The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959): Cast & Plot
The World, the Flesh and the Devil is a 1959 sci-fi drama directed by Ranald MacDougall, starring Harry Belafonte as Ralph Burton, Mel Ferrer and Inger Stevens. It runs 1 hour 35 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 35m (95 min)
- Director
- Ranald MacDougall
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- HarBel Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The World, the Flesh and the Devil About?
The premise of The World, the Flesh and the Devil without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Ralph Burton, a miner trapped by a cave‑in, finally escapes to discover a world wiped out by nuclear holocaust. He reaches a deserted New York City, builds a routine, then encounters fellow survivor Sarah Crandall. Their fragile companionship is tested when Benson Thacker arrives by boat, igniting racial tension between the Black Burton and the white Thacker.
The World, the Flesh and the Devil Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- jealousy
- end of civilization
- last people on earth
- minimal cast
- male rivalry
- social conditioning
- sexual frustration
- love triangle
- manhattan new york city
- library
- movie theater
- convertible
+38 more Show fewer
- platonic relationship
- telephone
- telephone call
- geiger counter
- radio broadcast
- boat dock
- times square manhattan new york city
- birthday party
- end of the world scenario
- nuclear radiation
- interracial relationship
- sexual tension
- mannequin
- post nuclear
- three protagonists
- power generator
- book
- survivalist
- department store
- apartment building
- survivors
- breaking a window
- radio
- looking at oneself in a mirror
- pickup truck
- model train
- tape recording
- short wave radio
- singing
- astor hotel
- survival horror
- fishing boat
- hot wiring a car
- mine cave in
- disaster drama
- near future
- guitar player
- inspired by a novel
The World, the Flesh and the Devil Cast & Characters
Harry Belafonte leads the cast as Ralph Burton, with Mel Ferrer as Benson Thacker and Inger Stevens as Sarah Crandall. Directed by Ranald MacDougall.
- Director Ranald MacDougall
-
Harry Belafonte as Ralph Burton -
Mel Ferrer as Benson Thacker - Inger Stevens as Sarah Crandall
More from Ranald MacDougall
More films directed by Ranald MacDougall: The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County, Go Naked in the World, The Subterraneans and Man on Fire.
The World, the Flesh and the Devil Plot Summary
What happens in The World, the Flesh and the Devil from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Ralph Burton, a Black mine inspector, finds himself trapped underground when a collapse seals him in a Pennsylvania coal mine. For days he clings to life as the sound of distant pickaxes fades and the pumps that keep the shaft from flooding fall silent. He digs frantically, clawing his way toward the surface, only to emerge into a world stripped of all people, living or dead. What he discovers above ground comes alive in fragments of discarded newspapers that tell a chilling global story: a devastating radioactive cloud released into the atmosphere by an unknown nation, lethal for five days. The isotopes decay into harmless dust only after that window has closed, leaving humanity erased in an eerie silence.
Full summary
The whole story of The World, the Flesh and the Devil, scene by scene
The World, the Flesh and the Devil Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The World, the Flesh and the Devil.
How Well Do You Know The World, the Flesh and the Devil?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the Black mine inspector that emerges from the collapsed coal mine?
Seen The World, the Flesh and the Devil?
Movies Like The World, the Flesh and the Devil
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Day the World Ended, Last Woman on Earth and End of the World.
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Day the World Ended 1955 -
Last Woman on Earth 1960 -
End of the World 1977 -
The Quiet Earth 1985 -
World Without End 1956 -
2019: After the Fall of New York 1983 -
Friend of the World 2020 -
The Devil’s Tomb 2009 -
When Worlds Collide 1951 -
Not of This Earth 1957 -
Final Days of Planet Earth 2006 -
World Gone Wild 1987
The World, the Flesh and the Devil FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The World, the Flesh and the Devil, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The World, the Flesh and the Devil?
The World, the Flesh and the Devil runs 1 hour 35 minutes (95 minutes).
When was The World, the Flesh and the Devil released?
The World, the Flesh and the Devil was released on April 23, 1959.
Who directed The World, the Flesh and the Devil?
The World, the Flesh and the Devil was directed by Ranald MacDougall.
More films by Ranald MacDougall Who is in the cast of The World, the Flesh and the Devil?
The World, the Flesh and the Devil stars Harry Belafonte as Ralph Burton, Mel Ferrer as Benson Thacker and Inger Stevens as Sarah Crandall.
Does The World, the Flesh and the Devil have a post-credit scene?
No. The World, the Flesh and the Devil has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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