The World, the Flesh, and the Devil

Dir. Ranald MacDougall. 1959, 95 mins. 35mm. With Harry Belafonte, Inger Stevens, Mel Ferrer. Starring legendary singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte in one of his first leading roles after his breakthrough in Otto Preminger’s classic Carmen Jones, The World, the Flesh, and the Devil takes us to an eerily quiet New York City after a radioactive explosion has killed almost everyone. Those few survivors, which include Belafonte’s Ralph Burton, a white woman (Inger Stevens), and a white man (Mel Ferrer), must decide what kind of existence they want to cultivate. Director Ranald MacDougall addresses the social constraints within which his characters struggle and the possibility for change in a surprisingly direct way. Shot in CinemaScope on location, this is a film for New Yorkers to see on the big screen. 

The screening will be accompanied by an essay by Stéphanie Larrieux, Brown University’s Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America, on how vulnerable communities are particularly endangered by disasters.

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / Free or discounted for MoMI members. Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.