Review of The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) by Alan W — 28 Oct 2014

Made over 50 years ago and on a pretty tight budget, this is not as bad or cheesy as I thought it would be. The acting may be uneven and occasionally stiff (the real Daily Express editor playing the fictional Express editor looks like he was reading rather than acting), and McKern is lumbered with the role of Basil Exposition, but the script has its moments, the dialogue is witty, sometimes risqué and flirtatious and carries a message that is still relevant today.

The use of news and real footage is clever enough to counter some of the more out of date and wonky special effects. Location shots (one in Trafalgar Square is particularly impressive) serve the film well, especially in terms of its authenticity and I cannot deny my fascination in seeing the real London in the 60s in the background (that is until the new print does such a good job that it looks obviously a painted backdrop).

Fun and not as frivolous as I expected - with a nice touch of an ending that is fashionably ambiguous and thought-provoking.