The Time Machine – part 8

George is now in the fight of his life. His only chance is to light the torch he made. If he could do that the Morlocks would stay away from him, and the light from the torch. While he’s fighting he calls to Weena to get the torch. She tries to get it, but is frightened off by a Morlock. George dives for the torch, and tries to light it with his last match. Initially nothing happens, but suddenly Weena tears off a small portion of her dress, and applies the piece to the torch. The torch bursts into flame, and the Morlocks squeal as they retreat. The Eloi are lined up ready to go up the same shaft George used to come down. A few hardy Morlocks try to block their food source from escaping. A Morlock with a whip knocks the torch from Georges hand. With the torch no longer present George and the Morlock wrestle. The obese, and hairy Morlocks pin George to the ground. Then the totally unexpected happens. The Eloi, who shown no interest in protecting themselves, suddenly attack, saving George. The surprised Morlock gets kicked in the chest, and cracks his head on the rocks. He does every homo sapien a favor by dying. George gets the torch back and sets fire to a petroleum based liquid, lighting up the Morlock world. The Morlocks set themselves ablaze as they try vainly to put the fire out. The Eloi start going up the shaft. Weena and George need to get out before they are burnt alive.

                            Weena tries to get the torch.

George prepares to wrestle with a Morlock while the Eloi do nothing

                                The Eloi learn to fight back

           The only good Morlock is a dead, or dying Morlock

                      George sets the Morlock world ablaze

                            George and Weena try to escape

The Eloi start popping out of the top of the shaft. As soon as George comes to the surface he shakes the hand of the young man who helped save his life. It was a small act, but the Eloi have learned that life is worth preserving. Barking like a general George commands the Eloi to throw any loose wood down all of the shafts. Within seconds the Eloi are doing just that. After tossing the wood down the shafts George tells everybody to go to the river. Seconds later a shaft explodes in flame, and collapses. Soon other shafts erupt in flame, and collapse. Before long shafts explode and belch out steam. Soon the roof of the Morlock world collapses crushing Morlocks and machinery. Not long after the collapse Weena and George relax, both knowing the Morlock terror is over. Weena is obviously looking at George from a romantic point of view. She asks him if he’s sorry he has to stay, and if he has special woman friend in his time. Weena then asks George how the women of his time wear their hair. They start getting very close when they are interrupted. The are told the sphinx is burning. And indeed it is. The heavy metal doors below the sphinx are open, and show the time machine. George runs to his creation and screws in the crystal control level. Suddenly the doors slam shut, and George realizes he is trapped. A few surviving Morlocks try to kill him. After a short lived scuffle George kills another Morlock. He pushes the control lever forward. After a while he is aware he is going further into the future. Slowly he moves control lever towards him so he’ll travel into the past. Back. Back to his time.

                       A handshake from men of two times

                                   Throwing wood down the shaft

                      The shafts erupt in fire and collapse

                        The end of the morlock world.

                 How do women of your time wear their hair ?

                                             The burnt out sphinx

Notice the wall behind the time machine. It’s flat and does not allow for passage from the right or left. George Pal changed this background to…

this. And if you take the time machine and the morlocks away you see the same background he used for the ring room.

                     George screws in the control lever

                           Another morlock bites the dust

                       A very tired George journeys back in time

                                Back to his time…but is it his place?

George has taken an hour and a half to tell his story. And none of his friends believe him. They accuse him of misplacing a week with the aid of alcohol. When none of them believe him they suggest it’s time to depart. Then George shows David the flower Weena gave him. He challenges David to match that flower to any flower growing today. Dr. Hillyer is indignant at being told such a silly story. Kemp suggests George should get some rest. Bridewell gets up from the table, but the wine he has consumed makes the task rather difficult.

As each of them pass the threshold of the door each says goodnight to George. But when David says goodnight George says “Thank you for being such a good friend”. This makes Filby stop and wonder. When he reaches the cab the others ask his opinion. “One thing is certain. Those flowers couldn't have possibly bloomed in the winter-time”. The cab goes off. Filby returns and knocks on the door. But there is no answer. Mrs. Watchett nor George can hear the door. She is in the kitchen, and he is dragging the time machine back into the lab. Filby calls out, but when he hears a strange sound he races for the laboratory. The locked door opens just as the time machine disappears. Mrs. Watchett joins him and asks what he thinks has happened. The time machine was outside when it returned. And inside the sphinx. Judging from the scratch marks on the floor Filby thinks George dragged the machine back inside the lab so it would appear outside the sphinx. And that George went back to help the Eloi build a new world, and to Weena.

As Mrs Watchett and Filby go through the living room they notice three books missing. But which ones. Mrs Watchett doesn’t know. Then Fiby asks “What three books would you have taken?”. Mrs. Watchett asks if he’ll ever return. “One cannot choose but wonder.  You see...he has all the time in the world”.

                         George take 1 1/2 hours to tell his story

                                        Nobody believes George

               George shows them the flower Weena gave him

                           Thank you for being such a good friend

                              That flower cannot bloom in the wintertime

                              George drags the machine into the lab

                                              Going back to Weena

                                      Helping the Eloi build a new world

                                        Which three books would you take ?