"The Bomb Train Is On the Way"

 

 (imdb)

BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH-1967-Arnold (Peter Arne), a guy in a mental hospital tells his friend Commander Jonathan Shaw (Kerwin Matthews; THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD in better days) that "they" are digging tunnels on the Oregon coast and will "wipe us out". When an Oregon mine collapses Shaw investigates. He discovers Chan Lu (Martin Benson), a renegade Chinese general is digging the tunnels and planning on detonating atom bombs in the US. The US army kill all the soldiers but are no match for the armored tank that shoots a deadly ray. When they investigate the tunnels further they are joined by geologist Tila Lung (Viviane Ventura). 

This color cold war sci-fi film takes place in Las Vegas but it's obvious most of the cast is English (including the phony Chinese). Terrible acting, direction, script and sfx. This was the last film directed by Montgomery Tully (THE ELECTRONIC MONSTER).

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Lady Bug

LADYBUG LADY BUG-1963-A panic arises at a small elementary school when it appears they get a warning of a nuclear attack. The principal (William Daniels) sends all the kids home and along the way their fear and paranoia grows. It seems to end tragically with one girl hiding in an abandoned refrigerator and a boy losing his mind when he hears a plane flying over head. Though it might seem tame today I'd bet it scared a few moviegoers back in the turbulence of the early '60's. 

The husband-wife team of Frank Perry (director) and Eleanor Perry (screenwriter) made other offbeat, unusual films including THE SWIMMER and DIARY OF A MAD HOUSEWIFE. Frank later directed MOMMIE DEAREST.

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End of The World (the first time)

FIVE-1951-This low budget post apocalyptic drama was produced, written and directed by Arch Obler, creator of the radio (and later TV) program LIGHTS OUT.

It concerns the last 5 survivors of a nuclear holocaust. Michael (William Phipps), a poet/philosopher who really doesn't seem to miss mankind, Roseanne (Susan Douglas), a pregnant woman who wants to go to the city to find her husband, Charles (Charles Lampkin), an optimistic African American, Mr. Barnstaple (Earl Lee), a brain addled banker and eventual troublemaker (and bigot) Eric (James Anderson), a European spared because he was on Mt. Everest. Eric (who kind of talks like Paul Burich's alien character in NOT OF THIS EARTH) wants to go to the city on the pretense that there will be more survivors and presents the theory the little group is actually immune to the bomb's radioactivity but he's really only interested in plunder. After the banker dies and Eric reveals himself to be a racist Michael delivers Roseanne's baby. Despite Michael's care and protection Roseanne still clings to the hope that her husband is alive. Stupidly, she agrees to accompany Eric to the city in hopes of finding her husband right before Eric kills Charles. All they find are empty streets, abandoned cars and skeleton remains (including Roseanne's husband). Eric gets radiation poisoning and somehow Roseanne and Michael meet up again but her baby dies. After they bury the baby, Roseanne joins Michael in planting crops (which Eric had deliberately destroyed). The final scene of the couple standing together could signify a new beginning and maybe the end....

FIVE was the first atomic bomb survival and despite the minimal budget the acting pulls this one through despite Eric's weird accent. Actor Anderson would play with more success another bigoted role eleven years later in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Obler made the first feature length 3-D movie BWANA DEVIL next and later made THE TWONKY and THE BUBBLE.

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