On the Beach Movie Review

A group of survivors attempt to live normal lives in post-apocalyptic Australia, waiting for the inevitable arrival of killer radiation. At times they're all so stoic and good natured about it all that you want to smack them. Fred Astaire is strong in his first dramatic role. Though scientifically implausible, still a good anti-war vehicle. Based on the best-selling novel by Nevil Shute, this was one of the first films to be heavily advertised as an Important Event by a Hollywood studio (rightfully worried at the reception a film would receive in which all of the characters are doomed from the start). It paid off big at the box office.

1959 135m/B Gregory Peck, Anthony Perkins, Donna Anderson, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Guy Doleman; D: Stanley Kramer; W: John Paxton; C: Giuseppe Rotunno; M: Ernest Gold. Golden Globe Awards ‘60: Best Score; National Board of Review Awards ‘59: 10 Best Films of the Year; Nominations: Academy Awards ‘59: Best Film Editing, Best Original Score. VHS, Beta, LV FOX, FCT