The Time Travelers is a 1964 American science fiction film directed by Ib Melchior. Low-budget but brimming with ambitious ideas, it became something of a cult classic thanks to its mix of time travel paradoxes, futuristic settings, and surprisingly thought-provoking ending. Let’s dive into it.
Detailed Summary
The Experiment Begins
The story starts in a laboratory where Dr. Erik von Steiner (Preston Foster), Steve Connors (Philip Carey), and Carol White (Merry Anders) are experimenting with a time-viewing device. They are soon joined by technician Danny McKee (Steve Franken). Instead of simply viewing the future, they accidentally create a portal. Curiosity overtakes caution, and they step through it—finding themselves in a post-apocalyptic future.
Arrival in the Future
The group lands in the year 2071, where Earth has been devastated by nuclear war. Humanity now lives underground, led by Dr. Varno (John Hoyt). The remnants of civilization survive by creating androids that will one day colonize another planet, since Earth is dying and beyond saving. The android-building sequences, though campy, are some of the film’s most memorable visuals.
Growing Tension
While the scientists from the past are welcomed at first, their presence soon causes conflict. The future humans worry that the visitors may destabilize their society. Meanwhile, Danny gets romantically entangled with a future woman, raising further questions about whether they should return or remain in this bleak but advanced society.
Disaster Strikes
Hostile mutants attack the underground colony, threatening the survival of both the future humans and the time travelers. In the chaos, the group tries to return through the time portal. However, as they attempt to go back, the device malfunctions—leading to one of the most famous “time-loop” endings in 1960s sci-fi cinema.
Movie Ending
The time travelers make a desperate run back to the portal during the mutant invasion. They succeed in reaching it, but instead of returning safely to their own time, they end up trapped in a loop.
When they re-enter their own lab, everything appears normal at first. However, they quickly realize they are watching themselves from earlier in the film, endlessly repeating the same experiment. The shocking revelation is that they are stuck in a time paradox, doomed to relive their actions again and again.
This twist ending was particularly daring for a 1964 film, leaving audiences with an unsettling sense of inevitability and futility—something closer to Twilight Zone than standard B-movie fare.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No, The Time Travelers does not have any post-credits scenes. Once the time-loop ending is revealed, the credits roll and the film leaves viewers pondering the paradox.
Type of Movie
This is a science fiction B-movie with strong elements of time travel, dystopia, and existential paradoxes. Though produced on a modest budget, it mixes pulp adventure with surprisingly heavy philosophical undertones.
Cast
- Preston Foster as Dr. Erik von Steiner
- Philip Carey as Steve Connors
- Merry Anders as Carol White
- Steve Franken as Danny McKee
- John Hoyt as Dr. Varno
- Dennis Patrick as Willard
- Delores Wells as Reena
Film Music and Composer
The score was composed by Richard LaSalle, who often worked in television and genre films. The music combines eerie electronic tones with more traditional orchestration, enhancing the film’s futuristic yet unsettling mood.
Filming Locations
The film was shot primarily in California soundstages on a very tight budget. The underground city and android lab were constructed with clever set designs, mirrors, and lighting tricks, giving the illusion of a larger and more advanced society than the budget truly allowed.
Awards and Nominations
The movie did not receive major awards, as it was considered a mid-tier B-movie upon release. However, it gained recognition later within science fiction fan circles and is often cited as an influence on later time travel films and TV shows.
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Director Ib Melchior was fascinated by the paradoxes of time travel and designed the ending specifically to be unsettling rather than triumphant.
- Much of the futuristic equipment was made from recycled props from earlier sci-fi films.
- The android assembly line sequence was done with mannequins and creative editing to suggest robotics on a budget.
- The film was made quickly and cheaply but has outlived many bigger productions in cult status.
Inspirations and References
The story was partly inspired by the 19th-century novel The Time Machine by H.G. Wells and contemporary Cold War anxieties about nuclear destruction. The mutants, the underground city, and the survivalist themes reflect the fears of the atomic age.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
No alternate endings are known to exist. The looping paradox was always the intended climax, though some promotional material hinted at a “new beginning” for humanity that does not appear in the final cut.
Book Adaptations and Differences
While not directly based on a novel, the film has clear thematic parallels to H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine. The mutants resemble the Morlocks, and the underground dwellers mirror Wells’ vision of divided humanity.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The first reveal of the portal to the future.
- The android-building sequence in the futuristic lab.
- The mutants attacking the colony.
- The haunting final reveal that the scientists are trapped in a time loop.
Iconic Quotes
- “Time has many doors.”
- “You can look into the future, but you may not like what you find.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- Some props from The Time Travelers later appeared in other B-movies of the era, including Roger Corman productions.
- The looping ending inspired later films such as Timecrimes (2007) and certain episodes of Star Trek.
Trivia
- The movie was later adapted into a short-lived 1966 TV pilot called The Time Tunnel (not to be confused with Irwin Allen’s series of the same name).
- Despite its low budget, the film’s ending is often cited in scholarly discussions of time paradoxes in cinema.
- Steve Franken (Danny) was best known for his comedic roles before this film.
Why Watch?
If you enjoy classic sci-fi with bold ideas, this is a must-see. The film’s paradoxical ending was far ahead of its time, and it remains an eerie and thought-provoking exploration of fate, free will, and the dangers of tampering with time.
Director’s Other Movies
- The Angry Red Planet (1959)
- Journey to the Seventh Planet (1962)
Recommended Films for Fans
- The Time Machine (1960)
- Planet of the Apes (1968)
- Timecrimes (2007)
- Primer (2004)
