The Beginning or the End (1947)

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Robert Considine (story)
Frank Wead

Release Date:

19 February 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Plot:

The research, development, and deployment of the first atomic bomb, as well as the bombing of Hiroshima, are detailed in this docudrama.

Plot Keywords:

Bomb | Pregnant Woman | Lincoln Memorial | Pregnant | World War Two

Cast

Brian Donlevy	...	Maj. Gen. Leslie R. Groves
Robert Walker	...	Col. Jeff Nixon
Tom Drake	...	Matt Cochran
Beverly Tyler	...	Anne Cochran
Audrey Totter	...	Jean O'Leary
Hume Cronyn	...	Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer
Hurd Hatfield	...	Dr. John Wyatt
Joseph Calleia	...	Dr. Enrico Fermi
Godfrey Tearle	...	President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Victor Francen	...	Dr. Marre
Richard Haydn	...	Dr. Chisholm
Jonathan Hale	...	Dr. Vannevar Bush
John Litel	...	K.T. Keller
Henry O'Neill	...	Gen. Thomas F. Farrell
Warner Anderson	...	Capt. William S. Parsons
Barry Nelson	...	Col. Paul Tibbetts Jr.
Art Baker	...	President Harry S. Truman
Ludwig Stössel	...	Dr. Albert Einstein (as Ludwig Stossel)
John Hamilton	...	Dr. Harold C. Urey
Frank Ferguson	...	Dr. James B. Conant
Tom Stevenson	...	Dr. E.P. Wigner
John Gallaudet	...	Dr. Leo Szilard
Nella Walker	...	Grace Tully
Edward Earle	...	Charles G. Ross
Moroni Olsen	...	Dr. Arthur H. Compton
Norman Lloyd	...	Dr. Troyanski
Jim Davis	...	Pilot at Tinian
Charles Trowbridge	...	Walter S. Carpenter Jr.
Frank Wilcox	...	Dr. W.H. Zinn
Henry Hall	...	Gen. Brehon Somervell
Paul Harvey	...	Lt. Gen. W.D. Styer
Larry Johns	...	Quaker Scientist
Robert Emmett Keane	...	Dr. Rand
James Bush	...	Dr. Ernest O. Lawrence
Trevor Bardette	...	Clinic Doctor
William Wright	...	Col. John Lansdale
Damian O'Flynn	...	C.D. Howe
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John B. Kennedy	...	Newsreel Narrator (voice)
Richard Abbott	...	Danish Underground Leader (uncredited)
Philip Ahlm	...	Armed Guard (uncredited)
John Albright	...	Quaker Scientist (uncredited)
Erville Alderson	...	Secretary of War Henry Stimson (uncredited)
Kirk Alyn	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Rod Bacon	...	Crew Member (uncredited)
Frank Baker	...	Canadian Officer (uncredited)
Walter Baldwin	...	Workman (uncredited)
John Banner	...	German Laboratory Assistant (uncredited)
Gregg Barton	...	Enola Gay Navigator (uncredited)
Holger Bendixen	...	German Submarine Commander (uncredited)
Lee Bennett	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Joseph E. Bernard	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Margaret Bert	...	Townswoman (uncredited)
Robert Bice	...	Co-Pilot (uncredited)
William Bishop	...	2nd Lieutenant--Electronics Officer, Enola Gay (uncredited)
Carlyle Blackwell Jr.	...	Armed Guard (uncredited)
Larry J. Blake	...	Tough MP (uncredited)
Stanley Blystone	...	Civilian Guard (uncredited)
John Bogden	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Charles Bradstreet	...	Airport Guard (uncredited)
Tex Brodus	...	Enola Gay Ground Crewman (uncredited)
Paul Bryar	...	Army Officer (uncredited)
Tom Burton	...	Officer (uncredited)
Roy Butler	...	Townsman (uncredited)
George M. Carleton	...	Senator (uncredited)
James Carlisle	...	Industrialist (uncredited)
Douglas Carter	...	Quaker Scientist (uncredited)
Ed Cassidy	...	Rafferty (uncredited)
Frank Chalfant	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Spencer Chan	...	Japanese Naval Officer (uncredited)
Peter Chong	...	Japanese General (uncredited)
Bron Clifford	...	Chaplain (uncredited)
Bruce Cowling	...	Enola Gay Ground Crewman (uncredited)
Ralph Crane	...	Weatherman (uncredited)
Frank Dae	...	Senator (uncredited)
Bert Davidson	...	Armed Guard (uncredited)
Boyd Davis	...	Senator (uncredited)
Harry Denny	...	Passing Officer (uncredited)
Tom Dillon	...	Gregor (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Guard (uncredited)
Dick Earle	...	Industrialist (uncredited)
Helen Eby-Rock	...	Townswoman (uncredited)
Blake Edwards	...	CIC Man (uncredited)
Frank Erickson	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Lloyd Everett	...	Enola Gay Ground Crewman (uncredited)
Budd Fine	...	Evictee (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Brigadier General (uncredited)
Ted French	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Arno Frey	...	Nazi Official (uncredited)
Paul Fung	...	Japanese Radar Officer (uncredited)
Jack Gallagher	...	Evictee (uncredited)
John Gannon	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Stewart Garner	...	Communications Officer (uncredited)
