Poster

Things to Come ()

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The story of a century: a decades-long second World War leaves plague and anarchy, then a rational state rebuilds civilization and attempts space travel.
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Photos and Videos

63 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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John Cabal / Oswald Cabal
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Pippa Passworthy / Raymond Passworthy
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The Boss
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Roxana / Rowena (as Margueretta Scott)
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Theotocopulos
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Dr. Harding
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Mrs. Cabal
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Richard Gordon (as Derrick de Marney)
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Mary Gordon
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Catherine Cabal
Kenneth Villiers ...
Maurice Passworthy
Ivan Brandt ...
Morden Mitani
Anne McLaren ...
The Child
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Janet Gordon
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Great Grandfather
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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World Transport Official (uncredited)
Noel Brophy ...
Irishman (uncredited)
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The Airman (uncredited)
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WT7 Captain (uncredited)
Thomas Gallagher ...
Growling Guard (uncredited)
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Man Toasting the Boss (uncredited)
Anthony Holles ...
Simon Burton (uncredited)
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Mr. Cabal (uncredited)
Pickles Livingston ...
Horrie Passworthy (uncredited)
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Pilot (uncredited)
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The Jew (uncredited)
George Spence ...
Heckling Soldier (uncredited)
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Man of the Future (uncredited)
John Wilder ...
Pilot / Wings Over the World Council Member (uncredited)

Directed by

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William Cameron Menzies ... (directed by)

Written by

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H.G. Wells ... (novel "The Shape of Things to Come") (uncredited)
 
H.G. Wells ... (screenplay) (uncredited)

Produced by

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Alexander Korda ... producer (produced by)

Music by

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Arthur Bliss ... (music specially composed by)

Cinematography by

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Georges Périnal ... (photography by) (as Georges Perinal)

Editing by

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Charles Crichton ... film editor
Francis D. Lyon ... film editor (as Francis Lyon)

Editorial Department

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William Hornbeck ... supervising editor

Costume Design by

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John Armstrong ... (costumes designed by)
René Hubert ... (costumes designed by) (as Rene Hubert)
Cathleen Mann ... (costumes designed by) (as Marchioness of Queensberry)
Sam Williams ... (uncredited)

Production Management

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David B. Cunynghame ... production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Geoffrey Boothby ... assistant director

Art Department

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Vincent Korda ... set designer
Frank Wells ... assistant art director
John Bryan ... assistant art director (uncredited)
Frederick Pusey ... assistant art director (uncredited)
Moje Åslund ... poster artist: Sweden (uncredited)

Sound Department

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A.W. Watkins ... recording director
Desmond Dew ... sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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Lawrence W. Butler ... assistant special effects (as Lawrence Butler)
Ned Mann ... special effects director
Ross Jacklin ... special effects (uncredited)
Wally Veevers ... assistant special effects (uncredited)
Harry Zech ... special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Edward Cohen ... special effects photographer
Jack Cardiff ... special effects camera operator (uncredited)
W. Percy Day ... matte painter (uncredited)
Peter Ellenshaw ... assistant matte artist (uncredited)
George J. Teague ... special photographic effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Robert Krasker ... camera operator
Bernard Browne ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Jack Cardiff ... camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Eugene Joseff ... costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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Muir Mathieson ... musical director
Gordon Jacob ... additional orchestrator (uncredited)
London Symphony Orchestra ... musicians: orchestra (uncredited)
Lionel Salter ... assistant musical director (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Nigel Tangye ... aeronautical advisor
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

A global war begins in 1940. This war drags out over many decades until most of the people still alive (mostly those born after the war started) do not even know who started it or why. Nothing is being manufactured at all any more and society has broken down into primitive localized communities. In 1966 a great plague wipes out most of what people are left but small numbers still survive. One day a strange aircraft lands at one of these communities and its pilot tells of an organization which is rebuilding civilization and slowly moving across the world re-civilizing these groups of survivors. Great reconstruction takes place over the next few decades and society is once again great and strong. The world's population is now living in underground cities. In the year 2035, on the eve of man's first flight to the moon, a popular uprising against progress (which some people claim has caused the wars of the past) gains support and becomes violent. Written by Kevin Steinhauer

Plot Keywords
Taglines A hundred years ahead of its time. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Whither Mankind (United Kingdom)
  • The Shape of Things to Come (United Kingdom)
  • H.G. Wells' Things to Come (United Kingdom)
  • The Hundred Years to Come (United Kingdom)
  • La Vie future (France)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 100 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget GBP300,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia Before filming started, author H.G. Wells told everyone connected with the film how much he'd hated Fritz Lang's film Metropolis (1927) and how he wanted them to do the opposite of what Lang (whom he called "Lange") and his crew had done. See more »
Goofs In Everytown in 1970 industrial production has ceased, but the Boss's men still are able to go into battle against the Hill People with firearms, including machine guns, which couldn't be used without an industrial infrastructure to produce ammunition for them. However, this takes place about four years after the end of the war and there would likely still be lots of military equipment and ammunition available. See more »
Movie Connections Edited into Murder on Diamond Row (1937). See more »
Soundtracks The First Noel See more »
Crazy Credits During the opening credits, as the title is revealed, the shadow over the letters is removed as if the clouds in the background are blowing past it. See more »
Quotes The Boss: Who are you, I said!
John Cabal: The law. Law and sanity.
The Boss: I'm the law here!
John Cabal: I said law and sanity.
See more »
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