The Tunnel (1935)
Synopsis: A group of wealthy industrialists gather in the home of Mr. Lloyd, a millionaire who introduces them to Richard "Mack" McAllan, the engineer who successfully spearheaded the construction of the Channel Tunnel (the story takes place in the unspecified near-future, though it is noted in the film that the Channel Tunnel is built "in 1940"). McAllan informs the group that the "Allanite steel" he developed, along with a "radium drill" developed by his friend Frederick "Robbie" Robbins, make it possible to construct an undersea tunnel linking England with the United States. Though the group is initially skeptical, the backing of Lloyd and his associate Mostyn convinces the group to buy shares in the project.
Three years later, construction is underway on the tunnel. McAllan is a worldwide celebrity, but his immersion in the project keeps him from his devoted wife Ruth and their young son Geoffrey. Called to New York to revive the sagging shares in the tunnel company, he is forced to miss the celebration of Geoffrey's birthday. The pictures of McAllan with Lloyd's attractive daughter Varila add to Ruth's sense of isolation, and she decides to work in the tunnel as a nurse. There she is affected by an unknown gas afflicting the workers and loses her eyesight. Worried that her husband no longer loves her and not wanting him to stay with her out of pity, Ruth leaves McAllan. Heartbroken at her unexplained departure, McAllan throws himself into the project, alienating Robbins in the process.
Years pass. Though the cost of the tunnel in lives and money continues to mount, political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic eagerly anticipate its completion and the unity and peace it will bring. Ruth lives in the countryside with her now-grown son, who lobbies Robbins to find him a job working in the tunnel. The tunnel itself is nearing completion, but the workers encounter a submarine volcano that will necessitate a detour. When McAllan requests more sums to establish a detour, he encounters the opposition of Grellier, an arms manufacturer who, along with Mostyn, manipulated the stock price to become the single largest shareholder. Lloyd knows that Grellier and Mostyn plan to use the delay to take total control of the tunnel, but Varila convinces Mostyn to fund further construction by promising him what he always wanted -- her hand in marriage. Though the project goes forward, Grellier has Mostyn killed in retaliation.
Despite the renewed effort, samples indicate the volcano may be too large to drill around. The drill breaks through to volcanic gases that kill hundreds of workers, including Geoffrey. With drilling stopped, the project seems on the verge of collapse, with the peace it promised to be replaced by a new arms race. Yet determined to see the project through and fortified by the reappearance of Ruth (who came to the tunnel site to discover Geoffrey's fate), McAllan vows to press on. With a handful of volunteers, McAllan mans the radium drill and drills past the volcano, ensuring the completion of the tunnel and the peace it promises.
