''Captive Women'' (U.K. title ''3000 A.D.'') is a 1952 American
black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction are genres of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astronom ...
science-fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, sp ...
film. It stars
Robert Clarke and
Margaret Field. The film has a running time of 64 minutes. It deals with the effects of a
nuclear war
Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a War, military conflict or prepared Policy, political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are Weapon of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conven ...
and how life would be afterwards.
Plot
The film opens with war footage from
World War III
World War III, also known as the Third World War, is a hypothetical future global conflict subsequent to World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). It is widely predicted that such a war would involve all of the great powers, ...
ending with a nuclear attack.
Long after the
nuclear war
Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a War, military conflict or prepared Policy, political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are Weapon of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conven ...
, the last human survivors are divided into three tribes. Robert (Clarke) and Ruth (Field) are about to be married in the ruins of a
post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction are genres of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astronom ...
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
during a brief interlude in ongoing hostilities between their tribe (the Norms) and the rival tribe (the Mutates). The Mutates try to adhere to the tenets of the
Christian Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...
, but it is rejected by the Norms.
However, raiders from a third tribe, the Upriver People, attack through the
Hudson River Tunnel and capture Ruth and several other women because they desperately need fertile females. The warring tribes must put aside their differences to rescue the women, a joint effort that unfolds quite quickly in the short film.
Ultimately, the Upriver People are defeated and are trapped in the tunnel as it is flooded. The women are recovered, and there are improved prospects for more peaceful relations among the tribes as the film concludes.
Cast
*
Robert Clarke as Robert
*
Margaret Field as Ruth
*
Gloria Saunders as Catherine
*
Ron Randell
Ronald Egan Randell (8 October 1918 – 11 June 2005) was an Australian actor. After beginning his acting career on the stage in 1937, he played Charles Kingsford Smith in the film '' Smithy'' (1946). He also had roles in '' Bulldog Drummond ...
as Riddon
*
William Schallert
William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016) was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years. He is known for his roles on ''Richard Diamond, Private ...
as Carver
Production
Jack Pollexfen and
Aubrey Wisberg
Aubrey Lionel Wisberg (October 20, 1909 – March 14, 1990) was a British-American filmmaker.
Biography
Born in London, Wisberg emigrated to the United States in 1921, attended New York University and Columbia University, and married B ...
had a deal to make three films at RKO: ''Captive Women'', ''Sword of Venus'' and ''Port Sinister''. Albert Zugsmith became involved as an associate producer, taking 25% against Pollexfen and Wisberg's 75%.
Pollexfen later said "our main problem in ''Captive Women'' was that we were battling Zugsmith too much to pay attention to the production". He says also that Howard Hughes, who then owned RKO, insisted the film be directed by Stewart Gilmore, who had been one of Hughes' leading editors, including on ''The Outlaw''.
Filming started 9 July 1951. Robert Clarke recalled that Gilmore:
He was lost. Completely. The poor man had tremendous problems; there were too many people in the cast, too many actors with no dialogue in the scenes , and the fact that they had over-extended themselves for special effects ... The whole film was ineffectual. Pollexfen and Wisberg were trying to make a better picture – sometimes, Hollywood thinks that if you spend more money, you make a better picture. Well, this is one instance where that didn’t happen. Gilmore was in over his head – he didn’t know directing, and l don’t think he ever did another picture because he got a bad taste in his mouth from this one.
William Schallert recalls that the film was rewritten during the shoot and actors had to constantly learn new parts.
Pollexfen says the budget was around $85,000 of which he and his partner received a fee of $15,000 and Zugsmith was paid $2,500.
At one stage the film was known as ''3000 AD''. Another original title was ''1000 Years from Now'', but RKO wanted a more sensational title.
The ruins of New York are briefly shown in matte paintings by Block. In 1956, it was re-released under the title ''1000 Years from Now''.
It was one of three films
Albert Zugsmith made for RKO.
It was Ron Randell's first science fiction film.
Critical reception
''
The Monthly Film Bulletin
The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...
'' wrote: "This preposterous story contrives to be both childish and disagreeable. The action comprises scenes of flogging and torture, a sort of Sabine raid on the scantily dressed Norm women, much chasing to and fro of strangely costumed tribesmen armed with bows and arrows, and some 'uplift' dialogue – the Mutates have kept their faith in God, the Norms worship the Devil. The treatment is on a level more often found in the serials than in a feature film.
''Variety'' wrote: "Most of the acting is in the serial film tradition although Ron Randell occasionally shows himself as a first-rate actor, He is the hero. Both Margaret Field and Gloria Saunders partially make up in looks for what they lack in terp ability. Robert Clarke, Stuart Randall, Paula Dorety and Robert Bice head the large supporting cast. Stuart Gilmore's direction is standard for this type of pic. Sharp editing by Fred R. Feltshans keeps it from getting too far out of hand. Paul Ivano has contributed a good camera job."
''
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (''SFE'') is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo Award, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus and BSFA Award, British SF Awards. Two print editions appea ...
'' found the movie of some importance as perhaps the first science fiction film to consider what the world might become some time after a nuclear war.
References
External links
*
Captive Womenat BFI
Captive Womenat
TCMDB
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...
Captive Womenat Letterbox DVD
{{Albert Zugsmith
1952 films
1950s science fiction films
Films about nuclear war and weapons
American science fiction films
Films set in New York City
Films set in the 31st century
American post-apocalyptic films
American black-and-white films
RKO Pictures films
Films produced by Aubrey Wisberg
Films about World War III
Films with screenplays by Aubrey Wisberg
1950s English-language films
1950s American films
English-language science fiction films