.gif)
The Tunnel (1935 film)
Encyclopedia
The Tunnel, also known as Transatlantic Tunnel in the United States, is a 1935 British
science fiction film
based on the 1913 novel Der Tunnel
by Bernhard Kellermann
, about the building of a transatlantic tunnel
. It was directed by Maurice Elvey
and stars Richard Dix
, Leslie Banks
, Madge Evans
, Helen Vinson
, C. Aubrey Smith and Basil Sydney
. The script was written by Curt Siodmak
, L. du Garde Peach
and Clemence Dane
.
(the story takes place in the unspecified near future, though it is noted in the film that the Channel Tunnel is built "in 1940"). McAllan informs the group that the "Allanite steel" he developed, along with a "radium drill" developed by his friend Frederick "Robbie" Robbins, makes it possible to construct an undersea tunnel
linking England with the United States. Though the group is initially skeptical, the backing of Lloyd and his associate Mostyn convinces the group to buy shares in the project.
Three years into construction of the tunnel, McAllan is a worldwide celebrity, but his work keeps him from his devoted wife Ruth and their young son Geoffrey. Called away to New York, he is informed that the people are losing faith in the project. Lloyd needs to have him use his fame to shore up support. Lloyd's attractive daughter Varlia, who is secretly in love with McAllan, keeps him company to further intensify the attention of the press.
The photos of the couple add to Ruth's sense of isolation, and she decides to work in the tunnel as a nurse. There she is affected by an unknown gas afflicting the workers and loses her eyesight. Worried that her husband no longer loves her and not wanting him to stay with her out of pity, Ruth leaves McAllan, taking their son with her. Heartbroken at her unexplained departure, McAllan throws himself into the project, alienating Robbins in the process.
Years pass. Though the cost of the tunnel in lives and money continues to mount, the British Prime Minister and American President eagerly anticipate its completion and the unity and peace they promise it will bring. Ruth lives in the countryside with her now-grown son, who lobbies Robbins to find him a job working in the tunnel. The tunnel itself is nearing completion, but the workers encounter a submarine volcano
that will necessitate a detour. McAllan needs more money to establish a detour, but is opposed by Grellier, an arms manufacturer, and Mostyn. The two men had earlier manipulated the stock market to become the controlling shareholders in the company. Lloyd suspects that Grellier and Mostyn plan to use the delay to depress stock prices again, and this time gain total ownership of the tunnel, but Varlia convinces Mostyn to fund further construction by promising him the one thing he has always wanted, but never gotten—her hand in marriage. Though the project goes forward, Grellier has Mostyn killed for backing out of their deal.
Despite the renewed effort, samples indicate the volcano may be too large to drill around. The drill breaks through to volcanic gases that kill hundreds of workers, including Geoffrey. The project seems on the verge of collapse. Determined to see the project through and fortified by the reappearance of Ruth (who came to the tunnel site to discover Geoffrey's fate), McAllan vows to press on. With three volunteers, McAllan and Robbins man the radium drill and, despite near-fatal temperatures, break through to the American side of the tunnel.
Cast notes
had been filmed three times before, once as a German silent, Der Tunnel (1915), and then as two sound films Der Tunnel (German) and Le Tunnel (French), both released in 1933, and both directed by Curtis Bernhardt
, who went on to become a Hollywood director.
A first draft of the screenplay written by Sidney Gilliat
was discarded. Writer Curt Siodmak
, who later became known as a science fiction
writer, was a former engineer and journalist who first came to notice one of the four writer-directors on Menschen am Sonntag ("People on Sunday", 1930). His brother, Robert Siodmak
, was another of the four, and went on to direct 60 films, several dozen of them in Hollywood, including the classic Criss Cross
.. Clemence Dane
, who provided additional dialogue, was the pseudonym of Winifred Ashton, an English novelist and playwright who was a friend of Noel Coward
, and would go on to win an Academy Award for her story Perfect Strangers
. Coward referred to her as "a gallant old girl" and may have modeled the character "Madame Arcati" in Blithe Spirit
after her.
The New York City
opening of The Tunnel took place on 27 October 1935.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
based on the 1913 novel Der Tunnel
Der Tunnel (novel)
Der Tunnel is a novel by Bernhard Kellermann published in April 1913. The novel sold 100,000 copies in the six months after its publication, and it became one of the most successful books of the first half of the 20th Century. By 1939 its circulation had reached millions...
by Bernhard Kellermann
Bernhard Kellermann
Bernhard Kellermann was a well known German author and poet.- Life :Bernhard Kellermann enrolled in 1899 at Munich's Technical University initially in general studies, but later focused on German literature and painting....
, about the building of a transatlantic tunnel
Transatlantic tunnel
A transatlantic tunnel is a theoretical tunnel which would span the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe and would carry mass transit of some type—trains are envisioned in most proposals.Using advanced technologies, speeds of are envisaged....
. It was directed by Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey was the most prolific film director in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year....
and stars Richard Dix
Richard Dix
Richard Dix was an American motion picture actor who achieved popularity in both silent and sound film. His standard on-screen image was that of the rugged and stalwart hero.-Early life:...
