| Photos (See all 18 | slideshow) |
| Janet Munro | ... | Jeannie Craig | |
| Leo McKern | ... | Bill Maguire | |
| Edward Judd | ... | Peter Stenning | |
| Michael Goodliffe | ... | Jacko Jackson the Night Editor | |
| Bernard Braden | ... | Davis the News Editor | |
| Reginald Beckwith | ... | Harry | |
| Gene Anderson | ... | May | |
| Renée Asherson | ... | Angela | |
| Arthur Christiansen | ... | Jeff Jefferson the Editor | |
| Austin Trevor | ... | Sir John Kelly | |
| Edward Underdown | ... | Sanderson | |
| Ian Ellis | ... | Michael Stenning | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Jane Aird | ... | Nanny (uncredited) | |
| John Barron | ... | 1st Sub-Editor (uncredited) | |
| Timothy Bateson | ... | Printer in Printroom (uncredited) | |
| Peter Blythe | ... | Copy Desk (uncredited) | |
| Peter Butterworth | ... | 2nd Sub-Editor (uncredited) | |
| Michael Caine | ... | Checkpoint Policeman (uncredited) | |
| Norman Chappell | ... | Hotel Receptionist (uncredited) | |
| Geoffrey Chater | ... | Pat Holroyd (uncredited) | |
| John Dearth | ... | Dick (uncredited) | |
| Pamela Green | ... | Nurse at Laundrette (uncredited) | |
| Verina Greenlaw | ... | Trixie (uncredited) | |
| Robin Hawdon | ... | Ronnie (uncredited) | |
| Fred Johnson | ... | Archie (uncredited) | |
| Reginald Marsh | ... | Picture Editor (uncredited) | |
| Jim McManus | ... | Man at Water Station (uncredited) | |
| Carmel McSharry | ... | Woman Lost in Fog (uncredited) | |
| George Merritt | ... | Smudge (uncredited) | |
| Charles Morgan | ... | Foreign Editor (uncredited) | |
| John Rae | ... | Sarge the Doorman (uncredited) | |
| Terence Soall | ... | Undetermined role (uncredited) | |
| Marianne Stone | ... | Miss Evans, Jeff's Secretary (uncredited) | |
| Terry Walsh | ... | Man (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| Val Guest | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Wolf Mankowitz | (written for the screen by) & | |
| Val Guest | (written for the screen by) | |
Produced by | |||
| F. Sherwin Green | .... | associate producer (as Frank Sherwin Green) | |
| Val Guest | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Stanley Black | (uncredited) | ||
Cinematography by | |||
| Harry Waxman | (director of photography) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| Bill Lenny | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Anthony Masters | (as Tony Masters) | ||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Scott Slimon | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Beatrice Dawson | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Joyce James | .... | hairdresser | |
| Tony Sforzini | .... | makeup artist | |
Production Management | |||
| Clifton Brandon | .... | production manager | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Philip Shipway | .... | assistant director | |
| Terry Lens | .... | second assistant director (uncredited) | |
Art Department | |||
| Bill Dennison | .... | draughtsman (uncredited) | |
| Peter Melrose | .... | scenic artist (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Buster Ambler | .... | sound | |
| Chris Greenham | .... | dubbing editor | |
| Peter Dukelow | .... | boom operator (uncredited) | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Les Bowie | .... | special effects | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Moray Grant | .... | camera operator | |
| Wally Byatt | .... | focus puller (uncredited) | |
| James Devis | .... | focus puller (uncredited) | |
| John Jay | .... | still photographer (uncredited) | |
| Jimmy Stilwell | .... | clapper loader (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Dulcie Midwinter | .... | wardrobe mistress (uncredited) | |
| Joyce Stoneman | .... | assistant wardrobe (uncredited) | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Mike Round | .... | first assistant editor (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Stanley Black | .... | musical director | |
| Monty Norman | .... | composer: beatnik music | |
Other crew | |||
| Pamela Carlton | .... | continuity | |
| Arthur Christiansen | .... | technical advisor | |
| Maureen Newman | .... | assistant production accountant (uncredited) | |
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| The Quiet American | Deep Impact | Superman | Foreign Correspondent | The Day After Tomorrow |
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| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb UK section |
1961's "The Day the Earth Caught Fire" must be judged according to the parameters of classics as 1951's "The Day the Earth Stood Still", and not today's special effects mega productions in which the perspective of the disappearance of planet Earth is taken with cynic humor. The idea came to director Val Guest during the Cold War in 1954, and it is under that decade's spirit that the movie is better appreciated. I remember seeing it when it opened, and I've never forgotten that experience, specially its tinted sequence. Forty-three years later I am able to see it again, and it's still the same notable film, not the least affected by today's cinematic technology, because, in its core, Guest's motivation -the worry for the actions of mindless men who struggle to control the Earth- is still relevant. If it's not highly regarded today as "The Day the Earth Stood Still", I think it has to do with the fact that Universal sold it as a B movie in America (though not so by British Lion in the UK, where it was a huge success, and won the film industry's top prize for its screenplay) and because not too many critics paid attention to it and wrote positive reviews, establishing it as an important science-fiction movie since then. Although there are very few re-enacted disaster scenes and it relies upon footage of real catastrophes, the tension is handled effectively in the newspaper's office where most of the action takes place, with its overlapping dialogues and constant flow of new information; and in the development of the romantic story in the midst of violence and terror in the streets. Edward Judd, Janet Munro and Leo McKern contribute good performances to this fine movie, shot in Dyaliscope.