The Story of Mankind (film)
- Ronald Colman: The spirit of man
- Hedy Lamarr: Jeanne d' Arc
- Groucho Marx: Peter Minuit
- Harpo Marx: Sir Isaac Newton
- Chico Marx: Monk
- Virginia Mayo: Cleopatra
- Agnes Moorehead: Elizabeth I
- Vincent Price: Mr. Scratch / Devil
- Peter Lorre: Nero
- Charles Coburn: Hippocrates
- Cedric Hardwicke: Chief Justice
- Cesar Romero: Envoy of Spain
- John Carradine: Khufu
- Dennis Hopper: Napoleon Bonaparte
- Marie Wilson: Marie Antoinette
- Helmut Dantine: Marcus Antonius
- Edward Everett Horton: Sir Walter Raleigh
- Reginald Gardiner: William Shakespeare
- Marie Windsor: Joséphine Bonaparte
- Cathy O'Donnell: Early Christian
- Franklin Pangborn: Marquis de Varennes
- Henry Daniell: Pierre Cauchon
- Francis X. Bushman: Moses
- Ziva Rodann: concubine
The Story of Mankind is an American feature film from the year 1957. Irwin Allen produced it, directed and co-wrote with Charles Bennett also wrote the screenplay from a story by Hendrik Willem van Loon.
Action
People have developed a new super weapon whose destructive power would be enough to destroy all life on Earth with a shock. Why have aliens decided to hold over humanity Court to decide whether humanity is worth to survive. The Devil and the spirit of humanity come before the Tribunal against each other to plead the basis of various episodes in the history and prehistory of one or the other judgment. As the Tribunal at the end but comes to no real result, the final decision on the fate of mankind eventually leaves the chief judge of the audience.
Background
In order to secure a success at the box office, Irwin Allen undertook for the film an impressive cast (including horror star Vincent Price, Ronald Colman, Hedy Lamarr, Virginia Mayo, and Cedric Hardwicke ).
The Story of Mankind was the last film in which Ronald Colman and the Marx Brothers Groucho, Chico and Harpo Marx were seen together. However, the latter did not occur in the same scenes.
Reception
Upon his release was completely panned The Story of Mankind by most film critics. Also in the audience, the film fell through.