, Leslie Banks
Leslie Banks
Leslie Banks, CBE was an English theatre and cinema actor, director and producer, now best remembered playing gruff, menacing characters in black and white movies of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
, Madge Evans
Madge Evans
Madge Evans was an American stage and film actress. She began her career as a child performer and model.-Child model and stage actress:...
, Helen Vinson
Helen Vinson
Helen Vinson was an American film actress, who appeared in 40 films between 1932 and 1945.-Early life:...
, C. Aubrey Smith and Basil Sydney
Basil Sydney
Basil Sydney was an English actor who made over fifty screen appearances, most memorably as Claudius in Laurence Olivier's 1948 film of Hamlet. He also appeared in classic films like Treasure Island , Ivanhoe and Around the World in Eighty Days , but the focus of his career was the legitimate...
. The script was written by Curt Siodmak
Curt Siodmak
Curt Siodmak was a novelist and screenwriter. He made a name for himself in Hollywood with horror and science fiction films, most notably The Wolf Man and Donovan's Brain...
, L. du Garde Peach
L. du Garde Peach
Lawrence du Garde Peach was an English author and playwright for radio, stage and screen. He may be best remembered as the author of over 30 books for Ladybird's Adventure from History series of nonfiction children's books, published from 1957 until his death...
and Clemence Dane
Clemence Dane
Clemence Dane was the pseudonym of Winifred Ashton , an English novelist and playwright.-Life and career:...
.
Plot
A group of wealthy industrialists gather in the home of Mr. Lloyd, a millionaire who introduces them to Richard "Mack" McAllan, the engineer who successfully spearheaded the construction of the Channel TunnelChannel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
(the story takes place in the unspecified near future, though it is noted in the film that the Channel Tunnel is built "in 1940"). McAllan informs the group that the "Allanite steel" he developed, along with a "radium drill" developed by his friend Frederick "Robbie" Robbins, makes it possible to construct an undersea tunnel
Transatlantic tunnel
A transatlantic tunnel is a theoretical tunnel which would span the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe and would carry mass transit of some type—trains are envisioned in most proposals.Using advanced technologies, speeds of are envisaged....
linking England with the United States. Though the group is initially skeptical, the backing of Lloyd and his associate Mostyn convinces the group to buy shares in the project.
Three years into construction of the tunnel, McAllan is a worldwide celebrity, but his work keeps him from his devoted wife Ruth and their young son Geoffrey. Called away to New York, he is informed that the people are losing faith in the project. Lloyd needs to have him use his fame to shore up support. Lloyd's attractive daughter Varlia, who is secretly in love with McAllan, keeps him company to further intensify the attention of the press.
The photos of the couple add to Ruth's sense of isolation, and she decides to work in the tunnel as a nurse. There she is affected by an unknown gas afflicting the workers and loses her eyesight. Worried that her husband no longer loves her and not wanting him to stay with her out of pity, Ruth leaves McAllan, taking their son with her. Heartbroken at her unexplained departure, McAllan throws himself into the project, alienating Robbins in the process.
Years pass. Though the cost of the tunnel in lives and money continues to mount, the British Prime Minister and American President eagerly anticipate its completion and the unity and peace they promise it will bring. Ruth lives in the countryside with her now-grown son, who lobbies Robbins to find him a job working in the tunnel. The tunnel itself is nearing completion, but the workers encounter a submarine volcano
Submarine volcano
Submarine volcanoes are underwater fissures in the Earth's surface from which magma can erupt. They are estimated to account for 75% of annual magma output. The vast majority are located near areas of tectonic plate movement, known as ocean ridges...
that will necessitate a detour. McAllan needs more money to establish a detour, but is opposed by Grellier, an arms manufacturer, and Mostyn. The two men had earlier manipulated the stock market to become the controlling shareholders in the company. Lloyd suspects that Grellier and Mostyn plan to use the delay to depress stock prices again, and this time gain total ownership of the tunnel, but Varlia convinces Mostyn to fund further construction by promising him the one thing he has always wanted, but never gotten—her hand in marriage. Though the project goes forward, Grellier has Mostyn killed for backing out of their deal.
Despite the renewed effort, samples indicate the volcano may be too large to drill around. The drill breaks through to volcanic gases that kill hundreds of workers, including Geoffrey. The project seems on the verge of collapse. Determined to see the project through and fortified by the reappearance of Ruth (who came to the tunnel site to discover Geoffrey's fate), McAllan vows to press on. With three volunteers, McAllan and Robbins man the radium drill and, despite near-fatal temperatures, break through to the American side of the tunnel.
