The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961)

When the United States and the Soviet Union detonate nuclear bomb tests unintentionally simultaneously, the Earth is thrown off its axis. Enormous changes in weather and climate follow including melting polar caps, flooding, earthquakes and most obvious of all, extreme high temperatures. Can the world be saved? The sci-fi classic directed by Val Guest (THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT) is considered one of the best examples of British science fiction. I can understand its cult status as a thinking man's disaster movie. The film takes a generally realistic and grim look at a plausible scenario and its ambiguous ending is wonderfully appreciated. But its liabilities are pretty heavy. The film's special effects are fairly shoddy by today's standards and too much stock footage is utilized. Its protagonist, Edward Judd as a journalist, is irritatingly obnoxious and if he's an example of the best mankind has to offer, perhaps the world should end! Edward who? Exactly! A less interesting actor would be hard to find. Neatly shot in B&W (with red tinted sequences) Dyaliscope by Harry Waxman (THE WICKER MAN). With Janet Munro, Leo McKern, Michael Goodliffe, Renee Asherson and Marianne Stone.