Original subtitles

is

i tell you

there's a big story in this

old town scared to death the house was

shaking so much last night i fell out of

bed

now there's something funny up there

like maybe the whole blue ridge

mountain's going to fall in on top of us

the people of morganton have the right

to some kind of protection

look handy how would i know what's

happening to those mountains you're the

mayor you can telegraph washington they

can find out what's going on up there

maybe get one of those experts down here

to have a look

what do you say clem

might be right

we could get an earthquake or something

i'd shake this old town to pieces

yeah

i suppose folks would feel happier if we

had some kind of emergency preparations

going

there she goes again

getting worse every time

hey

what what's that

andy help me clear the building clem get

down to the telegraph office this is too

big for us

we need help

message urgent message from the mayor

for washington dc hurry

my name is john strzok inspector john

strock of the united states federal

police

and where was i that fine april morning

in 1910

i know where i should have been

working on the car getting ready for an

automobile race

i've been looking forward to that race

all year i even had a chance of winning

it

i suppose it's a good thing after all

that i didn't know what was going to

happen in the next four weeks

what

no

of course we're doing the best we can

yes

yes some kind of earthquake right thanks

helen has inspector strzok come in yet

god sent him straight up and helen no

more calls for half an hour

morganton

morganton north carolina

i can't find

morgan welcome

north carolina you know north like

hey

yeah

good morning miss ward

good morning sir

hot walker greetings

oh hi john boy have they got a little

job for you

i tell you

struck you're two minutes late i'm sorry

sir but i was just thinking that this is

the fifth vacation in a row that i've

been forced to cancel because of some

emergency or other never mind about that

now

a volcano erupted in north carolina well

that's impossible the appalachian

mountains aren't volcanic and anyway

listen to me strzok

we've been asked to investigate i'm a

policeman sir not a geologist

the government's promised to help

just check it out will you

make sure it's not a forest fire or

someone been playing with dynamite up in

the hills

can i go too sir volcanoes was my best

subject at school

there's nothing i don't know about but

oh no walker you're too uh

too valuable

i need you here at headquarters

oh

gee

thank you mr ward

doc can you leave this morning if i can

get my bags packed daddy i'll help

inspect a struck thank you miss ward but

i'm quite well organized for a bachelor

come on strzok let amelia help you

why i believe my daughter might make a

good detective herself one day

she has to start somewhere

luxville

greensboro salisbury hickory morgan

a little bite to eat on your journey

thank you

oh the shame of it they've ruined your

holidays again have they so mean to you

policeman's lot is not a happy one mrs

sullivan

oh but look on the bright side mr strzok

you're well out of those automobile

races oh am i oh indeed ottoman beards

isn't natural sir if the good lord had

meant us to be tearing around the

countryside at 15 miles an hour he would

have given us wheels instead of legs

you taking this john

oh

horrible things guns they aren't natural

don't worry mrs o'sullivan i won't take

it can't find volcanoes with a gun or a

chinos he says what next

don't you go falling in no dangerous

volcanoes mr strzok you'll be cooked

like a lobster

quick it's a flash i'll be careful i

promise it's what daddy calls a routine

investigation

i'm pleased to hear it oh and don't

forget your toothbrush

inspector struck

if you go to morganton you will never

return

perhaps this won't be such a routine

investigation after all

of course i didn't pay any attention to

the white

at first i guessed that the explosions

might be caused by natural gas there's a

lot of coal in the region

but what about that note who would want

to keep me away from

and what was he trying to hide

anyway as it turned out i was lucky to

get to morganton at all

hey

so

hahaha

thank you

oh

inspector strzok i presume

sure

that was a kind of dramatic entrance

inspector

they said you do auto racing in your

spare time but

oh

something wrong

brakes failed on the last hill

someone burned through the brake rods

you know they really did try to kill me

and the fire and smoke came from that

peak there around here they call it the

eagle's nest

the shaking stopped and then

some kind of burning rock went shooting

right over morganton

it was very strange inspector the rock

went up all right but it never did come

down again

strange looking mountain

i want to check it as soon as possible

the eagles nest

lou knows the country pretty well

