Countdown to Halloween – Day 1: The Story of Mankind (1957)

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Countdown to Halloween – Day 1: The Story of Mankind (1957)
Cast:        Vincent Price as The Devil
Ronald Colman as The Spirit of Man
Groucho Marx as Peter Minuit
Harpo Marx as Sir Isaac Newton
Chico Marx as The Monk
Virginia Mayo as Cleopatra
Peter Lorre as Nero

Based on the novel by Henrik Van Loon
Written by Irwin Allen & Charles Bennett
Directed by Irwin Allen

Release Date: October 1957

Plot: Mankind has invented a bomb capable of destroying Earth, so the Council of Elders in outer space puts mankind on trial to determine their fate. The Devil himself shows up as the prosecutor while an angel represents mankind. Will the human race survive?

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Richard’s Review: This film is full of stunt casting, most of which don’t work and end up making the film painful to watch at times. I loved Vincent Price’s role of the Devil, which is easily one of the best parts of this film. I also enjoyed Ronald Colman but the rest of the stars just appear to be phoning it in. Yes, I laughed at the Groucho segment and I loved seeing Harpo play the harp but they didn’t make any sense. And Chico’s role is forgettable at best. The story meanders about and it was too long, coming across as way too preachy at the end. Not surprising this movie was buried for years. I’ll probably revisit it again someday but not for quite a while.

Karla’s Thoughts: What a bizarre movie! I loved Vincent Price as the Devil and I really enjoyed Ronald Colman as the angel. I thought the overall premise was good but very uneven. Some segments were funny while others were painful to watch. I think regular actors might have been better but then you don’t have all of the recognizable faces. Groucho and Harpo’s roles were odd and didn’t really make sense but better than Chico, who is largely forgettable. The acting was also quite bad at times, especially in the Cleopatra and Joan of Arc segments. I don’t think I’d watch this one again.

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Trivia:

  • Irwin Allen created numerous sci-fi classic television shows, including Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964-1968) and Lost in Space (1965-1968). He also produced several disaster epics, such as The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and The Towering Inferno (1974).
  • Peter Lorre (Nero) is well known for his lead role in the chilling classic, M (1931), as well as Mad Love (1935) and the Mr. Moto series. He would work with Vincent Price again several times, including in Tales of Terror (1962) and The Raven (1963).
  • Agnes Moorehead (Queen Elizabeth I) would work with Vincent Price again in The Bat (1959) but is probably best remembered for her role as Endora in 254 episodes of Bewitched (1964-1972).
  • John Carradine (Pharaoh Khufu) also starred in countless horror and sci-fi classics, including as Count Dracula in House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945) and Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966).
  • Dennis Hopper (Napolean) also starred in Waterworld (1995), Land of the Dead (2005), Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) and Night Tide (1961).

Availability: Available on DVD as part of the Warner Archive Collection.

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