Where Have All the People Gone (1974) (TV)

Director:

John Llewellyn Moxey

Writers:

Lewis John Carlino (screenplay)
Lewis John Carlino (story)

Release Date:

8 October 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

A strange series of solar flares proves fatal for inhabitants of the Earth, except for the fortunate few who are somehow immune from the effects...

Plot Keywords:

Solar Flare | Powder | Disaster | Suicide Attempt | Gas Station

Cast

Peter Graves	...	Steven Anders
Verna Bloom	...	Jenny
George O'Hanlon Jr.	...	David Anders
Kathleen Quinlan	...	Deborah Anders
Michael-James Wixted	...	Michael
Noble Willingham	...	Jim Clancy
Doug Chapin	...	Tom Clancy
Jay W. MacIntosh	...	Barbara Anders
Dan Barrows	...	Man with Gun
Ken Sansom	...	Jack McFadden

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metromedia Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: The character of Jenny, who is semi-catatonic when the rest find her, is called "Ann" because they don't know her name. However, a voice over narration coming out of a break says "since we found Jenny" but this is before she comes out of her catatonic state and reveals her real name.

Quotes:

David Anders: [thinking about having their car forcibly taken earlier by a man] I wish I'd had the rifle, he wouldn't have gotten the Blazer.
Steven Anders: Why? Would you have shot him?
David Anders: ...Yeah.
Steven Anders: Has it come to that already, David?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Night of the Comet (1984)

A lasting impression from a time of edgy TV movies

I was 11 years old when I saw "Where Have All The People Gone?" and it really left an impression on me. Other reviewers of this film here on IMDb seem to be sharing the same feeling; we were young and were privileged to see films like this one on TV at a time when they were just a bit more edgy. It's comforting to know there are others out there my age who seemed to appreciate these more cerebral films at such a young age! Other examples that have stayed with me were 1974's "Dying Room Only" with Cloris Leachman, and 1970's "The Neon Ceiling." These were very serious and even frightening scenarios, and even schlock films like 1973's "Horror At 37,000 Feet" and 1974's "Killdozer" were edgy, truly unique, and highly entertaining.

The idea of everyone in the world turning into dust from a bizarre solar flare type incident except a handful of survivors here and there really scared me. Like "Last Man On Earth," and "The Omega Man" before it and even "Night Of The Comet" and "The Quiet Earth" much later, it's a theme that will intrigue and never let go.

Peter Graves was a great choice for this film, and it was nice seeing Kathleen Quinlan too. You could just feel their dread as they went through a city and saw nothing but clothes on the ground where people used to be (particularly seeing a playground with children's clothes scattered about), and having to deal with dogs that seemed to be unaffected by the phenomenon, all running wild in the streets and quite vicious.

They just don't make 'em like this anymore. They can try, and with state of the art digital effects to boot, but it just seems you can't beat these early 1970's TV films that relied more on dramatic content, creativity, and substance rather than flashy effects. It seems many of us are all hoping to find "Where Have All The People Gone?" on home video and it would be a smart idea for whoever controls the rights for it to consider releasing it! It's a piece of nostalgia that still holds up today and just takes me back to a time when I really looked forward to something on TV.