IMDb >
On the Beach (1959)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsOn the Beach (1959) More at IMDbPro »
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
17 December 1959 (USA)
more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars.
Another 3 wins
&
6 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Eric Roberts: The Hollywood Interview
(From The Hollywood Interview. 2 November 2009, 10:23 AM, PST)
He’s Not Coming Back: Point Break 2 Stays On The Beach
(From FilmShaft.com. 10 September 2009, 10:05 AM, PDT)
(From The Hollywood Interview. 2 November 2009, 10:23 AM, PST)
He’s Not Coming Back: Point Break 2 Stays On The Beach
(From FilmShaft.com. 10 September 2009, 10:05 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Perfectly paced and well acted, it keeps melodrama minimised
more (122 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | 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) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
134 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Germany:16 |
UK:PG |
USA:Approved (PCA #19372) |
Canada:PG (video rating) |
Norway:16 |
Australia:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Ava Gardner's first film as a freelance actress after completing her 20 year studio contract where she worked for a weekly salary and didn't benefit financially from being loaned to other studios. She was now free to choose her roles and negotiate her salary.
more
Goofs:
Plot holes: In the film, only Australia is said to still support human life after the atomic war: a nearly impossible scenario, but very definitely stated. Yet when Peter, at the beach, asks the doctor for help in getting the suicide pills, he mentions that they already have them at "Moresby and Darwin". Port Moresby is in New Guinea; therefore, if life exists only in Australia, the issue of suicide pills should never have arisen in that town.
more
Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004) (VG)
more
Soundtrack:
Waltzing Matilda
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (122 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for On the Beach (1959) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Shelter | The Day After | Threads | Testament | Terminator Salvation |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
In an era (1959) and on a topic (nuclear war) that usually demands melodrama, "On the Beach" resists. In fact, the all-star principal cast and director Stanley Kramer seem to treat the topic as a stage play, focussing on the individual. And that is how such a story should be treated. Life on the northern hemisphere has been destroyed a defence mistake by one of the (then) two superpowers. Gregory Peck's nuclear-powered submarine was submerged at the time (they stayed under water for a hell of a long time in those days). The sub heads for Melbourne, Australia, which is one of the only places in the world not yet affected by radiation. But the radiation will come, and this is where the truth of the piece comes out.
The inhabitants of 'the end of the world' go through what you would expect: denial, anger, clinging to the thinnest hope, and finally, resignation. As I said at the start, this is clearly a story about the individual. Kramer knows this, and the cast of Ava Gardner, Tony Perkins, John Meillon and Fred Astaire play it with a reality that is all too rare. Even recent films like Final Impact fail to deliver on this count. The real joy of the film is the pacing, which gives the cast the chance to play it like it should be played. Astaire proves he is an actor, and only once slips into his raised eyebrow 'top hat and tails' mode. It is a well thought out movie without the Hollywood ending, but such is the art of Kramer that the ending is a good resolution, not just a funeral. The camera work is exceptional throughout, starting with the continuous shots in Peck's submarine. I don't know about the Waltzing Matilda music at the start, however. But it does work later in the piece, and makes it worthy of the Academy Award nomination it received.