THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE (1961)

Cast

Plot

Journalists at the London Daily Express investigate reports of strange phenomena occurring all over the world; flooding in the Sahara, unseasonable blizzards in New York, violent tornadoes in the Soviet Union. The investigation leads to the discovery of a cover-up and the revelation that nuclear explosions have altered the Earth's orbit, its destination THE SUN! As the temperature rockets, water becomes scarce and mass hysteria breaks out. The only solution is a radical one, the detonation of further nuclear bombs in order to restore the Earth's orbit. In presenting science as the threat and possible saviour of mankind The Day the Earth Caught Fire' borrows from many fifties disaster movies. What makes it stand out from many of its predecessors is the sheer quality of the direction and the wonderfully naturalistic screenplay. Gripping and definitely a cut above the average. Watch!