May 11, 2025
The World, the Flesh and the Devil: Harry Belafonte, Race and Apocalypse
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*About this episode
As usual there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on social media: Instagram , Threads and BlueSky . You can support the podcast and get ad-free episodes on Patreon . 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.