Beyond the Time Barrier

IMDb RATING

5.3/10

2.1K

YOUR RATING

Arianne Ulmer and Robert Clarke in Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)

In 1960, a military test pilot is caught in a time warp that propels him to year 2024 where he finds a plague has sterilized the world's population.

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Romance Sci-Fi

In 1960, a military test pilot is caught in a time warp that propels him to year 2024 where he finds a plague has sterilized the world's population.In 1960, a military test pilot is caught in a time warp that propels him to year 2024 where he finds a plague has sterilized the world's population.In 1960, a military test pilot is caught in a time warp that propels him to year 2024 where he finds a plague has sterilized the world's population.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.3/10

2.1K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Capt. Markova
(as Arianne Arden)

Vladimir Sokoloff

The Supreme

Stephen Bekassy

Gen. Karl Kruse

John Van Dreelen

Dr. Bourman
(as John van Dreelen)

Boyd 'Red' Morgan

Captain
(as Red Morgan)

Ken Knox

Col. Marty Martin

Don Flournoy

Mutant

Tom Ravick

Mutant

Neil Fletcher

Air Force Chief

Jack Herman

Dr. Richman

William Shephard

Gen. York
(as William Shapard)

James 'Ike' Altgens

Secretary Lloyd Patterson
(as James Altgens)

John Loughney

Gen. Lamont

Russ Marker

Col. Curtis
(as Russell Marker)

Arthur C. Pierce

Mutant Escaping from Jail
(uncredited)

Malcolm Thompson

Guard
(uncredited)

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
This film and another Robert Clarke/Edgar G. Ulmer production, The Amazing Transparent Man (1960), which was shot at the same time and in the same location, were originally to be distributed by a company called Pacific International. Shortly after the films were completed, Pacific International went bankrupt, and producer Clarke lost all the money he had put into it. The films were put up for auction by the film lab that processed them in order to recoup its costs. Both films were bought by American-International Pictures for a fraction of their cost, and upon release they made the company quite a bit of money. Except for his salary as an actor for two weeks' work, Clarke never saw a dime from the films.

Goofs
As the X-80 is gaining altitude, there is a shot of the plane supposedly in a steep climb. But the clouds in the background are obviously at the same sharp angle, revealing that the footage of a level flight has just been "tilted" optically.

Quotes
Captain: I don't trust that man. Especially his thoughts.

Crazy credits
The opening credits scroll away from the camera, a rare style which later became popular from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).

Connections
Edited from The Indian Tomb (1959)

User reviews62

Review

Featured review

7/10

Better-than-average

Better-than-average low-budget science-fiction from that era. Edgar Ulmer makes the most of inventive sets, some interesting low camera angles, some moments in which mid-ground objects such as pillars intercede between foreground and background during tracking shots...not the kind of effort one usually sees in movies of this kind. The whole film comes off as sincere - maybe more like 6.5 stars, but I'm rounding it up for the effort.

The acting is mixed, with some of the cast turning in competent performances, and two or three others about on par with some of Bela lugosi's most stilted performances. The story, if not original, is well-paced. What really sets this film apart from similar low-budget affairs are the aforementioned sets and camera work, and especially the unexpectedly ambiguous, perhaps even somewhat dark, conclusion of the film, which seems surprisingly in keeping with some of Ulmer's other work.

Fans of 1950s and 60s science-fiction, or of time travel flicks, should take a look.