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On the Beach (1959 film)
Encyclopedia
On the Beach is a post-apocalyptic
drama film
based on Nevil Shute
's 1957 novel of the same name. The film features Gregory Peck
(USS Sawfish captain Dwight Lionel Towers), Ava Gardner
(Moira Davidson), Fred Astaire
(scientist Julian—John in the novel—Osborne) and Anthony Perkins
(Royal Australian Navy lieutenant Peter Holmes). It was directed by Stanley Kramer
, who won the 1960 BAFTA for best director. Ernest Gold won the 1960 Golden Globe
for Best Motion Picture Score. It was remade
as an Australian television film by Southern Star Productions in 2000.
. The conflict has devastated the northern hemisphere
, polluting the atmosphere with nuclear fallout
and killing all life. While the bombs were confined to the northern hemisphere, air currents are slowly carrying the fallout south. The only areas still habitable are in the far southern hemisphere, like Australia
.
From Australia, survivors detect an incomprehensible Morse code
signal from the United States
in San Diego. With hope that someone is alive back home, the last American nuclear submarine, USS Sawfish, under Royal Australian Navy
command, is ordered to sail north from Melbourne
to try and make contact with the signal sender. The captain, Dwight Towers (Gregory Peck
), leaves behind his good friend, the alcoholic Moira Davidson (Ava Gardner
), despite his feelings of guilt about the death of his wife and children in Connecticut
. Towers refuses to admit they are dead and continues to behave accordingly.
The Australian government arranges for its citizens to receive suicide
pills and injections, so that they end things quickly before there is prolonged suffering from the coming radiation sickness
. An Australian naval officer, Peter Holmes (Anthony Perkins
), has a baby daughter and a naive and childish wife, Mary (Donna Anderson
), who is in denial about the impending disaster. Assigned to travel with the American submarine for several weeks, Peter tries to explain to Mary how to euthanize their baby and kill herself with the lethal pills in case he's not yet home. Mary, however, reacts violently at the prospect of killing her daughter and herself.
One scientist's theory is that the radiation near the Arctic Ocean
could be less than that at mid northern hemisphere. If so, this would indicate the radiation could disperse before reaching the southern hemisphere. This was to be explored along with the submarine's main mission.
After sailing to Point Barrow
, Alaska
, they determine that radiation levels are intensifying. The submarine next stops at San Francisco. The views through the periscope show no signs of life and no damage to buildings. One crewman jumps ship to spend his last hours in his hometown. After attempting to convince the crewman to return, Towers accepts his decision. The crewman is last seen fishing and awaiting his death as the Sawfish submerges, never to return.
Sawfish then travels to an abandoned oil refinery in San Diego, where they discover though everyone is dead, the hydroelectric power is still operating. The ship's communications officer is sent ashore in a radiation suit to investigate. The mysterious signal is the result of a Coca Cola bottle being bumped by a window shade fluttering in the breeze and tapping a telegraph key. Bitterly disappointed, the submariners return to Australia to live out the remaining time before the nuclear fallout
arrives.
They make their best efforts to enjoy what time and pleasures remain to them before dying. Scientist Julian Osborne (Fred Astaire
) and others organize a wild motor race that kills several participants. Moira only sees the senselessness of the race, but when she asks Osborne why he is taking part, he responds, "because I want to".
Prior to the submarine voyage to America, Towers told Moira about his enjoyment of the relaxation from fishing. During his absence, Moira gets the fishing season set earlier so Dwight will get one last chance to fish. With Towers now accepting the death of his family, they embark on a weekend trip. Retreating to the resort for the night, Dwight and Moira share a romantic interlude inside their room as outside a gathering storm howls.
Returning to Melbourne, Towers is told one of his crew has developed radiation sickness. The deadly radiation has arrived. Some citizens seek spiritual guidance from the Salvation Army
. They hang a banner from the public library
exhorting that "There Is Still Time . . . Brother".
Osborne, proud and satisfied after winning the Australian Grand Prix, seals himself and the car, engine running, inside a garage to set up his presumed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning
. Others line up to receive their suicide pills. Later, Mary Holmes (Donna Anderson
) becomes emotionally unbalanced and must be placed under sedation. She regains lucidity, and she and Peter share a tender moment together before Mary decides that she has been "foolish and impractical" and asks her husband to "take care" of her and their daughter. "I'd like that cup of tea now," she tells him.
