''Time Travelers'' is a 1976 science fiction film directed by

Alexander Singer Alexander Singer (born 18 April 1928, in New York City, New York, died 28 December 2020) was an American director. He began his career behind the camera in 1951 as a cinematographer on the short documentary ''Day of the Fight'', directed by his ...

and starring

Sam Groom Samuel J. Groom is an American actor noted for his work on television. Groom was born in Columbus, Ohio. Groom portrayed Tom Eldridge in the CBS drama ''Our Private World'' (1965),. Following the cancellation of that prime-time serial, he rep ...

, Tom Hallick, and

Richard Basehart John Richard Basehart (August 31, 1914 – September 17, 1984) was an American actor. He starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson in the television science-fiction drama ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' (1964–68). He also portrayed Wilton Knight ...

. The

teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or an ...

was credited to

Jackson Gillis Jackson Clark Gillis (August 21, 1916 – August 19, 2010) was an American radio and television scriptwriter whose career spanned more than 40 years and encompassed a wide range of genres. Gillis was born in Kalama, Washington to a highway eng ...

from a story by

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator/on-screen host, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series ' ...

. The film was originally developed by

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen, June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film gen ...

as the

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

for a prospective remake of the 1960s series ''

The Time Tunnel ''The Time Tunnel'' is an American color science fiction TV series written around a theme of time travel adventure starring James Darren and Robert Colbert. The show was creator-producer Irwin Allen's third science-fiction television series and ...

'', which ran only one season.Travelers Out of Sync Shales, Tom. The Washington Post 19 Mar 1976: B13. Due to litigation the pilot did not sell and was repackaged as a standalone

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

Charles Willard Byrd Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

claimed that the story was based heavily on his unpublished 1959 book ''A Time To Live''. Byrd and the producers reached a settlement that included modest monetary compensation and allowed Byrd to claim the original story as his work, although the title sequence was not reshot to reflect this.

Plot

During a

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...

parade in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, a girl becomes the latest victim of the deadly virus "XB". Dr. Clinton Earnshaw (

) has been following the outbreak but only is able to diagnose it. The federal government assigns him Jeff Adams ( Tom Hallick), who has no medical or scientific training. Though Earnshaw is initially bemused by the assignment, Adams' value emerges when he remembers the 19th century discovery of a virus with similar characteristics. Known at the time as "Wood's Fever", it was discovered by Dr. Joshua P. Henderson (

). Both men know that Henderson's notes were destroyed in the

1871 Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...

, his only remaining artifact a gold pocket watch. Adams introduces Earnshaw to a former NASA physicist and Nobel laureate, Dr. Amos Cummings (

Booth Colman Booth Colman (March 8, 1923 – December 15, 2014) was an American film, television and stage actor. In his later years he played older authority figures, such as doctors and lawyers. Colman appeared in films since 1952, when he debuted (uncredi ...

), and his colleague Dr. Helen Sanders (

Francine York Francine York (born Francine Yerich; August 26, 1936 – January 6, 2017) was an American actress and model. She also used the name Francine Yerick. Early life Francine Yerich was born to Frank and Sophie Yerich in the small mining town Aurora ...

). The physicists have been experimenting with time travel and reveal their plan to send Earnshaw and Adams back in time to find Henderson's cure for Wood's Fever. After being outfitted with period gear, clothing, a small microscope and portable centrifuge, Earnshaw and Adams are briefed on the dangers of time travel. They step through a vault-like door into a room with a view of endless cloud-filled sky, and the process begins. On arrival, they discover that the machine has placed them a day and a half later than expected in the center of Chicago, instead of near Henderson's home outside the city with three days to achieve their goal. Posing as doctors sent from Washington, DC, they find Henderson at his hospital and ask him about his success with the virus. Henderson confesses that he does not know why his patients are surviving. His treatment involves palliative drugs washed down with homemade

elderberry ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ge ...

wine. Adams and Earnshaw perform their own tests on Henderson's patients, but are equally baffled by their recovery. While trying to obtain a blood sample from one of the survivors, Adams initially thinks he's killed the man but discovers that he had not been cured and would have died anyway. Their mission is further complicated when Earnshaw and Henderson's niece, Jane (

Trish Stewart Trish Stewart (born June 14, 1946) is an American television actress. She was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She is most recognized for her regular role as Chris Brooks Foster on the CBS soap ''The Young and the Restless''. She was part of th ...

), fall in love. Earnshaw contracts the virus while working with Henderson's patients. When the Great Fire breaks out, the travelers are no closer to the cure. Adams decides to take all of Henderson's paperwork and return to the future, but he is interrupted when a suspicious assistant enters the room. The assistant holds a telegram from Washington, responding to Henderson's cable of thanks with the information that Adams and Earnshaw were not sent by the government. Earnshaw realizes a substance in Henderson's homemade wine is the cure; the only patients who succumbed were those who refused to take alcohol. The race is on to recover the last bottle of wine. They show Henderson the futuristic microscope and centrifuge and recite the inscription inside his pocket watch, convincing him that they are from the future. Despite knowing their fate, the Hendersons remain at the hospital with a trapped patient and perish in an explosion. The travelers return to the departure point with the wine just in time. In 1976, Henderson's wine saves Earnshaw and also the girl stricken during Mardi Gras. After the success of their mission, Adams and Earnshaw visit the graves of Henderson and his niece in Chicago. They place a letter of thanks from the President on Henderson's grave. Earnshaw admits that in loving Jane he "fell in love with history".

Cast

as Dr. Clint Earnshaw * Tom Hallick as Jeff Adams *

as Dr. Helen Sanders *

as Dr. Joshua Henderson *

as Jane Henderson *

as Dr. Amos Cummings

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 0075330 1976 films 1976 television films 1970s science fiction films Films about time travel Films set in 1871 Films produced by Irwin Allen 20th Century Fox Television films ABC network original films American science fiction films Films directed by Alexander Singer 1970s English-language films 1970s American films