fi enthusiast Ayesha Khan as she travels through time and space, encounters aliens, and battles authoritarian regimes all from the comfort of your home planet. Released every two weeks*Almost Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- No. of episodes: 40
- Latest episode: 2025-07-19
- Society & Culture TV & Film Film History
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