Five (1951)

Director:

Arch Oboler

Writers:

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

Release Date:

25 April 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

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

Plot:

The world is destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. Only five Americans survive, including a pregnant woman...

Plot Keywords:

Pregnant Woman | Poet | Pregnant | Symbolism | Fascism

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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

Directed by
Arch Oboler

Writing credits
Arch Oboler		(story, screenplay and dialogue)
James Weldon Johnson		(dialogue) (poem "Creation")

Produced by
Arch Oboler	....	producer

Original Music by
Henry Russell
William Lava		(uncredited)
Charles Maxwell		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Sid Lubow
Louis Clyde Stoumen

Film Editing by
John Hoffman
Ed Spiegel
Arthur Swerdloff

Art Direction by
Arch Oboler

Sound Department
Gus Bayz	....	special sound effects
William Jenkins Locy	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Louis Clyde Stoumen	....	cinematographic consultant

Music Department
Charles Maxwell	....	orchestrator
Henry Russell	....	musical director
Betty Steinberg	....	music editor

Other crew
Frank Lloyd Wright	....	cliffhouse designer
Geraldine Klancke	....	executive secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Arch Oboler Productions
• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Lobo Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1951) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinema Epoch (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #15197) | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Arch Oboler Productions

Trivia:

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

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: 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".

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in Great Balls of Fire! (1989)

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.