IMDb > The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
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The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   1,487 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Val Guest

Writers:

Wolf Mankowitz (written for the screen by) &
Val Guest (written for the screen by)

Contact:

View company contact information for The Day the Earth Caught Fire on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

May 1962 (USA) more

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Romance more

Tagline:

THE PICTURE THAT GIVES YOU A FRONT SEAT TO THE MOST JOLTING EVENTS OF TOMORROW...TODAY! (original U.S. print ad - all caps)

Plot:

British reporters suspect an international cover-up of a global disaster in progress... and they're right. full summary | add synopsis

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination more

NewsDesk:

Sci-Fi Guru Val Guest Dead at 94
 (From WENN. 23 May 2006)

User Comments:

An all-time classic. more (46 total)


Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Janet Munro ... Jeannie Craig
Leo McKern ... Bill Maguire
Edward Judd ... Peter Stenning

Michael Goodliffe ... 'Jacko', Night editor
Bernard Braden ... News editor
Reginald Beckwith ... Harry
Gene Anderson ... May
Renée Asherson ... Angela
Arthur Christiansen ... Editor
Austin Trevor ... Sir John Kelly
Edward Underdown ... Sanderson
Ian Ellis ... Michael Stenning
more
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

The Day the Sky Caught Fire
more

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (with tinted sequences)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Pax Films more


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Editor James Needs used stock footage from Hammer's The Quatermass Xperiment (1955), also directed by Val Guest of a fire truck racing through the night past the patrol station in Bray. more

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie, several people in North London contract "typhus" from contaminated water. Evidently the script confused "typhus" and "typhoid fever." Typhus is spread by parasites, such as fleas or mites; not contaminated water. Typhoid fever can be spread by contaminated food or water. more

Quotes:

Bill Maguire: [reading a newswire] There's a chap in Leeds says he can extract water from the atmosphere. Oh, as you were, he's been certified. more

Movie Connections:

Featured in Godzilla (1977) more

Soundtrack:

Light Cavalry Overture more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful.
An all-time classic., 19 May 2004
10/10
Author: docp from Preston, England

This is truly an all-time classic. It is a genuine gem from beginning to end. Its date of 1961 should not be allowed to put you off as you will find here a gripping film with truly serious overtones and a very worrying conclusion. The acting is excellent and the story-line convincingly brought out. The tension builds up throughout the duration of the film and the end of the film really makes one think. The special effects are more-than-adequate - indeed, no more is needed. Shot in dramatic black and white this film deserves a place on everyone's DVD shelf. If you haven't yet seen it, then don't hesitate a moment longer as you are missing one of the best sci-fi films of all time.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (46 total)

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