On the Beach (1959)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Stanley Kramer

Writers:

John Paxton (screenplay)
Nevil Shute (novel)

Release Date:

17 December 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The residents of Australia after a global nuclear war must come to terms with the fact that all life will be destroyed in a matter of months.

Plot Keywords:

Australia | Nuclear War | Submarine | Nuclear Fallout | Radiation

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Cmdr. Dwight Lionel Towers, USS Sawfish
Ava Gardner	...	Moira Davidson
Fred Astaire	...	Julian Osborne
Anthony Perkins	...	Lt. Cmdr. Peter Holmes, Royal Australian Navy
Donna Anderson	...	Mary Holmes
John Tate	...	Adm. Bridie
Harp McGuire	...	Lt. Sunderstrom (ashore in San Diego)
Lola Brooks	...	Lt. Hosgood (Bridie's secretary)
Ken Wayne	...	Lt. Benson
Guy Doleman	...	Lt. Cmdr. Farrel
Richard Meikle	...	Davis
John Meillon	...	Ralph Swain (ashore in San Francisco)
Joe McCormick	...	Ackerman (radiation sickness)
Lou Vernon	...	Bill Davidson (Moira's father)
Kevin Brennan	...	Dr. King (radiation diagnosis)

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Germany:16 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #19372) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Canadian Bay, Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Trivia:

The only US Nuclear submarine with the hull number 623 was the SSBN Nathan Hale, a ballistic missile submarine.

Goofs:

Continuity: As has been pointed out in another "Goof", Peter's appointment with Admiral Bridie is for 11:00, yet when he enters Bridie's office the clock on the wall reads 10:04. In addition to this error, throughout Peter's meeting with the Admiral, followed by the Admiral's subsequent exchange with Osgood, the time on the clock never changes from 10:04, though several minutes have elapsed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dwight Towers: Prepare to surface.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in There's Always Vanilla (1971)

Soundtrack:

WALTZING MATILDA

Chillingly understated

Is "under-wrought" a word? If so, this movie defines it. A great cast never seems like its acting in an all-too-realistic portrayal of the fifth Kubler-Ross phase of humanity. Past denial and anger, there is finally grim acceptance, replete with just the perfect sprinkling of gallows humour. The ultimate philosophical question is raised by author Nevil Chute,"What is truly important in life, if in the end, we're all dead?"