Dwight wants to stay with Moira, but his remaining crew want to head for home and die in the United States. In the end, Captain Towers chooses not to stay but rather to lead his crew back to the States. Moira watches from the shore as the Sawfish submerges beneath the waves. The end shows the deserted, abandoned streets of Melbourne. The last shot, punctuated by emphatic music, is of the "There Is Still Time . . . Brother" banner.
, close to the southernmost part of the Australian mainland. Beach scenes were filmed at the foreshore of Cowes
on Phillip Island, famous today for its seacoast, koalas
and little penguins
. The racing sequences were filmed at Riverside Raceway
in California. These scenes include an array of late 1950s sports cars, including examples of the Jaguar XK150
and Jaguar D-type
, Porsche 356
, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing", AC Ace
, Chevrolet Corvette
and prominent in sequences was the "Chuck Porter Special," a customized Mercedes 300SL. Built by Hollywood bodyshop owner Chuck Porter
and driven by a list of notable '50s to '60s west coast racers including Bob Edmison, Ken Miles, Bill Krause, Chuck Stevenson
and Peter Culkin who purchased and successfully raced it in the early '60s.
The U.S. Department of Defense as well as the United States Navy refused to cooperate in the production of this film, not allowing access to their nuclear-powered submarines. The film production crew was forced to use a non-nuclear, diesel-electric Royal Navy
submarine, HMS Andrew
. An additional scene was shot in Melbourne night-club Ciro's. Among the audience in the scene were several popular Melbourne television personalities, most notably Graham Kennedy
. The scene was not used in the cinema release of the film, and does not feature in the various DVD releases. It is not known if the scene was included in any released version of the film. The movie was shot in part in Berwick
, then a suburb outside of Melbourne and part in Frankston
, also a Melbourne suburb. The well-known scene where Peck meets Gardner, who arrives from Melbourne by rail, was filmed on platform #1 of Frankston railway station, now demolished, and a subsequent scene where Peck and Gardner are transported off by horse and buggy, was filmed in Young Street, Frankston. Some streets which were being built at the time in Berwick were named after people involved in the film, as shown in Melway
Edition #1 (1966), http://www.custommaps.net/images/111.jpg. Some examples are: Shute Avenue (Nevil Shute) and Kramer Drive (Stanley Kramer).
Frank Chacklesfield's love theme from the film, was released as a single in 1960.
The song "Waltzing Matilda" became more popular all over, as a result of the film, with many folk singers recording their own versions, including Harry Belafonte, Jimmie Rodgers (who had recorded 2 different versions of the song), and Tim Morgan. The Seekers
, who are from Australia, have recorded this song several times.
.
's ideas won out.
The film score played heavily on the motif of "Waltzing Matilda
".
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
based on Nevil Shute
Nevil Shute
Nevil Shute Norway was a popular British-Australian novelist and a successful aeronautical engineer. He used his full name in his engineering career, and 'Nevil Shute' as his pen name, in order to protect his engineering career from any potential negative publicity in connection with his novels.-...
's 1957 novel of the same name. The film features Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
(USS Sawfish captain Dwight Lionel Towers), Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
(Moira Davidson), Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
(scientist Julian—John in the novel—Osborne) and Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:...
(Royal Australian Navy lieutenant Peter Holmes). It was directed by Stanley Kramer
Stanley Kramer
Stanley Earl Kramer was an American film director and producer. Kramer was responsible for some of Hollywood's most famous "message" movies...
, who won the 1960 BAFTA for best director. Ernest Gold won the 1960 Golden Globe
17th Golden Globe Awards
The 17th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film for 1959 films, were held on March 10, 1960.-Best Actor - Drama: Anthony Franciosa - Career*Richard Burton - Look Back In Anger*Charlton Heston - Ben-Hur...
for Best Motion Picture Score. It was remade
On the Beach (2000 film)
On the Beach is an apocalyptic television movie released in 2000, airing originally on Showtime. It is a remake of the 1959 film, and is based on the 1957 novel by Nevil Shute. It starred Armand Assante, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Ward...
as an Australian television film by Southern Star Productions in 2000.
