Major Allison, a test-pilot (Robert Clarke) in an experimental jet lands only to find himself far in the future (2024) on a ruined Earth inhabited by mutants and a handful of other time travellers. The film is an earnest attempt at presenting thoughtful, 'hard' science fiction on a limited budget and succeeds in a modest way. The triangle-themed sets (and complementary optical wipes) are reasonably effective and the detailed story is spelled out in numerous exposition scenes (unfortunately at the expense of action). The plot doesn't make much sense and the 'science' explaining Allison's time travel is ridiculous and not even internally consistent (flying the in opposite direction would only reverse the tiny contribution the jet made to the velocity that propelled him 'beyond the time barrier'). Other than the sets, the special effects are pretty dire, with a simple double exposure depicting the time travel event (an image that doesn't really match the explanation Allison is later given) and a destroyed cityscape greeting the time-travelling Major when he first arrives that is an obvious drawing (and in which no attempt was made to match the image to the live action setting). The cast is sufficient for the material and Darlene Tompkins makes for a cute deaf-mute 'hope for the future'. The 'surprise' ending doesn't make any sense but the make-up (by Jack Pierce) is quite good. One of a number of time-travel films from the period, 'Beyond the Time Barrier' is far from a great film but worth watching for fans of the 50's science fiction films and is a welcome diversion from the big bugs, monsters, and nasty aliens that dominated the genre at the time.
Review of Beyond the Time Barrier
