The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1962)
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86% of critics liked it
(7 reviews) -
70% of users liked it
(2,622 ratings)
Despite its come-on title, The Day the Earth Caught Fire is an intelligent, disturbing piece of speculative fiction. Through the eyes of British reporter Peter Stenning (Edward Judd), we learn that both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. have simultaneously set off nuclear explosions to test their… More Despite its come-on title, The Day the Earth Caught Fire is an intelligent, disturbing piece of speculative fiction. Through the eyes of British reporter Peter Stenning (Edward Judd), we learn that both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. have simultaneously set off nuclear explosions to test their efficiency. The twin blasts have caused the Earth to go off its axis. The result is a disastrous upheaval in the balance of nature; floods and fires being the principal plagues. With the end of the world staring everyone in the face, chaos reigns. The only hope lies in another massive nuclear explosion, which will hopefully rebalance the Earth. The film ends ambiguously, with viewers allowed to decide for themselves whether or not the world has been saved. In the original prints of The Day the Earth Caught Fire, the opening and closing reels were tinted yellow, representing the scorching heat beating down on the frightened populace. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Val Guest
- Written By
- Wolf Mankowitz, Val Guest
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Mar 15, 1962 Limited
- On DVD
- Jun 12, 2001
- Studio
- Universal Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
An intelligent low-budget sci-fi doomsday pic.
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Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
The premise lends itself to the inspired pandemonium of a Max Ernst
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Doug Cummings, Filmjourney
The disaster genre is not generally known for its insights into characters or its clever dialogue, but The Day the Earth Caught Fire is an admirable exception.
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Slow, depressing, but convincing sci-fi film
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Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
The Day the Moviewatcher Nodded Off
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Janet Munro
as Jeannie
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Leo McKern
as Bill Maguire
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Edward Judd
as Peter Stenning
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Michael Goodliffe
as Night editor
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Bernard Braden
as News editor
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Reginald Beckwith
as Harry
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Peter Butterworth
as 2nd Sub Editor
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Gene Anderson
as May
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Arthur Christiansen
as Editor
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Austin Trevor
as Sir John Kelly
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Renée Ashershon
as Angela
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Charles Morgan
as Foreign Editor
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Edward Underdown
as Sanderson
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John Barron
as Sub Editor
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Geoffrey Chater
as Holroyd
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Ian Ellis
as Michael
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Jane Aird
as Nanny
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Robin Hawdon
as Ronnie
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Michael Caine
as Policeman
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Marianne Stone
as Miss Evans
- Wolf Mankowitz
- Renée Asherson
