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Master of the World (1961 film)

1961 film by William Witney

Master of the World is a 1961 film about a scientist and his team who are held as "guests" of Captain Robur, a pacifist who is in command of the Albatross, a 150 foot-long airship. His mission in life is to stop all wars - even if he has to make war on nation states in order to achieve it.

Directed by William Witney. Written by Richard Matheson, based on the novels Robur the Conqueror and Master of the World by Jules Verne.
The fabulous adventures of the man who conquered the earth to save it!

Robur

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  • This is the father of all ironies!
  • I admire you, Mr. Strock. You do what you feel you must do without caring whether you alienate anyone or whether they understand you or not. That is my way. That is the only way for a man of dedication. I know that you would like to stop me, sir. For that reason, my impulse is to have you destroyed. My desire on the other hand is to have you join me.

Dialogue

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Dorothy Prudent: [after Prudent has hit his already injured head on the top of his bunk] Did you hurt yourself?
Prudent: Of course I hurt myself!
Prudent: [debating with Robur over dinner] And you expect us to believe, sir, that because you gave that ship warning, that your actions of this afternoon were justifiable?
Robur: I expect nothing, sir.
Prudent: What you did was an act of pure barbarism, and were it not for the love I bear my daughter, and for the respect and esteem in which I hold Mr. Evans and Mr. Strock, I would rather the four of us perish in the sea than that this hell ship be preserved for the commission of further atrocities.
Robur: Was it not an atrocity that that warship was built for the sole purpose of destruction?
Prudent: And do you consider yourself, sir, a government unto yourself, that you can condemn other nations and wantonly declare war upon them?
Robur: [rising angrily] I am a man unto myself, Mr. Prudent, who has declared war against war! That is my purpose, sir! The purpose for which this ship was built! To end for all time the scourge of warfare!
John Strock: How do you propose to do that, sir?
Robur: By using the threat of invincible power, Mr. Strock. Or if necessary by using that power itself as you saw this afternoon.
Prudent: You, sir, are mad! Quite, quite mad!
Robur: How like the reasoning of your kind, Mr. Prudent. All well and sane to be the owner of factories, that products of which cause the violent deaths of millions in wartime and in peace. But to kill hundreds or even thousands with the aim of ending such deaths for all time? This is "madness."
Prudent: And do you, sir, consider the man who makes a weapon responsible for the action of the man who buys it?
Robur: Yes, I do, sir! All men are responsible to all other men.
Robur: You're an intelligent man, Mr. Strock. Surely you must appreciate my ultimate objective.
John Strock: I would also have to believe in your method of achieving this objective. I don't.
Robur: What alternate method is there that would not require centuries more of violence and bloodshed? No. It is too long to wait. With courage and daring, worldwide peace can be achieved now.
John Strock: Not with my help, Mr. Robur.
Phillip Evans: So, you survived to once more knuckle down to him. No good to smile at me, Mr. Strock, I heard you promise not to interfere with him.
John Strock: Did you? What would you say, Mr. Evans, if I told you that I will not only interfere with him, but I will stop him?
Phillip Evans: [aghast] I heard you give your word of honor to him!
John Strock: This is the world we're living in! Not a drawing room! So don't speak to me about words of honor. We happen to be prisoners on the ship of a man who would willingly destroy the world in order to save it, Mr. Evans. The world! Reality! Now open your eyes and look at it hard. What should I have done? Proclaimed in ringing, gentlemanly tones that I would resist him to my last breath? Well, believe me, Mr. Evans, that last breath would be shortly forthcoming!
John Strock: It was risk enough to refuse joining forces with him. I think that was a mistake. If I had joined forces with him, I could've found his weaknesses more easily. Now I'll have to work in the dark, Mr. Evans, but at least I'm alive to do so! Perhaps somewhat less than a perfect gentleman, but alive.
Phillip Evans: Without honor, sir!
John Strock: Oohh, honor be damned, Mr. Evans!

Cast

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