Just Imagine | 1930 | Science Fiction, Musical

Title: Just Imagine | 1930 | Science Fiction, Musical Director: David Butler Studio: Fox Film Corporation Starring: El Brendel, Maureen O'Sullivan, John Garrick, Marjorie White, Frank Albertson, Hobart Bosworth Release Date: November 23, 1930 Runtime: 104 minutes Format: Black-and-white with color sequences; Movietone sound; 35mm and 70mm Country: United States Language: English Genres: Science fiction, musical, comedy --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Prologue: 1880 to 1930 00:07:30 New York 1980 and the Tribunal 00:23:00 Single O Revived 00:44:00 Rocket to Mars 01:04:30 Martian Court and Escape 01:27:30 Return and Final Verdict --- Summary: In a speculative 1980, New York City teems with flying traffic, citizens identified by alphanumeric codes, and social order enforced by bureaucratic tribunals. Aviator J-21 loves LN-18 but is denied permission to marry her, losing ground to a wealthier rival. When scientists revive a hapless man from 1930 nicknamed Single O, J-21 and his friend RT-42 befriend the bewildered newcomer amid a pill-based, mechanized society. Offered a chance to pilot a rocket to Mars, J-21 undertakes the mission with RT-42 and stowaway Single O. Their audience with Martian royalty turns perilous amid twin adversaries and ritual spectacle. Returning to Earth as heroes, J-21 challenges the tribunal’s ruling, seeking both personal happiness and a future reshaped by technological wonder. --- Background: Produced and released by Fox Film Corporation, Just Imagine blended a musical-comedy sensibility with large-scale science fiction design. The production featured an Art Deco metropolis realized through massive miniatures illuminated by thousands of lights, as well as early special-effects work including electrical apparatus built by Kenneth Strickfaden. The film was exhibited in standard 35mm and in Fox’s 70mm Grandeur widescreen process, and it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Art Direction , the first Oscar recognition for a science fiction film. --- Trivia: The film’s futuristic New York was constructed as a giant miniature wired with thousands of bulbs, a showpiece of early sound-era spectacle. Kenneth Strickfaden’s electrical devices, later famous from Frankenstein , make an early screen appearance during the revival sequence. Songs were by the team of B. G. DeSylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson; trade coverage noted that “Never Swat a Fly” was cut for at least the New York presentation. Footage and design elements from the Mars spacecraft and cityscapes were later reused in the Flash Gordon serials. A version was also presented in Fox Grandeur, an early 70mm widescreen format briefly explored by Fox at the dawn of the 1930s. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: November 23, 1930 Original Studio / Distributor: Fox Film Corporation Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: JustImagine 1930s PublicDomain ScienceFiction Musical PreCode FoxFilm ClassicCinema Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Just_Imagine_(1930).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Just_Imagine_%281930%29.webm