he'll take you up there tomorrow

can't guarantee anything mr mayor nobody

ever climbed the eagles nest yet

i tell you that mountain goes straight

up and down smooth as glass all the way

hope you're feeling fit mr struck you

can't drive that fancy automobile up the

sides of the eagle's nest and i'm

warning you that won't be a picnic

these stones weren't here last time

they must have come down in the last

quake

i watch it very tricky stuff

low blue

grab this quick

hold it i'll pull you up

oh i wasn't cut out to be a mountain

climber

much further to go

no at the top of this rise there's a

flat bit with some trees

we won't get much higher than that i can

tell you

can we camp up there

sure mr stock we'll camp for the night

check out those last slopes in the

morning

boy the eagles nest

now that's what i call a mountain

how long has this been going on luke the

earth tremor's fire i didn't see much

happening today

that's the way it is mr struck nothing

happens for weeks then bang away she

goes

and sometimes there's this weird noise a

humming noise like one of those electric

machines i saw one time in new york

and then the shaking starts but you said

no one lives around here that's right

watch out

hey

what happened

right through

she's starting up again

get back under the ledge quick

well

that's it

there won't be anyone climbing up the

eagle's nest now or ever hmm guess

you're right

you know i've never seen a rock slide

like that before almost as if the whole

thing was

deliberate

paper

paper

united states threatened

to united states government special

electric wireless broadcast today

oh thanks mister

paper

you're two days late sorry sir something

happened

i've got the morgan to report not now

listen

and in the air

i will demonstrate my power for two

weeks

beginning at midnight tonight inside the

city of washington

nothing

my next orders will be carried out

immediately and without question

you will learn to obey

the master of the world

i'm sorry

you can see why i'll have to take you

off the morganton business straw

but who is he really

we don't know who he is

nobody's ever seen him if we could only

identify him we'd have a better chance

of catching him you really are taking

him seriously then

direct orders

from the president

that's serious

i'm putting you on the case too

no vacation

no vacation

you start right now

two impossible mysteries in the same

week first the eagle's best

now this second one

eleven o'clock

one hour to go

what did he say again

i control the terrifying power of

science

science

science that's it science

institute institute of science

weldon institute of science washington

dr weapon is there anyone you can think

of any scientist in particular who might

have some reason some motive for

threatening the country like this

believe me inspector we scientists are a

pretty responsible people

there's no one who oh

yes

oh there was a scientist used to work

here

very strange

oh but that was more than three years

ago who was he

what's that

i i don't know i've never heard it

before well i have come on

inspector what are you doing

how did you know the institute would be

destroyed

why did you ask about the scientist

what's this all about doctor wait wait

we'll try to sort it out headquarters

just wait till tomorrow please

brilliant work inspector

if you can predict the next target we'll

be waiting for him with a regimen of

artillery if necessary you won't catch

this bird with guns sir

but you might catch him with cunning

that's why i've asked dr weldon a lot he

might be able to identify the master of

the world

gentlemen three years ago in 1907

we had a special meeting of the welding

institute of science

and in conclusion gentlemen i believe

that when man really learns to fly

through the air with safety and speed

it won't be in ridiculous contraptions

like this

flimsy dangerous heavier-than-air

machines

the only hope for aircraft design lies

right here

the powered airship is the flying

machine of the future no

lies lies professor you're not scheduled

to speak

this is the airplane of the future

you dare laugh at me

i tell you with my machine i will

conquer the air

and he who conquers the air

conquers the world

i will then challenge anyone in the

whole world

to do what i can do

out with this

and this

and this practice

that man was professor robert

that's a picture of him there

he disappeared soon after but he's the

only one i can think of would want to

destroy the institute of science the

whole country believes it was the master

of the world who did that sir i believe

that professor robert and this master of

the world are the same person

what

dr weldon you said that professor robert

challenged anyone in the world to beat

him yes

air sea or land i'm going to accept his

challenge

you there's only one way to catch him

lure him out into the open make him show

himself

but how

