Two of Jules Verne’s novels, Clipper of the Clouds (aka Robur, the Conqueror) and Master of the World, are here combined by superlative screenwriter Richard Matheson into a heroic, if decidedly old-fashioned, screen adventure.  Master of the World (1961) spotlights Vincent Price in one of his favorite roles, as the angry moralist Robur, a brilliant inventor who is determined to rid the world of war, and who may have the means to carry out his threat.

The moral ambiguity of Robur’s mission is one of the film’s finer aspects.  Robur has built and operates a fantastic airship named the “Albatross,” from which he has the capability to destroy anything on the Earth.  His hatred of war knows no boundaries, yet he doesn’t hesitate in using the tools of war — bombs dropped from the Albatross — to force the nations below to bend to his will.  Robur is at once a visionary and a megalomaniac; his intentions are noble but his methodology is hypocritical.

Another highpoint is the design of the Albatross, which is a heavier-than-air airship kept aloft by a series of rotating propellers above, in front and behind the craft, which itself is said to be made of compressed paper.  Although many of the special effects shots are primitive and unconvincing (this was made by AIP, the cheapest studio in Hollywood), the film retains a certain charm and quaintness, as if it is a tale handed down over generations.

This is due, in part, to the hammy but quite effective performance by Vincent Price as Robur, and the delightful casting, against type, of Charles Bronson as the stalwart government agent hero, John Strock.  Strong in supporting roles are Henry Hull as the munitions manufacturer trapped aboard the Albatross, and his daughter Dorothy (Mary Webster).

Master of the World is similar in tone to Walt Disney’s earlier Jules Verne-based triumph Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and I believe the similarity is uncontestably intentional, especially regarding the character of Captain Nemo.  Still, William Witney’s movie has merits of its own such as Les Baxter’s score, the airship design and the performances and I’ve always enjoyed it.  My rating:  ☆ ☆ ☆.  (9:4).