Plot summary
The story is set in a future 1964, in the months following World War IIIWorld War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
. The conflict has devastated the northern hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, polluting the atmosphere with nuclear fallout
Nuclear fallout
Fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and shock wave have passed. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust and ash created when a nuclear weapon explodes...
and killing all life. While the bombs were confined to the northern hemisphere, air currents are slowly carrying the fallout south. The only areas still habitable are in the far southern hemisphere, like Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
From Australia, survivors detect an incomprehensible Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
signal from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in San Diego. With hope that someone is alive back home, the last American nuclear submarine, USS Sawfish, under Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
command, is ordered to sail north from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
to try and make contact with the signal sender. The captain, Dwight Towers (Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
), leaves behind his good friend, the alcoholic Moira Davidson (Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
), despite his feelings of guilt about the death of his wife and children in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Towers refuses to admit they are dead and continues to behave accordingly.
The Australian government arranges for its citizens to receive suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
pills and injections, so that they end things quickly before there is prolonged suffering from the coming radiation sickness
Radiation Sickness
Radiation Sickness is a VHS by the thrash metal band Nuclear Assault. The video is a recording of a concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, London in 1988. It was released in 1991...
. An Australian naval officer, Peter Holmes (Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:...
), has a baby daughter and a naive and childish wife, Mary (Donna Anderson
Donna Anderson
Donna Anderson is an American actress, who had a film career as a character actress during the 1960s and 1970s. She appeared on television in the series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters and Little House on the Prairie and many more.-Early life:Anderson was born Donna Knaflich in Gunnison,...
), who is in denial about the impending disaster. Assigned to travel with the American submarine for several weeks, Peter tries to explain to Mary how to euthanize their baby and kill herself with the lethal pills in case he's not yet home. Mary, however, reacts violently at the prospect of killing her daughter and herself.
One scientist's theory is that the radiation near the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
could be less than that at mid northern hemisphere. If so, this would indicate the radiation could disperse before reaching the southern hemisphere. This was to be explored along with the submarine's main mission.
After sailing to Point Barrow
Point Barrow
Point Barrow or Nuvuk is a headland on the Arctic coast in the U.S. state of Alaska, northeast of Barrow. It is the northernmost point of all the territory of the United States, at...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, they determine that radiation levels are intensifying. The submarine next stops at San Francisco. The views through the periscope show no signs of life and no damage to buildings. One crewman jumps ship to spend his last hours in his hometown. After attempting to convince the crewman to return, Towers accepts his decision. The crewman is last seen fishing and awaiting his death as the Sawfish submerges, never to return.
Sawfish then travels to an abandoned oil refinery in San Diego, where they discover though everyone is dead, the hydroelectric power is still operating. The ship's communications officer is sent ashore in a radiation suit to investigate. The mysterious signal is the result of a Coca Cola bottle being bumped by a window shade fluttering in the breeze and tapping a telegraph key. Bitterly disappointed, the submariners return to Australia to live out the remaining time before the nuclear fallout
Nuclear fallout
Fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and shock wave have passed. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust and ash created when a nuclear weapon explodes...
arrives.
They make their best efforts to enjoy what time and pleasures remain to them before dying. Scientist Julian Osborne (Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
) and others organize a wild motor race that kills several participants. Moira only sees the senselessness of the race, but when she asks Osborne why he is taking part, he responds, "because I want to".
Prior to the submarine voyage to America, Towers told Moira about his enjoyment of the relaxation from fishing. During his absence, Moira gets the fishing season set earlier so Dwight will get one last chance to fish. With Towers now accepting the death of his family, they embark on a weekend trip. Retreating to the resort for the night, Dwight and Moira share a romantic interlude inside their room as outside a gathering storm howls.
Returning to Melbourne, Towers is told one of his crew has developed radiation sickness. The deadly radiation has arrived. Some citizens seek spiritual guidance from the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
. They hang a banner from the public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
exhorting that "There Is Still Time . . . Brother".