the wisconsin automobile race starts

next week i've been preparing for it all

year

there'll be drivers there from all over

the world with the world's fastest

automobiles

this professor rover boasted about an

aircraft

he may well have some kind of advanced

flying machine but you're challenging

him to a road race

he said he was master of the air the sea

and the land let him prove it inspector

if you're right the master of the world

is really professor rover

he won't resist a challenge like that

challenge to master of the world read

all about it

paper

the man who calls himself master of the

world

i will be driving in the wisconsin

automobile club international road race

tomorrow for the world land speed record

i challenge you to be there

from prairie du chien to dodgeville

madison jefferson

and then milwaukee 200 miles

and i've got federal agents from here

right down to lake michigan

for if he joins the race anywhere along

the way

we'll throw up roadblocks to catch him

hard and walker will follow the field

gentlemen start in two minutes

remember

if he does appear just follow him and

don't worry about that precious car of

yours if you damage it we'll get you a

new one

john good luck

now

walker

turn it the other way

so

no trouble sir all clear

faster faster

look

this way get out of his way go this way

put up the roadblocks roadblocks quick

and get those rifles

struck

take it easy

easy

i i'm all right

i don't know how

but i'm all right

we timed that

that

thing

and it was moving at more than

250 miles an hour

that's three times faster than the land

speed record

and then it just uh vanished yeah

somewhere near lake michigan

and here we are

back where we started from not quite sir

i'm certain that this master of the

world is professor rover and we know

that he won't miss any chance to show

off that machine of his to show the

world how fast and powerful it is

and we also know that we've got no

chance of stopping

he said that he would demonstrate his

power over the whole country

i don't like the sound of that

maybe he'll change his mind

he might not attack again

he'll attack all right

i just hope that when he does he'll make

some mistake

there's nothing we can do but wait

and that's exactly what we did we waited

but then the reports done coming in

bridges

trains

public buildings steel works factories

even army barriers

nothing was safe

we were helpless

yes

we're doing all we can sir

as soon as we know anything

yes sir

cleveland pittsburgh baltimore

charleston

jacksonville

hmm

cleveland to jacksonville bottom of

memphis mr ward look at this

all the places which he's attacked

washington cincinnati birmingham and the

other see on the east

look at the pattern

jacksonville memphis indianapolis it's

one big circle

he hasn't gone outside that circle

why not

fuel

fuel

that machine of his must run on some

kind of fuel some special fuel

that circles about 900 miles across

he must leave his base and then return

to it

i think that machine of his has a range

of about 450 miles he's probably got

fuel stored all around here

go on

and some central base or headquarters

and take a look what's in the center of

the circle

headquarters of the master of the world

the eagle's best

but what if that is his hideout we can't

get near it

we have nothing to match that

we can't touch him in the air

we can't touch him on land he'd probably

beat us on the water too the water we

haven't challenged him on the water sir

i have an idea that just might work

sorry inspector i still don't get this

plan of yours what exactly do we do

you and heart take the special search

squads down along the northern bank of

lake erie from toledo to cedar point

right right

hey you know my grandmother lives in

toledo one day she said to me worker

you're a fool

my grandmother never said that to me

sorry

take your man and look for some kind of

fuel dump hidden on the shore i don't

know what fuel that machine of his uses

but anything suspicious put a heavy

guard on it i'll join you would see the

point in seven days but first i've got

an appointment with the navy

this is most irregular inspector struck

the navy never advertises facts about

its vessels especially these they're top

secret do you know that the stingray and

the sea raider are the fastest ships in

the entire fleet

i know that captain and i want the

entire country to know it too

there isn't much time captain

these are your special orders from the

president of the united states

and my orders are to stay aboard the

stingray as observer the whole country

is being threatened by a man

what he has done so far is only the

beginning

he will destroy entire cities next but

what can we do we believe that if he

knows about these speed trials of yours

he'll come to lake erie to show the

superior power and speed of his own

craft he's already done so on land

speed on water is a different matter

