Day the World Ended

Day the World Ended

Theatrical release poster by Albert Kallis
Directed by Roger Corman
Produced by Roger Corman
executive
Alex Gordon
Written by Lou Rusoff
Starring Richard Denning
Lori Nelson
Adele Jergens
Mike Connors
Narrated by Chet Huntley
Music by Ronald Stein
Cinematography Jockey Arthur Feindel
(as Jock Feindel)
Edited by Ronald Sinclair
Production
company
Golden State Productions
Distributed by American Releasing Corporation (ARC)
Release dates
  • December 1955 (1955-12)
Running time
 79 min
Country United States
Language English
Budget $96,234.49[1][2]
Box office $400,000 (part of double bill)[1]

Day the World Ended (1955) was the fourth film directed by Roger Corman. Rick (Richard Denning) is a heroic scientist who, among others, must face off against a mutant monster (Paul Blaisdell) after an atomic war destroys human civilization. Chet Huntley of NBC, later of The Huntley-Brinkley Report, narrates. The film was released by American International Pictures as a double feature with The Beast with a Million Eyes.

The film is referred to in a 2001 horror film of the same title, The Day the World Ended. The film was remade in 1967 with the title In the Year 2889 with the dialogue repeated almost entirely verbatim.

Plot

An atomic war has seemingly destroyed most (if not all) human civilization, leaving Earth contaminated with radioactive fallout. The apparent single exception is a box canyon, surrounded by lead-bearing cliffs, in which former Navy Commander Jim Maddison lives with daughter Louise (Lori Nelson) in a home stocked with supplies anticipating just such a holocaust. Louise is engaged to be married, but her fiance is missing.

Into this natural bomb shelter come stumbling survivors, who by chance were inside the canyon when the war occurred. After initially refusing to admit them, Jim relents when his daughter appeals to his humanity. Among the survivors are a geologist, Rick (Richard Denning), who happens to specialize in uranium mining, and a small-time hood, Tony (Mike Connors, billed as "Touch" Connors), with his "moll" Ruby (Adele Jergens), on their way to San Francisco.

There are two struggles for survival: the first is a simple question of whether the radioactive fallout will dissipate, and if so, before the rain comes to wash what's in the atmosphere down to Earth, contaminating the shelter. The second threat comes in the form of a giant, hideous monster, which seems bent on killing anything it comes across, but only eating those creatures contaminated by fallout.

A less obvious, but no less dangerous, threat is the hidden menace of Tony; although seemingly charming and helpful, his true character and intentions are that he wants the other men out of the way, so that he can have the two women to himself.

All three dangers coincide as the monster kidnaps Louise. It then releases her into a small lake, where he is obviously afraid to enter. Rick appears and attacks the creature, which runs away as it begins to rain. Following the creature destroyed by the rain, they realize that it is Louise's missing fiance. Tony, having stabbed Ruby to death when she realizes that he wants to be with the younger Louise, then steals Jim's pistol. He waits to waylay Rick when he returns with Louise. As he takes aim, Jim reveals a concealed pistol and shoots Tony dead.

Jim then dies from radiation poisoning, but not before revealing that the rain is radiation-free and will wash away all of the remaining contamination, making the world safe to venture out into again. He has heard voices of other survivors on the radio. Rick and Louise, the final two survivors of this group, walk hand-in-hand out of the canyon, with the end-card "The Beginning" appearing on the screen.

Cast

Production

James Nicholson of AIP thought up a title then commissioned Lou Rusoff to write a script.[3] It was the second film by Golden State for the American Releasing Corp.[4]

The film was shot over ten days.[5] Denning was paid $7,500 plus a percentage.[3]

Release

It was released on a double bill with The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues. The two of them proved popular, due in part to some savvy marketing by James H. Nicholson. Within two months of release the films had earned $400,000.[1]

Reception

3 out of 5 critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a positive review but the film still only holds a 40% audience score.[6] It holds a low 5.4/10 on the Internet Movie Database from 1200 users.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mark McGee, Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures, McFarland, 1996 p46-49
  2. ↑ Gary A. Smith, American International Pictures: The Golden Years, Bear Manor Media 2014 p 25
  3. 1 2 Tom Weaver, Earth Vs. the Sci-fi Filmmakers: 20 Interviews McFarland, 2005 p 115-126
  4. ↑ MOVIELAND EVENTS: Adele Jergens Stars in Science Thriller Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 06 Aug 1955: 13.
  5. ↑ Alan Frank, The Films of Alan Frank: Shooting My Way Out of Trouble, Bath Press, 1998 p 28
  6. ↑ Rotten Tomatoes
  7. ↑ Internet Movie Database

External links

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