Osborne, proud and satisfied after winning the Australian Grand Prix, seals himself and the car, engine running, inside a garage to set up his presumed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
. Others line up to receive their suicide pills. Later, Mary Holmes (Donna Anderson
Donna Anderson
Donna Anderson is an American actress, who had a film career as a character actress during the 1960s and 1970s. She appeared on television in the series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters and Little House on the Prairie and many more.-Early life:Anderson was born Donna Knaflich in Gunnison,...
) becomes emotionally unbalanced and must be placed under sedation. She regains lucidity, and she and Peter share a tender moment together before Mary decides that she has been "foolish and impractical" and asks her husband to "take care" of her and their daughter. "I'd like that cup of tea now," she tells him.
Dwight wants to stay with Moira, but his remaining crew want to head for home and die in the United States. In the end, Captain Towers chooses not to stay but rather to lead his crew back to the States. Moira watches from the shore as the Sawfish submerges beneath the waves. The end shows the deserted, abandoned streets of Melbourne. The last shot, punctuated by emphatic music, is of the "There Is Still Time . . . Brother" banner.
Cast
- Gregory PeckGregory PeckEldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
as Commander Dwight Lionel Towers, USS Sawfish - Ava GardnerAva GardnerAva Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
as Moira Davidson, Towers' Australian love interest - Fred AstaireFred AstaireFred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
as Julian Osborne, Australian scientist - Anthony PerkinsAnthony PerkinsAnthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:...
as Lieutenant Peter Holmes, Royal Australian Navy - Donna AndersonDonna AndersonDonna Anderson is an American actress, who had a film career as a character actress during the 1960s and 1970s. She appeared on television in the series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters and Little House on the Prairie and many more.-Early life:Anderson was born Donna Knaflich in Gunnison,...
as Mary Holmes, Peter's wife - John Tate as Admiral Bridie, Royal Australian Navy
- Harp McGuire as Lieutenant Sunderstrom (ashore in San Diego)
- Lola Brooks as Lieutenant Osgood, Bridie's secretary
- Ken WayneKen WayneKen Wayne was an Australian actor. He made his film debut in Sons of Matthew and appeared in a number of movies including Dust in the Sun , but was also well known for his work in radio, particularly for playing private eye Larry Kent in the series I Hate Crime...
as Lieutenant Benson - Guy DolemanGuy DolemanGuy Doleman was a New Zealand actor.He is perhaps best known for his role as "Count Lippe" in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball, and as "Colonel Ross" in the three film adaptations of Len Deighton's "Harry Palmer" novels, starring Michael Caine, in the 1960s...
as Lieutenant Commander Farrel - Richard MeikleRichard MeikleRichard Meikle was an Australian actor who worked extensively in film, theatre, film and radio. He was the father of writer Sam Meikle.-Select Credits:*On the Beach *Whiplash...
as Davis - John MeillonJohn MeillonJohn Meillon was an Australian actor, most widely known outside Australia for his role as Walter Reilly in the films "Crocodile" Dundee and "Crocodile" Dundee II. He also voiced Victoria Bitter beer commercials until his death.-Biography:Meillon was born in Mosman, Sydney...
as Sawfish crewman Ralph Swain (ashore in San Francisco) - Joe McCormick as Ackerman, radiation sickness victim
- Lou Vernon as Bill Davidson, Moira's father
- Kevin BrennanKevin Brennan (actor)Kevin Martin Brennan was a British film and television actor.-Selected filmography:* On the Beach * The Punch and Judy Man * The Small World of Sammy Lee...
as Dr. King, radiation diagnosis doctor - Basil Buller-Murphy as Sir Douglas Froude
- John Casson as Salvation Army captain
- Paddy Moran as Stevens (club wine steward)
- Grant TaylorGrant Taylor (actor)Grant Taylor , real name Ronald Grant Taylor, was an English-born actor best known as the abrasive General Henderson in the Gerry Anderson science fiction series UFO and for his lead role in Forty Thousand Horsemen ....
as Morgan (Holmes party)
Production
Like the novel, much of the film takes place in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, close to the southernmost part of the Australian mainland. Beach scenes were filmed at the foreshore of Cowes
Cowes, Victoria
Cowes is the main township on Phillip Island in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. It is less than 2 hours drive from Melbourne and can also be reached by ferry from Stony Point on the Mornington Peninsula. Cowes is located on the northern side of Phillip Island and faces towards French...
on Phillip Island, famous today for its seacoast, koalas
Koala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
and little penguins
Little Penguin
The Little Penguin is the smallest species of penguin. The penguin, which usually grows to an average of in height and in length , is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile.Apart from Little Penguins, they have several common names...
