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On the Beach

Actor(s): Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins, Donna Anderson
Director(s): Stanley Kramer
11

Movie Details

MPAA Rating: NR
Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Not For Children
Movie Release: 1959
DVD Release: 02/29/2000
Format: DVD - Black and White,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
Audio Tracks: English, French
Subtitles: French, Spanish
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 2 hrs 14 mins
Studio: MGM
Members Wishing: 7
Genres: Science Fiction, Sci-Fi Disaster Film, Message Movie

DVD Synopsis

Although there'd been "doomsday dramas" before it, Stanley Kramer's On the Beach was considered the first "important" entry in this genre when originally released in 1959. Based on the novel by Nevil Shute, the film is set in the future (1964) when virtually all life on earth has been exterminated by the radioactive residue of a nuclear holocaust. Only Australia has been spared, but it's only a matter of time before everyone Down Under also succumbs to radiation poisoning. With only a short time left on earth, the Australian population reacts in different ways: some go on a nonstop binge of revelry, while others eagerly consume the suicide pills being issued by the government. When the possibility arises that rains have washed the atmosphere clean in the Northern hemisphere, a submarine commander (Gregory Peck) and his men head to San Diego, where faint radio signals have been emanating. The movie's all-star cast includes: Peck as the stalwart sub captain, Ava Gardner as his emotionally disturbed lover, Fred Astaire as a guilt-wracked nuclear scientist, and Anthony Perkins and Donna Anderson as the "just starting out in life" married couple. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Actors

Gregory Peck - Dwight Towers
Ava Gardner - Moira Davidson
Fred Astaire - Julian Osborn
Anthony Perkins - Peter Holmes
Donna Anderson - Mary Holmes

Editorial Review of DVD

A chilling reminder that in nuclear war there is no winner, Stanley Kramer's On the Beach arrives on DVD for a new generation to discover courtesy of MGM/UA home video. Presented in it's original black and white 1.85:1 widescreen format and featuring both a closed-captioned Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack and an alternate French Dolby Digital Mono track, this release also offers optional Spanish and French subtitles and a collectable booklet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Member Movie Reviews

Kendra M. (KendraM) from NASHVILLE, TN wrote on 1/13/2008...

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

I read Nevil Shute's book several years ago and thought it amazing. Recently, when culling some books from my bookshelves, I re-read it once again one afternoon. When I read the book the first time, I didn't even know of this classic film. However, I had learned of it since I reading the book the last time, so I ordered this film and, based on others' reviews, the film with Armand Assante and Rachel Ward.

First of all, Gregory Peck and Anthony Perkins were WONDERFUL. Peck had the appeal he had in To Kill A Mockingbird-- strong, sensitive, smart-- all of those good qualities. I've never seen Anthony Perkins like this before. I remember I saw him in one little unmemorable movie (besides Psycho) years ago and liked him, but he was just perfect here. Truly likeable and empathetic and believable. So much so, that I asked my husband why he thought Perkins was typecast after Psycho since he was so talented and appealing. He thought Perkins may have gotten too swishy afterwards and lost his audience appeal (not an indictment or criticism, just a commentary on the times).

The woman who played Perkins wife was also good, as was Ava Gardner. But, herein lies my criticism. I didn't think Ava Gardner was quite as believable as the rest of the cast in her role, although she was definitely adequate. And, I think her role might be the most difficult of all-- she must be a bit brash, bold, regretful, lonely, yet still appealing. Moira is a woman nearing middle age and yearning for a bit of love and comfort before imminent death. I thought Gardner's performance was alright, but I also thought it lacked some depth. Whenever on screen, I found myself studying her performance and critiquing it rather than losing myself in the film.

The story is truly staggering. Taking place in Australia, the citizens are the last known society waiting for imminent death by radioactive fallout which is slowly moving across the earth. Everyone else is dead and they, too, will be dead soon. This film is about how this small group of people spend their last months.

Shute's book is not perfectly written. I remember he calls the baby "it" so many times it was a bit disturbing. Parents don't refer to the baby as "it" too many times after he or she is born! However, certain characters and the story itself are so memorable, despite the book's flaws, that it is a must-read.

The movie, although good and completely recommended, has lost something in the move from book to film. There were certain elements of the book that should have remained in the movie-- not major things, but little details which stayed with the reader long after the book was over. One is how Captain Towers dealt with the memory of his family (who was in America when the bombs hit) and how Capt. Towers spoke of September (the estimated date of radioactive fallout arrival).

Also lost here was how the people dealt with the illnesses of their friends and families and how they planned to deal with their own impending illnesses. Perkins and Anderson dealt with it, since that was the major story line for them in the book. However, while suicide pills were a major factor in the book, it was less so here. And, there is something about a government handing out suicide pills to its citizens that is so awful, and watching the people making their decisions, that I thought it should have been given more focus.

The ending is true to the book, for the most part. The changes made here didn't have to be made and I wonder why the screenwriter or director decided to make them. They are minor changes, but important. I don't want to include a spoiler, but the ending of this film was less emotional than the ending of the book-- and my opinion is based on a certain action that was omitted rather than any performances.

I wound up watching both this movie and the remake of it within the same two weeks. Honestly, the newer remake was better with the exception of Armand Assante's performance (which was OKAY, but not of Peck's caliber.). Both are worth seeing. If you can take two stories about Armageddon, order both these films.