Starring: Victor Kilian as Dr. Morley, Bruce Kellogg as Wright Thompson, Otto Waldis as Dr. Max A. Bauer, Dick Cogan as Dr. George Coleman, Marilyn Nash as Dr. Joan Lindsey

I’ve read a lot of reviews of the 1951 Science Fiction classic “Unknown World,” the majority of which were negative. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it.

And we do have to remember this a low-budget B-movie.

Directed by Terry O. Morse (Godzilla, King of the Monsters!–1956), “Unknown World” is the story of a group of scientists and a rich adventure seeker who, due to a fear of the extinction of humanity because of “The Bomb,” set out on a journey down inside the Earth to find a safe haven.

The story immediately reminded me of “The Core” & “Journey To The Center Of The Earth.” Even so, this movie can’t be compared to those. That would be like comparing a moped to a Harley Davidson motorcycle. They are similar products, but from two different worlds with different purposes. Though the story isn’t all that original, I thought it was fairly tight and flowed as it should’ve. There were a few minor holes, but, being low-budget, they aren’t big enough or numerous enough to be outright bad.

The acting…well, lets just say I expected a lot worse. The actors (and actress) weren’t the top echelon of talent but did pretty well. These types of Science Fiction movies are notorious for overacting. If anything, there was more “underacting.”

“Unknown World” did have some suspense and the musical score added to it. The right music at the right time actually had me on the edge of my seat a few times. Once I realized it, I thought, “This isn’t supposed to happen when you watch a B-movie!”

The special effects were typical. Not great, not bad. What especially impressed me was the scene of the underground “world” they eventually find. It actually looked like an exotic alien planet that could wow even the most hard-to-impress Science Fiction fan (among whom I count myself).

As a low-budget film, “Unknown World” is a movie I would recommend for good, solid entertainment. Possibly in the top 5-10 of Science Fiction B-movies I’ve seen.

My rating: 4 out of 5 (B-Movie Scale)

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