The World, the Flesh and the Devil: Harry Belafonte, Race and Apocalypse

Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*

As usual there are spoilers ahead!

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Please be aware that we touch upon sexual assault in this episode due to the content of the film.

Description

USA in 1959 was on the brink of a decade that would see major changes in the country in terms of race. But never without opposition. It was also the year in which Harry Belafonte, at the peak of his fame, would star in The World, the Flesh and the Devil.

The film centres Belafonte’s character, Ralph Burton, as the last man on earth. A Black man at a time when the country was wrangling with desegregation. Ralph is joined by Sarah and Ben: White survivors who enter what was for a while his world. This episode focuses on race and racism and I am so lucky to have two amazing guests to help us put the plot and frustrations into context.

Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema.

Stéphanie Larrieux is the associate director of the Centre for the study of Race and Ethnicity at Brown University. She wrote about the World, The Flesh and the Devil as part of her PhD.

Chapters (times may vary slightly due to advertising!)

00:00 Introduction

01:07 Why is this film largely unknown?

03:10 Source material

10:05 Harry Belafonte

16:25 An empty Manhattan

18:53 The last man on earth

23:12 Double sight and racial panopticism

24:26 Cultured and capable

28:03 Sarah’s unnerving feet

31:31 The frustrations of this film

35:26 Free, white and 21: Ralph and Sarah’s relationship

39:25 The hair cutting scene

41:42 Ben comes to town: Mel Ferrer

45:31 The ending

47:09 Inger Stevens

48:29 Ben’s “idealism”

49:47 The title

50:28 Black protagonists in science fiction

53:36 Legacy

NEXT EPISODE!

Next episode we will be talking about On The Beach (1959) starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins.

You can visit Just Watch in your region to find out where you can watch this film although it seems to be easily available to rent or buy online.

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