A miner trapped in a cave-in resurfaces, and upon discovering mankind has been wiped out in a nuclear holocaust, sets out to find other survivors.A miner trapped in a cave-in resurfaces, and upon discovering mankind has been wiped out in a nuclear holocaust, sets out to find other survivors.A miner trapped in a cave-in resurfaces, and upon discovering mankind has been wiped out in a nuclear holocaust, sets out to find other survivors.
- Awards
- 1 nomination total
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaTo film the striking images of a deserted New York City, the cast and crew had to start filming at dawn in order to capture the city before the early morning rush. This gave them no more than an hour or two per day in which to film the sequence.
- GoofsIn his kitchen, Ralph shows Sarah how he's been throwing his dirty dishes out his apartment window because there's no water to wash them with. Sarah simply turns on the faucet and water flows, thanks to the water tower on top of Ralph's building. Ralph should not have been surprised by this, as he should have noticed that his toilet was still working.
In addition, both they and their hair look spotlessly clean, with Sarah's hair being particularly shiny.
- Quotes
Ralph Burton: They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Ralph Burton: [This quotation from Ralph Bunche Park in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of New York City was named in 1979 for Ralph Bunche, the first African-American to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The park is across from the United Nations headquarters; it has the famous quotation from Isaiah 2:4 incised into its wall, and is known as the "Isaiah Wall."]
- Crazy creditsAs the film's final credits cut-in, the film states "The Beginning" rather than "The End."
- ConnectionsFeatured in Out of this World Super Shock Show (2007)
- SoundtracksI Don't Like It Here
(uncredited)
Written by Harry Belafonte and Ranald MacDougall
Sung by Harry Belafonte
Stevens is more attracted to Belafonte, who is charming, sings, takes interest in preserving books and paintings, fixes things like the electricity, phones, and radio, and who loves her too – but he's black. Ferrer, on the other hand, is a chauvinist who literally says "Me man, you girl, how about it?" The film tried to toe the line with what would be acceptable in 1959, and doesn't include an interracial kiss (despite the cast's wish that it would have), because producers deemed that America was not ready for that – and indeed it wasn't, given the reaction to the film in the South. There are fantastic scenes of the two men hunting each other in the deserted New York, including a scene at Ralph Bunche Park with the phrase from Isaiah ("They shall beat their swords into plowshares ") on the wall in the background. I loved the ending ("The Beginning") as well, campy as it might have been.
If you watch and find the beginning dragging a bit, give it a chance. I think one of the main problems is we've seen this "last man on the earth" type scenery copied so many times in films over the years. Belafonte was a huge star at the time, but I personally could have done without his songs, not because they're bad or anything, but because I think they defocus things. Inger Stevens, who others know as the "Farmer's Daughter", but who I remember fondly from the 1967 movie "A Guide for the Married Man" with Walter Matthau, is a good match for him. Overall, the film seems to capture so many elements of the 1950's – the fear of nuclear war, a little bit of the 'B movie' camp (I mean, check out that title), and the racial unease, with a hint of the progress that would follow. It may feel a bit like an extended Twilight Zone episode with a bigger budget, and it's very well done.
- gbill-74877
- Jan 10, 2017
- Permalink
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $1,659,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 35 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1