On The Beach (1959)

Based on Nevil Shute's novel, Stanley Kramer directs a film about the end of the world.  Gregory Peck is Submarine Captain Dwight Towers, who discovers that Australia is the only country that's survived a devastating Nuclear world war.  An all-star cast, Kramer's speciality, including Fred Astair (in his first none musical role), Ava Gardner and a young Anthony Perkins scramble to deal with being left behind, even as it becomes clear that a radiation cloud is on its way.   It's a little long but I was delighted that such a film was even made back in the '50s.  I guess with the Cold War kicking into gear, such nightmare scenarios were all the rage.  Very romantic and broad, it's a great Hollywood treatment of an otherwise bleak topic.   Grade: B+.