After a global nuclear war, the residents of Australia must come to terms with the fact that all life will be destroyed in a matter of months.After a global nuclear war, the residents of Australia must come to terms with the fact that all life will be destroyed in a matter of months.After a global nuclear war, the residents of Australia must come to terms with the fact that all life will be destroyed in a matter of months.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 4 wins & 9 nominations total
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe movie was filmed in 1959. For one year (July 4, 1959 - July 4, 1960) the US flag had 49 stars. In the opening scene a 49-star flag can be seen flying from the submarine.
- GoofsBefore the submarine's deployment on its proposed 13,000 mile round trip, Dwight is asked if he has enough power on-board his nuclear sub. A nuclear sub's range is only limited by the amount of food it can carry and the endurance of the crew. The time between refueling a nuclear sub is measured in years if not decades. Plus, the sub could easily cover the 13,000 miles in three weeks or less.
- Quotes
Julian Osborne: The war started when people accepted the idiotic principle that peace could be maintained by arranging to defend themselves with weapons they couldn't possibly use without committing suicide.
- Crazy creditsThe following acknowledgment appears in the opening credits: "We acknowledge with appreciation the assistance given by the Royal Australian Navy and, in particular, by the officers and men of H.M.A.S. Melbourne and H.M.S. Andrew."
- ConnectionsEdited into 365 Days, also Known as a Year (2019)
- SoundtracksWaltzing Matilda
Original music by Christina McPherson, revised music by Marie Cowan and lyrics by A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson (as A.B. Paterson)
Featured review
"On The Beach", despite it's heavy subject of a nuclear holocaust wiping out all human life, succeeds because Stanley Kramer is mercifully more restrained and less pretentious than he would later be in "Inherit The Wind" and "Judgment At Nuremberg", which are memorable more for their polemics than their characters, in my opinion. Except for one minor speech by Fred Astaire at one point (which as the previous reviewer noted is somewhat ironic in light of the fact that the very thing Astaire rails against, the idea that large nuclear stockpiles could keep the peace, turned out to be absolutely true) the film is for the most part about people and how they react to the knowledge that their world and their lives will soon come to an end. This is what makes the film so compelling as far as I'm concerned. The cast is excellent, with fine performances by Astaire (his first non-musical part), Anthony Perkins and Gregory Peck. But the real strength of the movie is Ava Gardner's touching performance as the lonely, alcoholic Moira Davidson who manages for one brief moment before the end to find true love with Peck. Having read much about her life, there is something almost hauntingly autobiographic in Gardner's portrayal, and that only adds to the movie's overall poignance.
- How long is On the Beach?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $2,900,000 (estimated)
- Runtime2 hours 14 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content