altogether

he'll need an amazing ship to beat us

but why this great race we think that

his base is in north carolina

we want him to use so much fuel chasing

you around the lake that he'll have to

refuel before he can return home if we

can catch him while he's refueling we've

got him

i don't like playing games inspector why

don't we just blast him not a bad idea

captain if he doesn't blast us first

but this afternoon the navy chief will

make this public announcement

the navy department today announced

endurance and speed trials for two of

its newly commissioned torpedo

destroyers the stingray and the sea

raider

a grueling 250 mile run from toledo to

buffalo will really test the navy's

claim that these ships are the fastest

in the world

right

forward

boy look those ships move

that inspector structure is a lucky guy

see walker wouldn't it be great to be

aboard

no thanks i get seasick when i drink a

glass of water

increase to 25 knots 25 knots steady

five hours out of fort

i think he'll take the bait now just

hope he does captain this is our last

hope

message from sea raider sir craft a

stern approaching fast

um increasing speed

very not increase the 30

impossible

nothing can move like that

engines full ahead

prepare for action stand by guards stand

by top heels

500 yards and clothing faster

she's gonna ride us gunners

target the stern fire at will

stern tube

range

300 fire

she's gone sir direct hit

reduce speed

i'm not teleport

search for survivors

speed isn't everything

can't believe it captain it was too easy

you did hit it didn't you we couldn't

miss at that range inspector

anyway

he's gone

i'm not a navy man but i would have

thought there'd be some evidence pieces

of timber floating about in the water

some wreckage

what's that sound

sound

captain get this ship moving

why

i thought you wanted to check for

records hurry move this ship out fast

it's back moving fast sir coming to the

hat collision course

engine's full

how to stop it

raider

hurry up there get them aboard

take over the bridge full speed bubble

sir

if it's any consolation to you captain

you accomplished your mission with my

new ship sunk

ha

yes you forced him to use up his fuel

with the sea raider patrolling the

southern shore these next few days we

may have him it's like chasing a tiger

with a pop gun inspector

why do you do it

it's my job captain and anyway i can

hardly wait to be back in toledo to

spring this trap

me

what walker

remember we don't want the men in the

truck we can pick them up later right

let's go no noise

gets down

that's it

hmm

now

stop them we're coming hold on wait on

hold on

inspector mr stop

oh

inspector struck

you have more lives than a cat but your

luck has just run out

so has yours professor rover you can't

run this ship without fuel

so you know

well

i may have been robo once but i am

master of the world now

now person buffalo sea rate of falling

behind

slow the engines

let him catch up

what are you doing

the sea raiders came to follow me

he can follow me

over the niagara falls

reduce speed

fire warning shots

i think we've got a trapped her she

can't turn her dive and the balls are

gonna head she has to stop

steering scott sir the current's got us

we're heading for the falls

runner-up

look at that

and now inspector

since you were so anxious to inspect the

eagle's nest

i will allow you to see it

your first time

and your last

the eagles next

incredible

but why build all this here

you should know that inspector struck

they rejected my theories

they handed me out

they laughed at me

i came here to perfect my inventions in

secret

they aren't laughing at me now

bring all the documents and papers

aboard

and the bombs what are you doing silence

this is the master of the world

i have shown you that i am the master of

the year

i am the most powerful man in the world

i can't hear him through that static

it's some kind of interference

there's an electric storm coming a big

one

that must be

wait

i've got it

you tried to destroy me

in return i will destroy you

you can't do that it's madness

but why why destroy the eagle's nest

i don't need it anymore you see

i will build my new headquarters

on the ashes of washington

no

no

remove him

electrical storm over washington

instruments indicate the area is too

dangerous to enter

too dangerous for me the master of the

world

no

now get this thing down on the ground

you'll fool

you can't stop me

look

there it

is it's heading for the patromac come on

and that's how it ended i must have been

thrown clear when we hit the water

they searched but they never did find

rover or his amazing machine

and today when i think back i wonder

whether we can ever use science purely

for the good of mankind

or whether someday

flying out of peaceful skies on wings of

steel

will come a new and even more terrible

master of the world

you