The Day After (1983 TV Movie)
Jason Robards: Dr. Russell Oakes
Photos
Quotes
-
Dr. Sam Hachiya : [intensely] What did you see? You come from Kansas City. What did you see?
Dr. Russell Oakes : [in shock] I was on the freeway, about 30 miles away. I'm not sure... it was high in the air, directly above downtown. Like the sun... exploding.
-
Joe Huxley : [over a citizens band radio at the University of Kansas] I have an atmosphere report for anybody who's listening. Dr. Oakes, do you read? Come in, Dr. Oakes, do you hear me?
Dr. Russell Oakes : Yes, Joe.
Joe Huxley : We are holding fast at just a hair under 50 rads per hour. I thought that it would have diminished by now. I guess that means we're picking up fallout from... Titan missile bases in Wichita... wherever else out west. That's the way the wind blows - straight toward St. Louis.
Dr. Russell Oakes : When will it be safe to move people to other buildings?
Joe Huxley : It'll never be safe.
Dr. Russell Oakes : Come on, Joe.
Joe Huxley : Wait 'til it gets under two rads per hour. If and when. Have you picked up anybody else on your, on your end?
Dr. Russell Oakes : Not a soul.
Joe Huxley : [continues broadcasting] This is Lawrence. This is Lawrence, Kansas. Is anybody there? Anybody at all?
-
Dr. Landowska : There is a rumor they are evacuating Moscow. Yeah. There are even people leaving Kansas City because of the missile fields. Now I ask you: Where does one go from Kansas City? To, uh, the Yukon? To Tahiti? We are not talking about Hiroshima anymore. Hiroshima was... was peanuts!
Dr. Russell Oakes : What's going on? Do you understand what's going on in this world?
Dr. Landowska : Yeah. Stupidity. Has a habit of getting its way.
-
Julian French : We tried hooking up an auxiliary pump up to a backup generator, and we're still only getting a trickle.
Dr. Sam Hachiya : I still don't understand. Did they burn out?
Dr. Austin : They could have been subject to the EMP effects.
Dr. Russell Oakes : What's that?
Dr. Austin : 'Electro-Magnetic Pulse.' When a large nuclear device is airburst at high altitude, a lot of electrical disruption can be created, principally with radios, communication systems, electrical wires, computers, cars, transistors. Of course, it's all theoretical. It's never happened before. In short, very little electricity.
Dr. Sam Hachiya : Forever?
[Dr. Austin shrugs]
-
Dr. Russell Oakes : I think you've got to be willing to let your baby come whether you like it or not. You're holding back hope.
Alison Ransom : Hope for what? What do you think is going to happen out there? You think we're going to sweep up the dead and fill in a couple of holes and build some supermarkets? You think all those people left alive out there are going to say, "Oh, I'm sorry. It wasn't my fault. Let's kiss and make up"? We knew the score. We knew all about bombs, we knew all about fallout. We knew this could happen for forty years. But nobody was interested.
Dr. Russell Oakes : [turns to leave] I can't argue with you.
Alison Ransom : [pulls him back] Argue with me. Please... give me a reason. Tell me about hope. Tell me why you work so hard in here.
Dr. Russell Oakes : ...I don't know.
-
Dr. Russell Oakes : I wonder who was spared? I wonder if New York, Paris, Moscow... are just like Kansas City now?
-
Dr. Russell Oakes : When are you due?
Alison Ransom : I'm overdue!
-
Dr. Russell Oakes : You know what's going to happen next around here, don't you?
Nurse Nancy Bauer : I've been trying not to think about it.
Dr. Russell Oakes : We may be the only hospital operating within 100 miles. Everyone half-alive or dying will find their way here.
Nurse Nancy Bauer : Too late to become a dentist?
-
Dr. Austin : [as the radiation levels have gone down after 2 weeks, people are flocking to the campus hospital] Do you see what's going on out there?
Dr. Russell Oakes : Yeah.
Dr. Austin : What're we gonna do?
Dr. Russell Oakes : We're gonna let them in, Paul. As many as we can.
-
Helen Oakes : My God. It's 1962 all over again. The Cuban Missile Crisis. Do you remember Kennedy on television, telling Khrushchev to turn his boats around?
Dr. Russell Oakes : "Full retaliatory response." He didn't bat an eye.
Helen Oakes : We were in New York, in bed... just like this, remember? 118th street.
Dr. Russell Oakes : Meatball sandwiches from Sharky's.
Helen Oakes : Your last year's residency. I swear we that made Marilyn that night.
Dr. Russell Oakes : We got up, went to the window to look for the bombs.
Helen Oakes : It didn't happen. It's not going to happen now.
Dr. Russell Oakes : Nah. People are crazy, but not *that* crazy.
Helen Oakes : Well... do you want to know from crazy? The Donnelly's left today for Guadalajara.
Helen Oakes : Guadalajara?
Helen Oakes : I swear it. I spoke to Herb as they were pulling out. He said they were dovetailing their vacation with the rising international tensions.
Dr. Russell Oakes : Aw, cut it out!
Helen Oakes : I'm not kidding. Well, they took their Vietnamese maid with them. And that rotten little barking dog with the pushed-in face.
Dr. Russell Oakes : [chuckles] Oh, what about their little combination tractor/lawnmower/golfcart with the silver hubcaps?
Helen Oakes : [laughs] Probably.
Helen Oakes : [sighs] What if it does happen? What'll we do?
