Day the World Ended

Day the World Ended
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 date
  • December 1955 (1955-12)
Running time
 79 min
Country United States
Language English
Budget $96,234.49
Box office $400,000 (part of double feature)

Day the World Ended is a 1955 independently made black-and-white post-apocalyptic science fiction film, produced and directed by Roger Corman, that stars Richard Denning, Lori Nelson, Adele Jergens, and Mike Connors. Chet Huntley of NBC, later of The Huntley-Brinkley Report, served as the film's narrator. Day the World Ended was released by American Releasing Corporation (later American International Pictures) as a double feature with The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues.

The film's storyline centers on a heroic scientist who, with a small band of other survivors, must face off against a mutant monster following an atomic war that appears to have destroyed human civilization.

Plot

An atomic war has seemingly destroyed most, if not all, of human civilization, leaving the Earth contaminated with radioactive fallout. The apparent single exception is an isolated box canyon, surrounded by lead-bearing cliffs, in which former U.S. Navy Commander Jim Maddison (Paul Birch) lives with his daughter Louise (Lori Nelson) in a home that he has stockpiled with supplies in anticipation of such an apocalypse. Louise is engaged to be married, but her fiancé is missing.

Into this natural bomb shelter stumble survivors, who by chance were inside the canyon when the atomic 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 with his "moll" Ruby (Adele Jergens), who were 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, if it will do so before the rain comes to wash out what is in the atmosphere to fall to Earth, contaminating the shelter. The second threat comes in the form of a hideous atomic mutated monster (Paul Blaisdell), which seems bent on killing anything it comes across, but only consuming 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 both women for himself.

All three dangers coincide as the mutated monster kidnaps Louise. It then releases her into a small lake, where it is obviously afraid to enter. Rick appears and attacks the creature, but it runs away as it begins to rain. Following the creature as it is being destroyed by the rain, they come to realize that the creature is Louise's missing fiancé. Tony, having stabbed Ruby to death after she realized that he wants to be with the younger Louise, then steals Jim's pistol. He quietly waits to ambush Rick when he returns with Louise. As Tony takes aim, Jim produces a second pistol and shoots Tony dead.

Jim has been slowly expiring from radiation poisoning. He reveals that the rain is radiation-free and will wash away all of the remaining contamination, making the world safe to venture out into again. As he dies, Jim also reveals that he has heard voices of other survivors on the radio. After the rain, Rick and Louise, now the final two survivors, walk hand-in-hand out of the canyon (as the end card "The Beginning" appears on screen).

Cast

Production

James H. Nicholson of ARC (later AIP) thought up the title, then commissioned Lou Rusoff to write a script.[1] It was the second film by Golden State for the American Releasing Corp.[2] The film's monster was made from foam rubber, claws from a magic shop, and toe nails carved from white pine.[3]

Paul Blaisdell created and portrayed the monster in the film. Due to Blaisdell's height, he had limited visibility while in the costume. This caused problems when he had to carry Nelson, and almost caused Blaisdell to drown when the costume began to fill with water during filming.[4]

Day the World Ended was the fourth film directed by Corman, and his first in the science fiction/horror genre.[5] The film was shot over 10 days[6] on a budget of $96,234.49.[7][8] Denning was paid $7,500, plus a percentage.[1]

Release

The film was released in December 1955 with The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues. The pairing proved popular with audiences, due in part to some savvy marketing by Nicholson. Within two months of release, both films had earned $400,000.[7]

Reception

At the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 3 out of 5 critics gave the film a positive review, but it only holds an audience approval score of 40%.[9] It holds a low 5.4 out of 10 at the Internet Movie Database, based on reviews by 1,200 users.[10]

TV Guide gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, finding it "silly but fun".[11]

Remake

The film was remade in 1967 by Larry Buchanan, under the title In the Year 2889, the dialogue being repeated almost entirely verbatim.

The film was referenced in a later 2001 horror film of a similar title, The Day the World Ended.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Tom Weaver, Earth Vs. the Sci-fi Filmmakers: 20 Interviews McFarland, 2005 p 115-126
  2. ↑ MOVIELAND EVENTS: Adele Jergens Stars in Science Thriller Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 06 Aug 1955: 13.
  3. ↑ Frank, Alan. The Films of Roger Corman. Batsford (1998)
  4. ↑ Frank, Alan. The Films of Roger Corman. Batsford (1995)
  5. ↑ Frank, Alan. The Films of Roger Corman. Batsford (1998)
  6. ↑ Alan Frank, The Films of Alan Frank: Shooting My Way Out of Trouble, Bath Press, 1998 p 28
  7. 1 2 Mark McGee, Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures, McFarland, 1996 p46-49
  8. ↑ Gary A. Smith, American International Pictures: The Golden Years, Bear Manor Media 2014 p 25
  9. ↑ Rotten Tomatoes
  10. ↑ Internet Movie Database
  11. ↑ http://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-day-the-world-ended/review/112319/

Bibliography

  • Warren, Bill. Keep Watching The Skies, American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties, Vol I: 1950–1957. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 1982. ISBN 0-89950-032-3.
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