| Back from Eternity | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | John Farrow |
| Produced by | John Farrow |
| Written by | Richard Carroll (story) Jonathan Latimer |
| Starring | Robert Ryan Anita Ekberg Rod Steiger Phyllis Kirk Keith Andes Gene Barry |
| Music by | Franz Waxman |
| Cinematography | William C. Mellor |
| Editing by | Eda Warren |
| Studio | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Release date(s) | September 7, 1956 |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Back from Eternity is a 1956 drama film about a planeload of people stranded in the South American jungle and subsequently menaced by headhunters. It is a remake of an earlier 1939 film, Five Came Back, starred Chester Morris and Lucille Ball, also directed and produced by John Farrow. Richard Carroll, who is credited with writing the story for Back from Eternity, wrote the original story for Five Came Back.
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The plane is bound for bound for Boca Grande, somewhere in South America, making a pick-up stop in Central America. The supposed New York airport control tower shown near the beginning of the film is actually that of Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California.
Passengers: Jud Ellis (Gene Barry) is escorting his fiancé Louise Melhorn (Phyllis Kirk); repentant political assassin Vasquel (Rod Steiger) is being transported back to the proper authorities by detective Crimp (Fred Clark); mobster Pete Bostwick (Jesse White) is accompanying a little boy named Tommy, whose father is Bostwick's boss; an elderly couple, Professor and Mrs. Spanger (Cameron Prud'Homme and Beulah Bondi), are apparently on vacation; and jilted blonde bombshell Rena (Anita Ekberg), on her way to a South American casino, is vying for Ellis's attention.
After a temporary stop in Panama, Professor Spanger wishes to order “arroz con pollo” at a local restaurant. His wife prevents him from ordering a dish not “meant for human consumption;” the dish is merely Spanish for chicken and rice.
During its flight, the plane enters a rough storm and is dangerously jostled about. A portable oxygen tank is loosened from its mooring, and crashes through one of the fuselage doors, killing the flight attendant when she is thrown out of the plane.
The crew is then forced to make an emergency landing in the jungle, aircraft intact. Crimp tries to take charge of the group, but the captain stops him.
Momentarily, Ellis becomes psychologically unhinged, and tries to force himself upon Louise, but co-pilot Brooks steps in to dissuade him.
Late at night, Crimp renders Bostwick temporarily unconscious, steals the gun he was guarding, then flees into the jungle.
Later, the aircraft is repaired, but soon after searching and finding an errant Tommy, Bostwick and Rena discover Crimp’s headless body. Soon, local head hunters shoot Bostwick dead by poison dart.
The crew and passengers decide the best escape strategy; since there is only one good engine to help the plane fly over the mountains, the human cargo will have to be exceptionally light, so some will have to stay behind. With gun in hand, Vasquel forcibly takes charge of the matter, and chooses those that will be able to return to civilization; Ellis tries to stop him and is shot dead. The plane manages to take off, dropping off a cliff and then narrowly clearing the mountains.
The elderly Spanger couple choose to stay behind, facing a horrible death from the head hunters. With only two bullets left in his gun, Vasquel shoots the Spanger couple and prays for forgiveness as he waits for his own death.
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