THE NIGHT THE WORLD EXPLODED! / Clover Productions - 1957

On Monday I 'sploded the sky, now, I'm gonna finish the job by 'sploding the world! This is a flick my dad took me to see in 1957, can't remember what it was paired with though, must be getting old...

Eegah!! sent over a little soundclip for our earjoyment, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button there next to the atomic exploding cigar, NOW, Rufus The Gnat! Here's an earfull of... THE NIGHT THE WORLD EXPLODED!

Here's William Leslie as Dr. Conway, Kathryn Grant as Laura 'Hutch' Hutchinson and Tristram Coffin as Dr. Morton in their lab where they monitor earthquakes. Dr. Conway has invented a machine that can actually predict earthquakes! We remember William from MUTINY IN OUTER SPACE, Kathryn was in THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD and Tristram was Jeff King in KING OF THE ROCKET MEN. Tristram is one of the weirdest names I've heard, kinda hard to pronounce, then, adding Coffin to it doesn't help.

The machine predicts massive earthquakes but no one believes the doctor until it's too late, especially in Texas!

In 1955 Post cereals offered a small collection of plastic 1955 Fords that my parents got for me, this model was one of them. The motorcycle cop's checkin' it out!

The doctors decide to take the machine underground, thinking it would predict with more accuracy there.

In a scene right out of THE MONOLITH MONSTERS, this unsuspecting scientist has taken a sample of some unknown element they found in deep pools of water in the cave. When he takes one of the rocks out of the water, it dries out, expands and explodes with a violent blast! Just the opposite of the rocks in Monolith Monsters that grow when they get wet and turn the victims to stone from a vapor they emit.

I was in basic training at Fort Lewis, WA, in June and July of 1968, one day after a 10 mile hike in the mountains with full gear (50+ lbs.) we had to go to a ceremony where we stood at parade rest. I blacked out for a moment from the heat and being at parade rest along with about 50 others... Fun.

Dr. Conway tries to convince the military of the danger of the new element, and, that the rocks are causing the earthquakes! He demonstrates as they watch the rock catch on fire and burn a hole through the table, it falls into a pail of water, reverting it back to harmless.

This is about the only part I remember from originally seeing it, where the doctor shows the exploding power of the element. He puts a small piece of the rock called Element "112" inside the world globe, they drive a good distance away and watch it explode mightily. My question is, why didn't it burn throught that cheap globe first?.. Whatever.

Dr. Conway heads up an effort to flood the area where the rocks are slowly being exposed to the air underground. Here he is testing his rainmaking equipment.

I love this part where the TV announcer has to duck under his desk when an earthquake hits and demolishes the studio while on air!

Then, this volcane appears out of nowhere!

They finally figure that they need a huge amount of water to accomplish the task, so, they take their supply of Element "112" to the dam and blow the Hell out of it. The water floods the undergroud cavern and the night is saved!!

Verification of my last statement.

Here's another fake looking sky for your eyeballs to gander at.