Kenneth Gibson	...	President Truman's Secretary (uncredited)
Tom Gibson	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Frederick Giermann	...	Nazi Officer (uncredited)
Bob Gilbert	...	Lieutenant, R.C.M., Enola Gay (uncredited)
Jon Gilbreath	...	Attendant (uncredited)
William Graeff Jr.	...	Emergency Switch Operator (uncredited)
Clarke Hardwicke	...	Enola Gay Co-Pilot (uncredited)
Harry Hayden	...	Harried Editor (uncredited)
Bill Hickman	...	Barometric Observer (uncredited)
Russell Hicks	...	General (uncredited)
Earle Hodgins	...	Gate Guard (uncredited)
James Horne Jr.	...	Barmetric Observer (uncredited)
Anne Howard	...	English Laboratory Assistant (uncredited)
Jimmy Hunt	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson	...	Senior Engineer (uncredited)
John James	...	Engineer (uncredited)
William Janssen	...	Instrument Operator (uncredited)
Bobby Jordan	...	Radioman on Tinian Receiving A-Bomb Message (uncredited)
Tommy Kelly	...	Mack (uncredited)
Mike Killian	...	Senior Engineer (uncredited)
Martin Kosleck	...	Dr. O.E. Frisch (uncredited)
Paul Kruger	...	Construction Engineer (uncredited)
Al Kunde	...	Evictee (uncredited)
Nolan Leary	...	Townsman (uncredited)
William F. Leicester	...	Enola Gay Flight Engineer (uncredited)
Frank Leigh	...	British General (uncredited)
James B. Leong	...	Japanese Army Officer (uncredited)
Weaver Levy	...	Japanese Sailor (uncredited)
Donald S. Lewis	...	Secret Service Man (uncredited)
King Lockwood	...	Col. Nichols (uncredited)
Richard Loo	...	Japanese Officer (uncredited)
Robert Malcolm	...	Keith (uncredited)
Jack Manolas	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Mexican Man (uncredited)
Louis Mason	...	Workman (uncredited)
Roger McGee	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Michael McGrath	...	Dr. Kistiakonsky (uncredited)
Malcolm 'Bud' McTaggart	...	Radio Operator (uncredited)
Patricia Medina	...	Mrs. Wyatt (uncredited)
Danny Merrill	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Sybil Merritt	...	Cute Guide (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Milkman (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Briefing Officer (uncredited)
Merlyn Nelson	...	Evictee (uncredited)
James Nolan	...	President Roosevelt's Bodyguard (uncredited)
Wedgwood Nowell	...	Industrialist (uncredited)
Larry Nunn	...	Worried GI (uncredited)
Fred Nurney	...	Nazi Officer (uncredited)
Ray Page	...	Meter Man (uncredited)
Eddie Parks	...	Bewildered Civilian (uncredited)
Charles Peck	...	GI Messenger (uncredited)
Ray Pemberton	...	Electronics Engineer (uncredited)
Bob Pepper	...	Crewman (uncredited)
George Peters	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Tom Pilkington	...	Man with Counter (uncredited)
Otto Reichow	...	Nazi Officer (uncredited)
William Roberts	...	Enola Gay Radio Operator (uncredited)
Ellen Ross	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Carl Saxe	...	German General's Aide (uncredited)
Frank J. Scannell	...	Winne (uncredited)
Jerry Schumacher	...	Nazi Officer (uncredited)
Hans Schumm	...	Nazi Police Officer (uncredited)
Dorothy Scott	...	Laboratory Assistant (uncredited)
Robin Short	...	Young Scientist (uncredited)
Buster Slaven	...	Enola Gay Assistant Gunner (uncredited)
Lew Smith	...	Wolfish Soldier (uncredited)
Eunice Soo-Hoo	...	Japanese Child (uncredited)
Robert Spencer	...	Nuclear Scientist (uncredited)
Jack Sterling	...	Enola Gay Tail Gunner (uncredited)
Cedric Stevens	...	Evictee (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	Loudspeaker Voice (voice) (uncredited)
Richard Terry	...	Enola Gay Radarman (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	English Bobby (uncredited)
Frank Tomlinson	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
George Travell	...	Tinian Co-Pilot (uncredited)
H.T. Tsiang	...	Prof. Okani (uncredited)
George Turner	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Harry Tyler	...	Man (uncredited)
William Van Vleck	...	Evictee (uncredited)
Leslie Vincent	...	English Junior Scientist (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Medical Major (uncredited)
Hans von Morhart	...	Danish Customs Man (uncredited)
Eddy Waller	...	Man (uncredited)
Constance Weiler	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Harry T. Wensel	...	Wensel (uncredited)
Carl Wester	...	Construction Engineer (uncredited)
Guy Williams	...	Enola Gay Bombardier (uncredited)
Ronald Wong	...	Japanese Child (uncredited)
Jack Worth	...	Nazi Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Taurog