. The racing sequences were filmed at Riverside Raceway
Riverside International Raceway
Riverside International Raceway was a race track or road course in Riverside, California. The track was in operation from September 22, 1957, to July 2, 1989...
in California. These scenes include an array of late 1950s sports cars, including examples of the Jaguar XK150
Jaguar XK150
The Jaguar XK150 is a sports car produced by Jaguar between 1957 and 1961. It replaced the XK140.Initially it was available in Fixed Head Coupé and Drop Head Coupé versions. The Open Two Seater roadster was not launched until 1958...
and Jaguar D-type
Jaguar D-type
The Jaguar D-Type, like its predecessor the C-Type, was a factory-built race car. Although it shared the basic straight-6 XK engine design with the C-Type, the majority of the car was radically different...
, Porsche 356
Porsche 356
The Porsche 356 was the company's first production automobile. It was a lightweight and nimble handling rear-engine rear-wheel-drive 2 door sports car available in hardtop coupe and open configurations. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports...
, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing", AC Ace
AC Ace
-History:AC came back to the market after the Second World War with the staid Two-litre range of cars in 1947, but it was with the Ace sports car of 1953 that the company really made its reputation in the post war years...
, Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
and prominent in sequences was the "Chuck Porter Special," a customized Mercedes 300SL. Built by Hollywood bodyshop owner Chuck Porter
Chuck Porter
Charles William Porter , is a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1981-1985. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers....
and driven by a list of notable '50s to '60s west coast racers including Bob Edmison, Ken Miles, Bill Krause, Chuck Stevenson
Chuck Stevenson
Charles "Chuck" Stevenson was an American racecar driver.- AAA and USAC Championship Car series :...
and Peter Culkin who purchased and successfully raced it in the early '60s.
The U.S. Department of Defense as well as the United States Navy refused to cooperate in the production of this film, not allowing access to their nuclear-powered submarines. The film production crew was forced to use a non-nuclear, diesel-electric Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
submarine, HMS Andrew
HMS Andrew (P423)
HMS Andrew , was an Amphion-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Vickers Armstrong and launched on 6 April 1946.The submarine was fitted with a 4 inch deck gun in 1964 for service during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation to counter blockade running junks. The gun was fired for the...
. An additional scene was shot in Melbourne night-club Ciro's. Among the audience in the scene were several popular Melbourne television personalities, most notably Graham Kennedy
Graham Kennedy
Graham Cyril Kennedy, AO was an Australian radio, television and film performer, often called Gra Gra and The King of Australian television.-Childhood:...
. The scene was not used in the cinema release of the film, and does not feature in the various DVD releases. It is not known if the scene was included in any released version of the film. The movie was shot in part in Berwick
Berwick, Victoria
Berwick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Berwick had a population of 36,420....
, then a suburb outside of Melbourne and part in Frankston
Frankston, Victoria
Frankston is a suburb within the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area in Victoria, Australia. It is located 40 km southeast of the state capital Melbourne at the southernmost edge of Greater Melbourne, near the beginnings of the Mornington Peninsula...
, also a Melbourne suburb. The well-known scene where Peck meets Gardner, who arrives from Melbourne by rail, was filmed on platform #1 of Frankston railway station, now demolished, and a subsequent scene where Peck and Gardner are transported off by horse and buggy, was filmed in Young Street, Frankston. Some streets which were being built at the time in Berwick were named after people involved in the film, as shown in Melway
Melway
Melway is an almost ubiquitous street directory for Melbourne, Australia and its immediate surrounds, including the city of Geelong. It is currently in its 39th edition—the 2012 edition—which was released in July 2011.-History:Melway was conceived by Merv Godfrey and Iven Mackay in the 1950s...
