Panic In The Year Zero! (1962)

A family consisting of father (Ray Milland), mother (Jean Hagen, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN), teenage son (Frankie Avalon) and daughter (Mary Mitchel) are off for a weekend fishing trip when a nuclear war breaks out. As civilization collapses, armed with guns, the family dwells in a cave in the mountains and the father finds himself descending into barbarism to protect his family. Although he only directed a handful of films, actor Ray Milland was a more than decent director. This piece of apocalyptic science fiction is very well done. In short strokes, the movie makes a terrifying case for survival in a topsy turvy world. At times, the film seems reactionary but it does make its points succinctly and without the preachy narratives of more "liberal" anti nuclear war films like ON THE BEACH. Bare bones but effective. With Richard Garland, Willis Bouchey and Richard Bakalyan.