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert Considine		story
Frank Wead

Produced by
Samuel Marx	....	producer

Original Music by
Daniele Amfitheatrof

Cinematography by
Ray June

Film Editing by
George Boemler

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Hans Peters

Set Decoration by
F. Keogh Gleason		(as Keogh Gleason)
Edwin B. Willis

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup creator

Production Management
Sergei Petschnikoff	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stanley Goldsmith	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Frank E. Myers	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects
Donald Jahraus	....	special effects
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Mantz	....	aerial director of photography

Casting Department
Bobby Webb	....	casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Peter Ballbusch	....	montage

Music Department
Sidney Cutner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
William A. Consodine	....	technical advisor: military
David Hawkins	....	scientific technical advisor (as Dr. David Hawkins)
W. Bradford Shank	....	scientific technical advisor
Charles W. Sweeney	....	technical advisor: military
Edward R. Tompkins	....	scientific technical advisor (as Dr. Edward R. Tompkins)
H.T. Wensel	....	scientific technical advisor (as Dr. H.T. Wensel)
Paul Van Sloun	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Hal B. Wallis	....	advisor (uncredited)

Thanks
Tony Owen	....	acknowledgment: for his cooperation

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1947) (USA) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #11900)

Filming Locations:

Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The idea for the film came from atomic scientists and the first scripts raised questions about the use of the new weapon against Japan and all uses of nuclear energy in the future. By the time the Pentagon and the White House got through with it, the movie took a 180-degree turn. President Truman even got the actor playing him in the movie fired - Greg Mitchell author of 'Atomic Cover-Up: Two U.S. Soldiers, Hiroshima & Nagasaki, and the Greatest Movie Never Made'.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Out of this World Super Shock Show (2007) (V)

Got me very interested in the creation of the bomb.

I remember certain scenes from this movie, which I saw only once, on television when I was a child. I've watched many documentaries and movies on the subject since, and have read several books on the development of the A-Bomb, because I saw this movie when I was young. It was absorbing for me. I do remember the scene where one of the bomb assemblers drops some of the radioactive material and is overcome from the radiation. This scene was repeated in the movie "Fat Man and Little Boy." I have been looking for this film for years on television, with no success. I would think that Turner Classic Movies would play it if it were around.

Someone, find this film! Oh, so interesting a movie.