Edition #1 (1966), http://www.custommaps.net/images/111.jpg. Some examples are: Shute Avenue (Nevil Shute) and Kramer Drive (Stanley Kramer).
Frank Chacklesfield's love theme from the film, was released as a single in 1960.
The song "Waltzing Matilda" became more popular all over, as a result of the film, with many folk singers recording their own versions, including Harry Belafonte, Jimmie Rodgers (who had recorded 2 different versions of the song), and Tim Morgan. The Seekers
The Seekers
The Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
, who are from Australia, have recorded this song several times.
Release
On the Beach premiered simultaneously in several major cities around the world, including MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Differences between novel and film
Nevil Shute was displeased with the final version of the film, feeling that too many changes had been made at the expense of the story's integrity. Gregory Peck agreed with him, but in the end, producer/director Stanley KramerStanley Kramer
Stanley Earl Kramer was an American film director and producer. Kramer was responsible for some of Hollywood's most famous "message" movies...
's ideas won out.
- In the novel, the submarine is named Scorpion. In the film, she is called Sawfish.
- The novel describes Moira Davidson as a slender, petite pale blond in her mid-twenties. In the film, she is portrayed by the tall, curvaceous, brunette 37-year old Ava Gardner.
- A naval training base near Seattle is the location in the novel where the strange Morse signals are detected. The film uses an oil refinery in San Diego as its location.
- Buildings in San Francisco are shown as undamaged in the film, while in the novel the city has been largely destroyed with the Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate BridgeThe Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
having fallen.
- The northernmost point of the submarine's journey in the novel is the Gulf of AlaskaGulf of AlaskaThe Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.The entire shoreline of the Gulf is...
, while the film uses Point Barrow. In reality, ice cover would have made it impossible for the submarine to have surfaced off Point Barrow.
- The nuclear scientist in the book is named John Osborne, a thirty-something bachelor. In the movie, he is portrayed by 60-year old Fred AstaireFred AstaireFred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
, and is renamed Julian. Moira and Julian (John) are cousins in the novel, but formerly romantically linked in the film.
- Admiral Bridie and his secretary, Lieutenant Osgood, are in the film, but not in the novel.
- Moira and Dwight never sleep together in the novel; Dwight remains faithful to the memory of his wife. Moira, though disappointed at first, comes to respect his stance. Film director Stanley KramerStanley KramerStanley Earl Kramer was an American film director and producer. Kramer was responsible for some of Hollywood's most famous "message" movies...
believed that audiences would not believe that Dwight, as played by Peck, could resist the charms of sex symbol Gardner, so a love scene was inserted. Shute disliked this change to his original storyline.
- The novel ends with a dying Moira sitting in her car, taking her suicide pills, while watching Scorpion head out to sea to be scuttledScuttlingScuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
. Unlike the book, no mention of scuttling the sub is made in the film; instead Captain Towers' crew asks that he try to take them home to the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where they can die on home soil. Although he realizes that they probably will not survive the passage, he does as they request. In the film, Ava Gardner is seen merely watching Dwight's submarine disappear, and is not seen to commit suicide at that time.
- Unlike the novel, no blame is placed on whoever started the war; it is hinted that it may have been an accident, a few faulty vacuum tubes or transistor circuits as in the similarly-themed film Fail-SafeFail-Safe (1964 film)Fail-Safe is a 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. It tells the story of a fictional Cold War nuclear crisis...
(1964).
- Dwight and Moira do not attend the Australia Grand Prix in the novel, unlike the film. This was due to the fact that they were vacationing in the mountains that day. However, during a radio news broadcast, they hear about John Osborne's first-place victory.
Academy Awards
| Category | Person | |
| Nominated: | ||
| Best Score Academy Award for Original Music Score The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:... |
Ernest Gold | |
| Best Editing Academy Award for Film Editing The Academy Award for Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. Since 1981, every film selected as Best Picture has also been nominated for the Film Editing... |
Frederic Knudtson Frederic Knudtson Frederic Knudtson was an American film editor with 79 credits over his career, which spanned 1932 to 1964... |
|
The film score played heavily on the motif of "Waltzing Matilda
Waltzing Matilda
"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known bush ballad. A country folk song, the song has been referred to as "the unofficial national anthem of Australia"....
".