On The Beach
Ever wanted to go to Australia? Well, the survivors in this movie sure are happy to be there!
In this 1959 Stanley Kramer film, although doom seems inevitable, a positive light is shed on the tenacity of human nature as friendships develop between nuclear holocaust survivors who are sure to meet their end soon enough.
Human life on earth as we know it is threatened by a lethal cloud of radioactive fallout approaching Australia, giving the last survivors of a global nuclear holocaust only a few months to live. As Australia remains untouched by nuclear destruction and radiation, it acts as a safe haven for its residents and the American navy crew of the undefeated submarine, USS Sawfish.
Handsome Gregory Peck plays Captain Dwight Towers, the Commander of USS Sawfish and the messenger of bad news after he discovers a drifting cloud of radioactive fallout heading straight for Australia. A healing widower who lost his wife and children to this nuclear war, Cpt.Towers spends his last days finding comfort in his friendships with Lieutenant Peter Holmes (Anthony Perkins), scientist Julian Osborne (Fred Astaire) and the lovely Moira Davidson (Ava Gardner), a woman with a past who falls for Cpt.Towers.
As the last chapter of their lives come to a close, the characters find solace in different circumstances that take shape. For Moira, it’s in the hope of finding love. For Julian, it’s in realizing a life-long dream.
How would you pass your last days on Earth? We asked some of the Bunker staff and here’s what they replied:
Amy- “I would love to be in Australia! I would take up surfing.”
Lindsey- “I would spend my time on the beach swimming.”
John- “If my family was there, I would spend all of my time with them. ”
Where: Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum
3911 Carp Road Carp ON K0A 1L0
Just one exit from Scotiabank Place
When: Tuesday, August 21st, 2012 at 7pm
Optional tour offered at 6pm
Who: Adults
Cost: Film: $8, Film and tour: $15
FREE for museum members and Connexion card holders.
