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The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)
Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1961
Running Times: 90 mins
Format: black and white 35mm
Dyaliscope
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: mono
CREDITS
PRODUCTION
Production Companies: British Lion Film Corporation / Pax Films
Producer: Val
Guest
Associate Producer: Frank Sherwin Green
Production Manager: Clifton Brandon
SCRIPT
Script: Wolf Mankowitz, Val
Guest
DIRECTION
Director: Val
Guest
Assistant Director: Philip Shipway
2nd Assistant Director: Terry Lens (uncredited)
3rd Assistant Director: Bernard Williams (uncredited)
PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Harry Waxman
Camera Operator: Moray Grant
Focus Pullers: Wally Byatt (uncredited), James Devis (uncredited)
Clapper Loader: Jimmy Stilwell
Chargehand Electrics: Bert Owen (uncredited)
Stills: John Jay
EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Bill Lenny
1st Assistant Editor: Mike Round (uncredited)
2nd Assistant Editor: Gillian Scott (uncredited)
MUSIC
Musical Director: Stanley Black
Beatnik Music: Monty Norman
SOUND
Sound Recording: Buster Ambler
Boom Operator: Peter Dukelow (uncredited)
Dubbing Editor: Chris Greenham
MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Tony Sforzini
Make Up Assistant: Robert Alexander (uncredited)
Hair: Joyce James
Costume Designer: Beatrice Dawson
Wardrobe Mistress: Dulcie Midwinter (uncredited)
Assistant Wardrobe: Joyce Stoneman (uncredited)
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Les Bowie
DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Tony Masters
Assistant Art Director: Geoffrey Tozer (uncredited)
Set Decorator: Scott Slimon
Draughtsmen: Martin Atkinson (uncredited), William Bennison (uncredited)
Scenic Artist: Peter Melrose (uncredited)
Prop Buyer: Harry Parr (uncredited)
Chargehand Props: E. Kell (uncredited)
Standby Props: A. Coates (uncredited)
MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Pamela Carlton
Technical Advisor: Arthur Christiansen
Studio Publicity Director: Dora Dobson (uncredited)
Production Accountant: Barry Davis (uncredited)
Assistant Accountant: Maureen Newman (uncredited)
Production Secretaries: Jill Langley (uncredited), Terry Baldwin (uncredited)
LOCATIONS
Locations: Daily Express building, Fleet Street, London, England, UK;
Trafalgar Square, London, England, UK; Battersea Park Fun Fair, Battersea,
London, UK
CAST
Edward
Judd (Peter Stenning)
Janet Munro (Jeannie Craig)
Leo McKern (Bill Maguire)
Michael Goodliffe ('Jacko' Jackson, night editor)
Arthur Christiansen ('Jeff' Jefferson, Daily Express)
Reginald Beckwith (Harry)
Gene Anderson (May)
Renée Asherson (Angela)
Robin Hawdon (Ronnie (uncredited))
Bernard Braden (news editor)
Trevor Austin (Sir John Kelly (uncredited))
Peter Butterworth (second sub-editor (uncredited))
Charles Morgan (foreign affairs editor (uncredited))
Edward Underdown ('Sandy' Sanderson (uncredited))
Ian Ellis (Michael (uncredited))
Jane Aird (nanny (uncredited))
John Barron (first sub-editor (uncredited))
Geoffrey Chater
(Frank Holroyd (uncredited))
Verina Greenlaw (Trixie (uncredited))
Michael Caine - (checkpoint policeman (uncredited))
Pamela Green (uncredited bit part)
Marianne Stone (uncredited)
SUMMARY
Simultaneous nuclear tests at either pole by the
USA and the USSR tilt the world off its axis and send it plummeting
towards the sun. As the world's weather patterns change with catastrophic
results, plans are laid to reverse the damage with more nuclear explosions
- but will it work?
CAPSULE REVIEW
Val Guest's
best film and the best of the gritty British science fiction thrillers
of the 60s (Invasion
(1966), Night
Caller (1965), Unearthly
Stranger (1963) et al). Some of it looks dated now, but the
energy of Guest's
direction and the dour, ambiguous ending linger long in the memory.
The flawless performances from a top notch cast are just icing on the
cake. (Full
Review)
AVAILABILITY
USA
Theatrical Distributor: Universal Pictures
CENSORSHIP HISTORY
Finland
Rating: K-16
Sweden
Rating: 15
TIMELINE
1961
November
23: Denmark - world premiere
1962
July
9: Sweden - theatrical release
20: Finland - theatrical release
1974
March
30: UK - television broadcast (on BBC1)
1987
November
16: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)
1989
April
6: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)
1991
May
28: UK - television broadcast (on BBC1)
1993
January
5: UK - television broadcast (on ITV (Carlton Television))
1997
September
15: UK - television broadcast (on ITV)
1999
August
30: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)
ALTERNATIVE TITLES
The Day the Sky Caught Fire - working
title
...e la Terra prese fuoco - Italian title
Der Tag, an dem die Erde Feuer fing - German title
LINKS
SEE ALSO
Matinee (1993)
REFERENCES
MAGAZINES
Daily Cinema 13 November 1961 p.5
review
Kine Weekly 16 November 1961 p.19
review
Variety 22 November 1961
review (by Rich)
BOOKS
Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies
1991 - 1992 p.92
credits, review
Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.90
credits
KEYWORDS
children, end of the world, journalists, london,
nuclear tests, nuclear weapons, weather
Last Updated:
17 November, 2008
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