Five (1951)

The world is destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. Only five Americans survive, including a pregnant woman, a neo-Nazi, a black man and a bank clerk.

Director:

Arch Oboler

Writers:

Arch Oboler (story), James Weldon Johnson (dialogue)

Stars:

William Phipps, Susan Douglas Rubes, James Anderson

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Phipps	...	Michael
Susan Douglas Rubes	...	Roseanne Rogers (as Susan Douglas)
James Anderson	...	Eric
Charles Lampkin	...	Charles
Earl Lee	...	Mr. Barnstaple

Storyline

Five people are miraculously spared when the fall-out from a super-atomic bomb eventually kills all of the rest of humanity on earth. They are Roseanne Rogers, a pregnant woman who was in an ex-ray room; Michael, a sensitive young poet and philosopher; Eric, a black man; Mr. Barnstaple, a banker; and Charles, a cosmopolitan Alpinist who was saved from the radio-active dust because he was climbing Mt. Everest at the time of the explosion and fall-out. Eventually, they all wind up in a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house on a California mountaintop. There is a lot of symbolism, especially with the mountain climber, who represents decadent and alien fascism and the banker who brings greed and arrogance to this new Eden on Earth. Soon, all that are left are the poet and the already-pregnant Rosanne, facing the sunset as the new Adam and Eve.

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Plot Keywords:

pregnant woman | poet | pregnant | symbolism | fascism | 

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Taglines:

Four men and one woman are the last five people on Earth...This is their story!

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 April 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

5ive

Filming Locations:

Arch Oboler House - 32436 Mulholland Highway, Malibu, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arch Oboler Productions, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Lobo Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed in a house designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, owned by the film's director, Arch Oboler.

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Goofs

When looking at the soap box powder in the store, the name of the soap is "Atomic Suds" but when the box is tilted by the actor you can clearly see the box top reads "Tide".

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Quotes

[last lines]
Roseanne Rogers: I want to help you.

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Connections

Featured in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)

User Reviews

an overlooked masterpiece

i first saw five on the late show when i was in highschool in the mid-60's and i never forgot it, images from it stayed with me--i saw it again in the late 70's or so and then, the last time, in the early 90's on tnt (and taped it and loaned it to someone and never saw it again)--the last time i watched it i was astonished at how visually perfect it is, in many ways too perfectly staged--often the light is coming directly from the horizon like a maxfield parrish painting and i've often wondered if the actors and crew had day jobs and the whole thing was done early in the morning or late in the evening--leonard maltin likes it and comments negatively on its "purple prose", which is true, but i'm a noir fan and it's fun--i can't believe this isn't available on tape or dvd--obler's frank lloyd wright house is a treat too.