Cast
- Richard DixRichard DixRichard Dix was an American motion picture actor who achieved popularity in both silent and sound film. His standard on-screen image was that of the rugged and stalwart hero.-Early life:...
as Richard "Mack" McAllan - Leslie BanksLeslie BanksLeslie Banks, CBE was an English theatre and cinema actor, director and producer, now best remembered playing gruff, menacing characters in black and white movies of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
as Frederick "Robbie" Robbins - Madge EvansMadge EvansMadge Evans was an American stage and film actress. She began her career as a child performer and model.-Child model and stage actress:...
as Ruth McAllan - Helen VinsonHelen VinsonHelen Vinson was an American film actress, who appeared in 40 films between 1932 and 1945.-Early life:...
as Varlia Lloyd - C. Aubrey Smith as Lloyd
- Basil SydneyBasil SydneyBasil Sydney was an English actor who made over fifty screen appearances, most memorably as Claudius in Laurence Olivier's 1948 film of Hamlet. He also appeared in classic films like Treasure Island , Ivanhoe and Around the World in Eighty Days , but the focus of his career was the legitimate...
as Mostyn - Henry OscarHenry OscarHenry Oscar was an English stage and film actor.Born as Henry Wale, he changed his name and began acting in 1911 and appeared in a wide range of films, including Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much , Fire Over England , The Four Feathers , Hatter's Castle ,...
as Grellier - Hilda Trevelyan as Mary
- Walter HustonWalter HustonWalter Thomas Huston was a Canadian-born American actor. He was the father of actor and director John Huston and the grandfather of actress Anjelica Huston and actor Danny Huston.-Life and career:...
as President of the United States - Cyril RaymondCyril RaymondCyril William North Raymond MBE was a British character actor....
as Harriman - George ArlissGeorge ArlissGeorge Arliss was an English actor, author and filmmaker who found success in the United States. He was the first British actor to win an Academy Award.-Life and career:...
as Prime Minister of Great Britain - Jimmy HanleyJimmy HanleyJimmy Hanley was a British actor.Born in Norwich, Norfolk, Hanley began his career as a child actor before becoming popular in juvenile roles...
as Geoffrey McAllan
Cast notes
- Both Walter Huston and George Arliss had played their parts, the American President and British Prime Minister, in previous films.
- Although The Tunnel was a British production, at least three of the actors were Americans: Richard Dix, Madge Evans and Helen Vinson.
Production
Bernhard Kellermann's 1913 novel Der TunnelDer Tunnel (novel)
Der Tunnel is a novel by Bernhard Kellermann published in April 1913. The novel sold 100,000 copies in the six months after its publication, and it became one of the most successful books of the first half of the 20th Century. By 1939 its circulation had reached millions...
had been filmed three times before, once as a German silent, Der Tunnel (1915), and then as two sound films Der Tunnel (German) and Le Tunnel (French), both released in 1933, and both directed by Curtis Bernhardt
Curtis Bernhardt
Curtis Bernhardt was a German film director born in Worms, Germany, under the name Kurt Bernhardt. Some of his American films were called "woman's films" including the Joan Crawford film Possessed . Bernhardt trained as an actor in Germany, and performed on the stage, before starting as a film...
, who went on to become a Hollywood director.
A first draft of the screenplay written by Sidney Gilliat
Sidney Gilliat
Sidney Gilliat was an English film director, producer and writer.He was born in the district of Edgeley in Stockport, Cheshire. In the 1930s he worked as a scriptwriter, most notably with Frank Launder on The Lady Vanishes for Alfred Hitchcock, and its sequel Night Train to Munich , directed by...
was discarded. Writer Curt Siodmak
Curt Siodmak
Curt Siodmak was a novelist and screenwriter. He made a name for himself in Hollywood with horror and science fiction films, most notably The Wolf Man and Donovan's Brain...
, who later became known as a science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer, was a former engineer and journalist who first came to notice one of the four writer-directors on Menschen am Sonntag ("People on Sunday", 1930). His brother, Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak was a German born American film director. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for the series of Hollywood film noirs he made in the 1940s.-Early life:...
, was another of the four, and went on to direct 60 films, several dozen of them in Hollywood, including the classic Criss Cross
Criss Cross (1949 film)
Criss Cross is a 1949 film noir, directed by Robert Siodmak from a novel of the same name by Don Tracy. This black-and-white film was shot partly on location in the Bunker Hill section of Los Angeles. The film was written by Daniel Fuchs. Franz Planer's cinematography creates a black-and-white...
.. Clemence Dane
Clemence Dane
Clemence Dane was the pseudonym of Winifred Ashton , an English novelist and playwright.-Life and career:...
, who provided additional dialogue, was the pseudonym of Winifred Ashton, an English novelist and playwright who was a friend of Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
, and would go on to win an Academy Award for her story Perfect Strangers
Perfect Strangers (1945 film)
Perfect Strangers , is a 1945 British drama film made by London Films. It stars Robert Donat and Deborah Kerr as a married couple whose relationship is shaken by their service in the Second World War. The supporting cast includes Glynis Johns, Ann Todd, Roland Culver, and Roger Moore in his...
. Coward referred to her as "a gallant old girl" and may have modeled the character "Madame Arcati" in Blithe Spirit
Blithe Spirit (play)
Blithe Spirit is a comic play written by Noël Coward which takes its title from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "To a Skylark" . The play concerns socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a séance, hoping to...
after her.
The New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
opening of The Tunnel took place on 27 October 1935.
External links
- The Tunnel at RichardDix.org