Transatlantic Tunnel (1935)

Visionary engineer Richard McAllan (Richard Dix) has a plan to build a Transatlantic Tunnel from Britain to America. You know, for world peace. All he needs is for some rich people to finance it. The project takes many years and impacts our hero’s life and family in many ways, while the rich people play games in the background. Gosh, that financier’s daughter is awfully pretty.

Originally titled The Tunnel, it is based somewhat loosely on the 1913 book Der Tunnel, which was also made into a 1933 German film. Infrastructure scenes were borrowed for the British version. Our hero’s life becomes consumed by the project. Not only does he deal with technical issues, he has to make sure the funds stay flowing, and even flies to America for publicity events. Wait a minute! He flies to America?

This film has been on my radar for quite a while and I don’t recall why. It must have been on a list of great early sci-fi movies. It has been compared to Things to Come (1936) which should have been a red flag. High concept, hit or miss scientific predictions, boring story. There is something infuriating about British movie dialog. They talk in circles, never say what’s on their mind, and use figures of speech that seem completely wrong for the situation. The Holly and the Ivy (1953) is probably the worst offender, but at least it had a fleshed out interpersonal story.

The sci-fi elements of Transatlantic Tunnel are admittedly interesting. Some thirty years later plate tectonics science would steal it’s thunder, but that’s not too bad of a run. The problem lays with the fact that building a tunnel, even if we forget about commercial airlines and plate tectonics, isn’t terribly interesting. Add to that the brit-speak and weak storyline and you end up with a film about as interesting as digging a hole. AMRU 2.