Tags
atomic bomb, Doomsday Clock, epic, faith, Hendrik van Loon, Hollywood, hope, hydrogen bomb, Irwin Allen, The Spirit of Man, The Story of Mankind, Vincent Price
“History is the mighty Tower of Experience, which Time has built amidst the endless fields of bygone ages. It is no easy task to reach the top of this ancient structure and get the benefit of the full view. There is no elevator, but young feet are strong and it can be done.” ~ Hendrik van Loon (forward from “The Story of Mankind”)
Would it surprise you to learn that Vincent Price once portrayed the Devil in a film? Probably not, I’m sure. After all, the Master of the Macabre forever endeared himself to us all by playing such devious characters as Roderick Usher in “House of Usher”; sadistic witch hunter Matthew Hopkins in “The Conqueror Worm“; and my personal favourite, the charming Frederick Loren in “The House on Haunted Hill“.
But when distinguished actor Vincent Price took on the role of the impeccably dressed, silver-tongued, debonair Devil himself in 1957, it was for a very different kind of picture.
Irwin Allen’s “The Story of Mankind” is based on the classic children’s book written by Hendrik Van Loon in 1921, and is a film unlike any other film I’ve ever seen. It was released November 8, 1957, and it boasts an impressive cast of Hollywood talent, or as this poster advertises, “The Biggest Star Cast Ever On One Screen!”. Continue reading