EDITOR’S NOTE: The World, The Flesh and the Devil was on the CBS Late Movie on March 29 and September 18, 1972; May 13, 1974 and January 27, 1976.

Based on The Purple Cloud by M. P. Shiel and the story “End of the World” by Ferdinand Reyher, this was directed and written by Ranald MacDougall, who also wrote Mildred Pierce.

In his third objection to the ‘prudence of the flesh’ is a sin in Summa Theologica, Saint Thomas Aquinas said, ‘Just as man is tempted by the flesh, so too is he tempted by the world and the devil.’ This theological concept forms the title of the film, ‘The World, The Flesh and the Devil ‘, as these three are the enemies of man. The film uses this title to explore the complex and intertwined nature of these three temptations, and how they manifest in the context of race relations.

Harry Belafonte’s production company, Harbel Productions, set out to create films that would offer a more authentic representation of African-Americans in Hollywood. This film was their first venture. However, by the film’s conclusion, Belafonte and his co-stars, Inger Stevens and Mel Ferrer, found themselves critiquing the film’s portrayal of race relations.

Ralph Burton (Bellafonte) finds himself in a mine when the world ends, a revelation he uncovers as he frees himself from his entrapment. Living alone in a building with mannequins, he soon encounters Sarah Crandall (Stevens), who has been observing him for some time. She falls in love with him, but even as the last two people alive, he is unable to overcome the barriers of segregation.

They soon nurse Benson Thacker (Ferrer) back to health after finding him, and he falls for Sarah. Ralph tries to leave them to be a couple but can’t find himself to leave the city. Benson believes that with Ralph alive, he can never be with Sarah, so they go to war with one another, a ridiculous thing when everyone else is dead, killed by a radioactive cloud. The film’s ending is particularly poignant, as it shows Sarah making Ralph and Benson walk hand in hand down the street, symbolizing a potential for unity and understanding between races, even in the most extreme circumstances.

Source

The World, The Flesh And The Devil – Morrissey-solo Wiki. https://www.morrissey-solo.com/w/index.php?title=The_World,_The_Flesh_And_The_Devil&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile